Carly: "Lami kaayo! Mahurot gyud nako ang whole pie ani."
Rj: "This one, I can say, is the best in taste, color, and overall appearance."
Dane: "Pwede pa humingi?"
AS WE celebrate all kinds of uniqueness Davao City has to offer, we've made it a commitment to highlight at least one delicacy a month that's the best among the Dabawenyos' palette. For September, we've searched for the best Durian Pie and invited judges who helped us identify which one deserves SunStar Davao's Best of Davao Award.
Hunting through our Facebook poll, we've gathered the three most mentioned home-grown bakeries that produce "the best" Durian Pie. To assist us, former Diwa ng Dabaw Dane Rhea Sillo, reigning Diwa ng Dabaw Carly Jane Chua, and SunStar's Business Editor Reuel John Lumawag sat down on the judging panel to critic the three pies.
Pie Number 1, in a collective judgment, got the impression that it tasted the least flavorful. Its color, borderline between brown and yellow, also was the least attractive in the batch. Maybe it's good for some who loves the neutral taste of bread and a dash of sugar. "I can take a bite of this but I won't consume all of the slice. Definitely not my cup of tea," Reuel John explained.
As for Pie Number 2 which obviously has the brightest yellow color among the three, has that familiar durian dessert taste that we all know. It is also sweeter than the first one but according to Carly Jane, "it's better than the first pie but I think may kulang pa rin sa kanya".
Lastly, Pie Number 3, which turned out to be everybody's favorite is the cutest among all. It's the tiniest but every bite of it is flavorful, it's most satisfying as the three of them said. It has that perfect mixture of milky taste without sacrificing the Durian's sweetness. Former Diwa ng Dabaw Dane Rhea who initially claimed she's not fond of Durian, even said, "this will be my favorite! The kind that I will bring home to family and share with friends."
The winner is ta-da! Bistro Rosario! It's that posh restaurant along Torres Street that we all fancy to dine in. Just a few meters pass Davao Convention and Trade Center if you're from J.P. Laurel Avenue. But they have stalls in shopping malls, I know there's one in Abreeza as I often buy my Mango Cake there. There's also one in SM Ecoland as well as in SM Lanang Premier. For reservations and orders you can contact them through 221-7780. Congratulations Bistro Rosario, well deserved!