IN THE 1980s and 1990s Mang Tura was where Dabawenyos came for their fill of delectable Bulalo.
A popular stew made of beef shanks and bone marrow along with veggies and a half cob of corn, the stew has become a popular dish particularly during weekend evenings when one need a hot serving of bulalo soup to wash away the effects of alcohol.
I could still remember people going to Mang Tura, the line of vehicles navigating the small street of the Madrazo compound behind the famed fruit stands. Mang Tura’s bulalo was known for its tasty soup, the tender beef shanks and a generous serving of bone marrow.
In 2002, Buenaventura Gacuma or Mang Tura left for the United States with his wife Joy, the restaurant was transferred by the owner to its loyal employees who ran it for two years before the resto eventually closed.
Torch Gacuma is the youngest child of Mang Tura and Joy. He is one of Davao City’s top DJs who had headlined several large Electronic Dance Music (EDM) events in the city and nearby provinces. He is also a staple among several bars and nightspots in the city. Torch learned and mastered the famed family recipe.
“The bulalo was actually a recipe of my mother. It was my dad who marketed it and built the restaurant,” Torch recalled the popular dish well-loved by many Dabawenyos.
Torch, along with four business partners which included couple Nico and Imma Lopez who own Beereaucracy Bar in Obrero, put up BKitchen, a food outlet adjacent to the beer themed bar.
“I also love to cook, particularly my mom’s bulalo, so I decided to reintroduce the dish upon the prodding of my partners,” Torch said.
The Mang Tura 2.0 version features pure beef stew instead of carabeef, as a supplier now gives them choice cuts. But the shanks are smaller compared to the original, which made the bulalo more affordable. One order of bulalo is good for two persons.
“Old-timers, those who are familiar with our bulalo have been going to this place, they really miss Mang Tura’s bulalo,” he said. “Some would even bring their children and introduce them to the soup.”
The soup just transports you to bygone days, you will recall nightspots such as Zirkle, Calzada, Spams, Acropolis, Pops, Totos Bar, a time when after partying, people would flock to Mang Tura.
Aside from Bulalo, BKitchen also offers lechon kawali, adobong tenga, kilawin, sisig and Cansi, an Ilonggo beef stew.
Torch says they will be offering Mang Tura’s barbeque soon. He is also waiting for his mom who is based in the United States to return for a vacation and teach him how to cook Mang Tura’s balbacua which Torch admits he had tried unsuccessfully to master. Abangan.
BKitchen is located at the corner of Polo and De Guzman Streets in Barrio Obrero beside Beereaucracy.