FOR 23-year-old restaurateur Patrick Co, the Davao City dining scene is benefiting from the growing economy of the city.
“Business is very good, the economy is very good and people are flocking to Davao,” said Patrick who owns and runs Fat Cow and Asian Cow alongside pastry shop Dairy.
He said his diners are about 70 percent Dabawenyos and 30 percent tourists. He admits the business was struggling at the start but has since picked up.
Fat Cow is a modern bistro located at Mabini corner Araullo Street a former residential community in Davao City now slowly being gentrified with buildings which houses concept restaurants and cafes.
Patrick described Fat Cow’s cuisine as “chef-driven” he designs the menu. And on his whims and moods he concocts new dishes which he offers at the bistro.
“Fat Cow is highly experimental, I suggest you look our menu posted on the blackboard,” Patrick recommends to look for the blackboard menu on the nook of the bistro which is offered aside from the standard menu.
His newest dishes include Maya-Maya Fish and Chips - a variation of the Fish and Chips using Snapper or locally known as Maya-Maya. There’s the Wagyu Strip Joint which are delectable imported Wagyu beef strips and then Pasta Telefono.
Diners are constantly flocking at his restaurants willing to try his dishes which is different from the usual dining fare like the ubiquitous ihaw-ihaw joints scattered across the city.
“People now are more game and open to new things, new tastes and new concepts,” Patrick said.
He said the market though now open to new things would still prefer value for money. You have to be consistently good and you will earn the people’s trust that our food here is good.
Patrick opened Fat Cow in April 2016 when he was still a 20 year old, one of the youngest restaurateur in Davao City at that time. Before becoming a resto owner he was schooled at Center Asian Culinary Studies or CACS and worked briefly at Marco Polo Davao.
“I was then fresh from culinary school, I really want to open a resto,” Patrick recalls.
Fat Cow opened shortly before Mayor Rodrigo Duterte was elected as President, he said under his term the change in the country was impressive. In 2018, Patrick opened Asian Cow, an Asian and Oriental inspired bistro located a block away from Fat Cow.
Patrick hopes the President would visit Fat Cow or Asian Cow as his children like Sara and Sebastian Duterte along with some of the Duterte’s cabinet have been the bistro’s clientele.
“I am looking in three years’ time the Davao restaurant scene will grow, a 10% increase in new establishments and also new clients,” a bullish Patrick said.
“I am really excited about Davao City targeting 2-million tourists, if they can achieve it that would bring in new clientele,” he said.