FOR Dabawenyos, one of the best parts of Kadayawan Festival is when the prices of durian and other fruits begin to decrease coming close to the peak season.
During off season, durian can even be sold as expensive as P200 per kilo but on the months of August, September, and October, the durians become cheaper and more affordable to many. They can even be seen all over the city pegged at P20 to P25 per kilo. Not only is it affordable, it is also everywhere! Native, Arancillo, Puyat, and Chane varieties are the most common in Davao City.
Because of its abundance, culinary experts and pastry chefs have done so many culinary adventures and discovered along the way the wonders that durian can do to different dishes and desserts.
For our August 2019 Best of Davao, we decided to look for the best durian cheesecake in town. After asking for recommendations from trusted source and online poll, we came up with the best three durian cheesecake in Davao City. Out of these best three, we picked the best of the best with the help of our invited judges: Dianne Sia-Luceñera, Davao Food Guide; Generose Tecson, Davao City Tourism Operations Office; and Chuck Allie Gepaya, marketing head of the Blue Post Group.
After thorough deliberation, they shared to us how they would appreciate the durian cheesecake whose durian flavor is distinct and not only “an essence” or “a whisper”. Further, they also said that it is important that the crust complements the sweetness of the filling. They shouldn’t be both sweet rather it should be a balanced experience on the palate.
In the end, the best durian cheesecake was decided to be Lachi’s! Congratulations.
The judges particularly like the durian pulp and strips that they can taste in a slice of the durian cheesecake.
Dianne Sia-Luceñera
It looks very custard-like -- like a cross between custard and cheesecake. And you can see the durian bits inside so this must taste like durian.
Generose Tecson
It’s actually like flan for me but taste-wise, the durian is there and it’s not as sweet as the first one.
Chuck Allie Gepaya
You can see talaga the pulp of durian. There are strands of durian.