ON THE eve of its opening day, Davao-based social media influencers were invited to check the place out and try some of the food the purveyors have to offer.
Foodies and diners can expect a range of dishes from some 30 local purveyors, each offering something that is unique from one another.
Purveyors at Boxed Up include Aling Foping’s Halo-Halo Express, Amaze Balls, Baba Ganoush, Brotatoes, Burger Bin, Balut Joint, Rib Shots, Batchoy King, Cheddy’s Ice Cream Sandwich, Hav Sambal-U, Crazynachos, Chinese Box, Chicky Avenue, Calle Porkie, Chickenini, Flamingo, Everything Kambing, Tanya’s Hopia, Lemonwood Café Cabin, Liempo Q, Logan’s, Melt, Murakami Ramen, #pantulaq, Rolls Roy’s, Sisagbai, Swirls, Street Taco, Surf Scoter, Sushi Box, Thai Express, Tuna in a Basket, #upperdeq, and Wing Side Davao.
During the media night we were able to try the food some of the purveyors are offering.
I also dropped by on the opening night and succeeding days to experience what it was like on a “regular” day.
The first night of Boxed Up was definitely a success with many Dabawenyos dropping by and trying out the different dishes at the food park.
The place
Boxed Up is a two-floor building featuring a shipping container architecture. It has a central dining area at the first floor and the second floor also has dining spaces on the balconies and the bridges.
I love how colorful and well-lighted the place was. I also love the pop culture characters painted on the walls.
The temperature at the food park may vary, during the opening night it was quite hot due to the volume of people coming while the second night was a bit cooler.
I think the dining area at the ground floor is much cooler than the second floor due to the availability of fans. However, on a windy day, I think the second floor would be a great place to hang out at.
I also love how well-covered most of the place is; so when it rains, you won’t have to worry getting really wet.
Another great thing about Boxed Up is how Instagram-worthy the whole place is. There are a lot of spots where you can take great photos.
While most of the stalls are already operating by its second day, there are still a few that have yet to start catering to diners.
The food
As I have mentioned earlier, there are a lot of food to choose from at the food park — wings, barbecue, burgers, tacos, dumplings, and desserts, among others.
Each purveryor also offers a different cuisine ranging from Asian, Western, and Filipino. You can also find a fusion of different flavors and cuisine too.
In terms of the price of the food and beverages available, it ranges somewhere between P45 to P200+. Meanwhile, a bottle of 500ml water is at P40.
Some of the standout food and beverages that I tried here include Lemonwood Cafe Cabin’s ensaymadas, Logan’s Tapsikwek, Aling Foping’s Halo-Halo, and #upperdeq’s Kadayawan Shots.
I was able to try the blueberry, salted caramel, and cheese flavors of Lemonwood Cafe Cabin’s ensaymada. All the ensaymadas were delicious but my favorite was the salted caramel.
Logan’s Tapsikwek was buttered rice topped with tapa flakes and kwek kwek (fried quail eggs). This was really good and a very satisfying meal.
For a refreshing end to your meal, drop by at Aling Foping’s for their halo-halo. What I love about their halo-halo is you can customize to your own liking. Also, I do not have to go to Matina anymore to enjoy their halo-halo.
Lastly, #upperdeq’s Kadayawan Shot, as far as I can remember the description from the staff, is vodka with what I think was durian shake. If you are looking for an adventurous drink, try this one. I think it was quite good.
Aside from the four that I have mentioned the other dishes I tried here during the media night and my succeeding visits were overall quite good.
The service
For the service, I will be sharing my experience after the media night. My experience varies from one store to another but it was overall good. The staff were friendly and they did their very best to cater to the influx of people dropping by at their store.
The purveyors are still in the process of getting used to the crowd. Hence, it was understandable that the service, in terms of time that the food was served or ready for pick up, took quite some time for some of the purveyors.
Bottomline
My overall experience with Boxed Up was generally good. The little hiccups are understandable as it is still in its first few days of opening. The food here was overall good.
What I really liked about the place was its ambiance, I think it is an awesome hang-out place for your family and friends. You and your colleagues can drop by here on any day for dinner or to just hang out.
I also think this is an awesome addition to the vibrant food scene here in Davao City. As the palate of the Dabawenyos become more sophisticated and adventurous, they are constantly looking for something new and the food park definitely came in at the right time.
With the success of its opening night, I think it would be just right another will be put up soon and hopefully with new purveyors.
I also hope the current purveryors will introduce us to some new dishes and specials every now and then as to keep things interesting at the food park.
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Kape Diaries would like to thank Boxed Up and its purveyors for inviting me on the eve of the opening as one of the lucky bunch to be among the first to try what the food park has to offer.
Also I would like to congratulate Boxed Up and its purveyors for a successful opening night and this is hoping for a continuous successful run in the days to come.
Visit Boxed Up at Doña Vicenta Village from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. daily.