IT'S one of those places that have long stayed in our radar but just didn't quite fit into our schedules and route. And so, Benz Cafe and Restaurant at the corner of 1st Street and Quimpo Boulevard remained just that, a prospect.
Dengdeng first noticed the small billboard of sorts several months ago; and so we knew it was just in the vicinity somewhere. But it was only when the old Double R Bowling Lanes aka Task Force Davao Headquarters was demolished that Benz became more visible from the main road. It was just right there, a meter or two from the corner of 1st Street, which is the street that straddles one side of the former TFD headquarters.
We finally decided to give it a visit the other week when there was just Trisha and I, and we both live in the vicinity. Perfect.
It was a very busy day for both of us though and so we agreed to go around "830-ish" or so.
I arrived first, Trisha was still stuck delivering boxes upon boxes of pomelo to her Manila visitors (Chowking, my dear, remember Chowking). This very quiet restaurant cum cafe has a surprise for starving single ladies -- it has food, real food, late at night.
From what I remember, they have tenderloin steak, ribeye, baby back ribs, molo soup, and some other stuff I can no longer recall.
I ordered tenderloin, was asked about "my ribeye" and got-something-that-looked-like-tenderloin-but-was-described-as-ribeye-and-so-I-was-just-grateful-there-was-food-on-the-table-because-I-was-already-starving.
One clue to resto-owners down there, if there is an extra amiable customer who doesn't complain or what, beware. It just might be the food-taster about town. (I just want the service staff to be at their best, so smile, and say thank you and welcome, and smile again, so that type of service will not distract me from the food. Now if they do not respond in kind, then sorry... you're gonna read about it, too).
Now back to the steak... I don't know what it was, but it tasted good. It's just not the steak as you would expect it. The gravy had the distinct flavor of coconut milk. Very slight, but it's there. So let's call it sizzling tender bistek with coco milk gravy.
I also ordered molo soup (very cheap at P50!).
Trisha arrived just after my food arrived. She got babyback ribs and molo soup.
The babyback had the distinct taste of star anise and was very tender, slide from the bone and melt in your mouth.
It was also a big slab.
The molo soup is good and hot.
For nourishment at almost ten in the evening, that was a good find, plus the fact that it is in a very quiet street; dark even. Just perfect for two women who had a very busy and noise-filled day.
As I wrote earlier, the babyback was a big slab, and so Trish went home with a brown paper bag.