Since its founding in the late 1980s, Patok sa Manok has been a homegrown favorite in Davao City.
Despite living in Davao City the last six years, I have never been to any of Patok sa Manok branches. This week, I had my first experience with one of the city’s homegrown restaurant.
As it is set to open its newest branch along Tulip Drive in Matina this February, the restaurant has invited friends from the media, social media influencers, and bloggers to try their food and check the new place out.
Chef Pauline Benedicto-Mallillin said with the new branch, they are offering their diners a better dinning experience and an enhanced menu.
While they continue with the tradition of serving their dishes family style, Chef Pauline said they are also offering dishes that are good solo diners and couples.
“We also came up with the ones that are served in the skillet and that comes with rice. We are targeting families and those who are eating alone or in pairs,” she said.
As for the menu, regular diners of Patok sa Manok coming here will experience an upgraded version of the restaurant’s classic dishes.
“For example, our sweet and sour fish. We now just don’t use Lapu-lapu, we use molmol or parrot fish. Our kaldereta, we use short ribs or beef tadyang,” Chef Pauline said.
She added, “The whole concept of this place is that we are upgrading all the recipes and the feel of the total dining experience. Other branches will look like this and the recipes will be standardized.”
Chef Pauline also said the new branch will have its own bakery, which will also be featured in other branches soon.
“We will be offering a premium line of cakes but we are also serving other classic favorites like ube, brazo de mercedes, pandesal, ensaymada, bibingka. We also have our novelty item, classis and durian sylvanas,” she said.
During our lunch here, Patok sa Manok definitely prepared a feast for us. I tried most of the dishes and desserts served, except for the Isaw and Kinilaw, which I do not eat.
For our feast, the restaurant prepared Chopsuey, Beef Salpicao, Pork Liempo, Roast Chicken, Pinakbet, Pancit Canton, Arroz a la Cubana, Crispy Pata, Sweet and Sour Parrot Fish, and Lengua. For desserts, we were served with the Lemon Torte, Mango Creme Brulee, and their durian and classic Sylvanas.
As you can see there was a lot of food and at the rate we were eating and raving about the dishes, I can say each was really good. However, I would like to highlight some of my favorites.
The Beef Salpicao was tender and packed lots of flavor. I really loved how garlicy it was.
The Pork Liempo and Roast Chicken were also a standout. Both dishes were flavorful.
I just love how juicy the roast chicken was. It was delicious from its skin to its meat.
The Arroz a la Cubana was served with pandesal, which is made in their backery. I really enjoyed this hearty dish.
The Lemon Torte was amazing. Its tartiness was just right. It would pair wonderfully with a cup of coffee.
I really enjoyed my first time experience here and I hope to be back here soon with my friends or my family.
Patok sa Manok’s branch along Tulip Drive is targeted to open by the first weekend of February. Be sure to drop by and try the delicious dishes they have cooked up.
This was an invited lunch by Patok sa Manok but the views and opinions expressed here are that of the writer’s.
I would love to try to make these dishes at home