Kape Diaries

Chef Patrick Co, chef and owner of The Fat Cow and Dairy, is set to take Dabawenyos into another culinary adventure as he opens Asian Cow this month.

He said the restaurant was born out of trips to different Asian countries.

“On my trips to Asia, I fell in love with their culture and food; the way they cook and the way they eat. I want to bring it here in Davao City so that Dabawenyos will be able to experience it too,” Chef Patrick said.

The restaurant does not offer your typical Asian dishes that are strictly Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Thai dishes, among others. Rather, it offers bold flavors taking inspiration from the different flavors and cultures in Asia.

“Asian Food is not only limited to Chinese , Korean, or Japanese. It is a wider spectrum of flavors. Asian for me, by definition, is about a balance of flavors — you get sweet, spicy, salty, sour, and umami. We try to play with flavors that you would not expect and bring it closer to you,” Chef Patrick said.

Offering an Asian Progressive Cuisine, diners can expect something new from the restaurant every once in a while.

“This is a chef-driven restaurant, which means this is my creative outlet as a chef. We will change the menu from time to time. When I travel, I may introduce something new when I come back,” Chef Patrick said.

He said while he sources some of the ingredients locally, all the spices are coming from Thailand. This will allow the diners to get a feel of what the food and flavors of other Asian cuisines are. The rice he uses for the restaurant is Jasmine rice only.

In terms of pricing, dishes here are pegged at P300 to P500 but the serving is good for two to three persons.

Recently, we had the chance to try some of the restaurant’s regular dishes on the menu. We were served the Thai Beef Salad; Mussels and Shrimp in Coconut Ginger Broth; Spicy Tuna and Kani Salad; Grilled Half Chicken Sambal; Angus Beef and Basil Spring Rolls; US Angus Grain Fed Beef Cheek Curry; Steer Fried Rice Noodles in Tamarind Glase; Salted Egg Batter Fried Salmon with Garlic Aioli; Chicken Satay with Pickles, Spiced Coconut Cream; Crispy Shallot and Scallop Fried Rice; Szechuan Glazed Squid; US Angus Beef Tapa; and Asian Cow Fried Chicken.

One of my favorite dishes was the US Angus Grain Fed Beef Cheek Curry. I just love how tender the beef was and the curry was really delicious.

The Salted Egg Batter Fried Salmon with Garlic Aioli was also great. I love how moist the salmon was. I also liked the salted egg batter.

The Chicken Satay with Pickles, Spiced Coconut Cream was wonderful. Instead of a peanut sauce, the satay had a peanut glaze, which I find addicting. The satay itself was already delicious but dip it in the coconut cream, you get that added sweetness, saltiness, and nuttiness. It was an enjoyable dish.

I also liked the US Angus Beef Tapa, which was delicious. The beef was cooked perfectly too.

As for the place, diners of The Fat Cow will notice that its ambiance and set-up is quite different from his first restaurant.

Asian Cow’s interior is modern but with Asian touches and brighter colors. The tables and chairs are arranged for group dining.

“We want to promote a much more relaxed dining concept. As you can see the tables and chairs are designed for groups. When you come here, the food is order to share; when you eat here, salo-salo tayo,” Chef Patrick said.

Asian Cow will open its doors to food loving Dabawenyos this June 8, 2018. Visit them at the Mabini Place, Corner Quirino and Mabini St. The restaurant is a couple of steps away from Penong’s.