There is this new place I like to eat at on weekends — Bodega Weekend Hangout, located along Garnet St., Marfor Subdivision.
I first found out about the place when The Wrapper posted about it in December last year.
However, I was unable to visit the Bodega during those times because I was in my hometown. Therefore, when I returned to Davao City in January, I made sure to visit the Bodega.
THE PLACE
The Bodega Weekend Hangout is located on the ground floor of an apartment building along Garnet St. (I will put a Google Map link below)
Bodega Weekend Hangout is more like a mini-food park than a restaurant. If my memory serves me right, the Bodega could accommodate up to five enterprises at a time. Usually, there are four inside the Bodega and one outside.
The main dining hall has tables that could cater to groups. At the center are picnic tables that could accommodate groups of four. There are also tables for pairs or solo diners in between stalls.
While the Bodega is not airconditioned, there are enough electric fans to keep you cool.
THE FOOD
Unlike a regular food park, enterprises at the Bodega Weekend Hangout vary from week to week. This makes it an interesting destination because of the different food experiences you get each time you come and visit here.
When I first visited the Bodega, those having a pop-up were Chunk Kitchen, Espresson, Asian Republic, Satay Away, and Chubby Co.
For my savory orders, I had the Chicken Satay Meal and Beef Rendang from Satay Away and the Japanese Siomai from Asian Republic Express. I liked the food I ordered. The Chicken Satay was good, and I liked the peanut sauce that came with it. The Beef Rendang was also flavorful, but I think there was more rice than the beef rendang itself. I also liked the Japanese Siomai.
For my drinks, I ordered the Yuzu from Espresson and the Thai Milk Tea from the Chunk Kitchen. Yuzu is ristretto (short shot of espresso) with water and yuzu syrup. This was a refreshing citrus drink. The Thai Milk Tea was a bit sweet but quite similar to some I had before in Thailand.
I had the Lemon Olive Cake from Chunk Kitchen and bite-sized Blueberry Cheesecake from Chubby Co. For someone who loves lemon-flavored desserts, I enjoyed the Lemon Olive Cake. But the icing on top was a bit too sweet. As for the cheesecakes, I like that it is bite-sized.
For the second visit, Kapweñoz, Omo, The Wrapper, Krumbs, and Sisigun were having a pop-up at the Bodega. Unlike my first visit, I will be enjoying my meal here with my friends.
We ordered the Bahn Mi from Krumbs; Chicken Pesto Quesadilla and Cheesy Beef Quesadilla from The Wrapper; and Tteokbokki and Pastil Kimbap from Omo.
The Bahn Mi from Krumbs was quite good. I liked how flavorful the chicken in the sandwich was. However, I did find the bread to be hard to chew.
The Wrapper’s quesadillas always hit the spot. The fillings are always generous and flavorful. While I love their Cheesy Beef Quesadilla, I like their Chicken Pesto Quesadilla more because of my bias for pesto.
I also liked what we ordered from Omo. The Tteokbokki was as good as the first time I had it. I like the balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. The Pastil Kimbap was interesting. I was expecting the kagikit (the marinated chicken you put on the pastil) to be the kimbap’s filling, but the kagikit was used as a topping instead. I think the kagikit would meld better with the flavors if it was a topping. However, in terms of taste, it was good. I like how the vegetables balance out the savoriness of the kagikit.
For our drinks, we just had water. However, I ordered an iced coffee drink with milk from Kapweñoz. Sadly, I forgot the drink I ordered! I can’t remember if it was a Kape de Leche or Kape Mokha.
My friends also ordered sisig from Sisigun. I was not able to try it because I do not eat sisig. However, it smelled good, and my friends seemed to enjoy it.
THE SERVICE
I consider the service at the Bodega Weekend Hangout to be generally self-service.
The staff and owners at the food stall would usually serve the food at your table when the crowd is slow. However, when there are many people, some request you to come back to their stall after a few minutes.
You are also expected to clean as you go. I like how the wash area and trash bins are located in one corner of the Bodega.
It is also good to note that the enterprises I have encountered in my two visits offer good customer service when interacting with them.
Most enterprises here also accept online payment. However, the signal may be weak inside the Bodega. So, you have to go out to digitally transact successfully.
BOTTOMLINE
The Bodega Weekend Hangout is a fun place to go to for merienda or dinner on weekends. I like how each week, different sets of enterprises showcase their products. The Bodega provides them an avenue to reach out to new customers.
I also have to commend Bodega Weekend Hangout for carefully curating the featured enterprises. Overall, I like what I had here.
It is also good to be introduced to new food enterprises every now and then. I would not have known about Satay Away’s flavorful meals had I not visited here.
The Bodega also offers existing food enterprises a venue to introduce new products or reintroduce themselves. For example, I know Chunks Kitchen for their delicious chocolate chip cookies, but through the Bodega, I found out they were serving lemon cakes and Thai milk tea too.
Another good thing about the Bodega is its location in a residential area. Those in Marfori or quite near Marfori could come here, order their food to-go, and enjoy it at the comfort of their homes.
The Bodega is also great for friends and families to have merienda or a light dinner during a weekend.
Follow Bodega Weekend Hangout on their social media to know the food enterprises that will be popping up here for the week. I am linking their socials for you to follow.
LOCATION and DETAILS
Address: 24 Garnet Street, Marfori Subd. (Google map pin: https://goo.gl/maps/dAmnjYhTgmLYBYjQ8)
Business hours: 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays only
Social media: Facebook | Instagram
A friendly reminder, don’t forget to observe minimum public health standards:
- Wear your facemask at all times, except for when you are eating or drinking
- Washing your hands regularly, especially after touching money or surfaces that are regularly touched
- Observe physical distancing
- Observe coughing or sneezing etiquette
- Avoid going out of your home if you are feeling sick or have flu-like symptoms