Sinangag Express

Sinangag Express has always been one of our favorite eateries.  Though it does not offer a wide variety of food it still captured the “stomach” of many Filipinos.  It is like an upgraded “tapsihan” with better arrangements of its chairs and tables.

For some, they would probably choose other Fastfood restaurants since the serving in Sinangag Express is really not enough for those who eat more than one cup of rice or who are “viand lovers”.  But the good thing about this eatery is that most of their foods are really appetizing.  I, for example, could eat two servings or order two meals.

This is why my friends and I would always make it a point to treat ourselves with the good taste of their meals whenever there is a chance to. We ride a jeepney or take a cab even on rainy days just to eat their “tapsis”. Just like this weekend, it was really raining so hard but it never stopped us in coming over to Sinangag Express.  We saw that there were also other people who did not saw the rain as a hindrance in going to this place. We have already finished dining but the shower never stopped.  The guard was helpful to hail a taxi for us.  He did not care if he is already getting wet (though he had an umbrella with him).  This is one of the good things about this place – most of the crews are accommodating.

Though it is not air-conditioned (I am not sure about the other branches) it is still a relaxing place to dine in.  It has good ventilation since it is an open door restaurant but “smokes” from vehicles are manageable since it is not located in the main street (what difference would it make if you are used to eating in carinderias and “fishball-ans”?).

For me and my friends, Sinangag Express would always remain as our “City Weekend Getaway” - away from our office, away from burgers and “fast food chickens”.

Marang - one of Davao's exotic fruit

For my several visits in Davao, it was just recently that I got introduced to Marang.  No, it is not a person J it is a fruit. Madang to some, the tree is native to Mindanao and Palawan as well as to our Asian neighbor  - Borneo. 

Artocarpus odoratissimus (scientific name of Marang) has a strong scent like that of Durian (the fruit which I never attempted to eat because of its smell) but is less intense and nose-friendly J. Although, it is recommended that this should be part of your check-in luggage when transporting from Davao to your destination.  But my friends advised me to pull out the edible part of the fruit from its rind and packed it in a plastic container so it won’t also add too much weight to my check-in luggage. Marang has a thick rind and is covered with spines.  The spines are soft so it won’t actually hurt you.  Its appearance and taste resemble Jackfruit (Langka in Filipino), though I like it better than Jackfruit.

More than its delicious taste, it is also a very healthy fruit since it has the following Vitamins: A, C, B.  It also contains Iron, carbohydrates, calcium, and phosphorus.

In Agdao, the fruit is being sold at 50 Pesos per kilo but you can also have a free taste before buying it.  Though, of course, it is not so nice if you taste it without actually buying at least one.

I am looking forward to buying more Marangs on my next visit to Davao.  Burp! (Yup, my burp has the exotic “Marang aroma”). See you soon Davao!