Pizzaccademia: School of Pizza

Not too thick. Not too thin. Dangerously crunchy. Generously smothered with melted cheese.

That is what you get with every serving of Pizzaccademia's pie.

This new concept pizzeria in Davao City is owned and managed by the heir apparent to Davaoeno Pizza royalty. Jordan Cuison, son of the former proprietor of Papa's Pizza-- the benchmark of simple, no-nonsense pizzerias in Davao-- together with his friends Karla Pillerin and Franz Ong opened Pizzaccademia last April 14, 2012 with a strong albeit silent bang.

Since then, the pizzeria has been carving a name for itself by catering to new pizza lovers who enjoy old school tastes. Of course, they also cater to the crowd that still craves for good old Papa's Pizza. So what is the difference between Papa's Pizza and Pizzaccademia?

Not much, really. They still serve their comforting pies and other menu favorites but present it with new flair. As the name suggests, Pizzacademia is the school of pizza.... and they run with the idea. In fact, when you enter their quaint shop, you are greeted by a black board with their full menu on it. The place is peppered with school-time memorabilia like old yearbooks, identification cards, and grade school text books that we all used to hate. The good news is, at Pizzaccademia there is little to hate. Especially when it comes to their food.

So what do I recommend? 

I know it is a little odd to start with a sandwich recommendation when I'm writing about a pizza place, but Pizzaccademia's version of a great sandwich is hard to pass. The Pop Steak Sandwich delivers more than just a pop; it is an explosion of savory goodness in your mouth. This sandwich, made of perfectly cooked slices of premium tenderloin strips smothered in a silky mushroom gravy, embraced by two moon-shaped buns, is an experience in itself. The taste is perfect. The salty mushroom gravy that is counterbalanced by the slightly sweet bun makes for a perfect appetizer or meal in itself. And at a measly seventy-five bucks per pop; this is easily the most affordable piece of culinary heaven.

Among their Pizza's I would recommend the Beer Drinker's. This piece of pie is topped with tapa, a traditional breakfast staple in the country that is made of thin slices of salty and sweet beef. Together with capsicums and onions; this pizza flavor definitely goes well with some cold beer. And yes, they serve that too.

If you want more variety on your plate, you may also try the JB's Quatro Stagione. Also known as "Four Seasons" this pizza flavors comes with two slices each of your preferred Pizzacademia offering. Yup. You get to choose all the four flavors that go in it. I suggest you try a combination of Jordan's Pizza Primavera (The Vegetarian Pizza. Light, crunchy, and fresh), Polynesian Pizza (An innovative twist to the Hawaiian Pizza. This one comes with anchovies, pineapple, and ham), Beer Drinker's, and Sicilian Pizza (Ground beef and vegetable pizza)

Also, Pizzacademia allows you to pick two flavors in one pie when you order from the Regular Pizza items on their menu. 

Try out these gorgeous pizza offerings at Pizzaccademia at Door 1 Tiffany’s Place Building Loyola Street Obrero Davao City.

Mother's Day Cupcake Bouquet

Hey! I now sell cupcakes bouquet perfect for Mother's Day! Place your orders at least three days in advance by texting me at 09053200347. Just introduce yourself and tell me your concern. :D

I sell these at Php 350 pesos with seven cupcakes. You may choose from the following cupcake flavors:

• Chocolate
• Strawberry
• Lemon
• Blue Velvet
• Pandan
• Mocha

They come with buttercream icing. You may also choose any color you want. :D

EYs Tuna

 EYs Tuna is one of  my favorite places to eat with the family or a large group of friends. They specialize in gorgeously prepared seafood cooked in the traditional Filipino style.

Honestly, I am not a big fan of seafood because I am allergic to most sea critters. Also, I do not necessarily find the thought of an all-seafood restaurant particularly exciting. But there is always an exception. And for me that exception is EYs Tuna.

Why?

Because unlike most other seafood restaurants, EYs Tuna serves gorgeous dishes that pack a flavorful punch. Thus, I dont end up feeling like there is a lack of meaty goodness to my meal. The EYs Tuna experience is always a positive one because their food is fresh, healthy, and downright delicious.

More interestingly, EYs Tuna is a pioneer in customizable cooking. That means that you could simply pick out any type and form of seafood in their fresh seafood display counter and ask the kitchen to cook it in any style you want.

So what are my recommendations?

1.) Start off with a soup of Imbao. This hard-to-find shellfish is always good in soup. However, in EYs Tuna, their Imbao is exceptionally huge and meaty; making it a lot more delish. Also, there isnt any grit in their shellfish unlike in those served in most restos.

2.) As an appetizer, try their deep-fried crispy crablets-- bite-sized pieces of crabs deep fried with a special breading. You can eat the whole crab in one bite! It's crunchy, flavorful, savory, and gorgeously addictive!

3.) Sizzling tuna tendons are also one of my most favorite items one the menu. The texture is gorgeous as the chewy yet crunchy tendon serves as the perfect counterbalance to the crisp vegetables and the silky EYs Tuna special secret sauce. 

4.) A meal at EYs tuna would not be complete without sampling their gorgeous tuna panga (jowls) or tuna belly. Have your tuna panga grilled expertly by their master cooks and prepare to enjoy the most flavorful, most tender tuna jowls you will ever have in this lifetime. I used to enjoy the grilled tuna belly as well but this all changed when I tried their deep-fried tuna belly with garlic. The good news is that it isnt on the menu yet, but please do ask for it whenever you are at EYs Tuna. It will be our little secret. I promise you, you will thank me for recommending this gorgeously garlicky slab of tender and juicy tuna with a crunchy outside layer. Just describing it on this blog is making my mouth water.

And as if that was not enough to make you crave for gorgeous seafood, here are some photos of their best-sellers:

So whom do I recommend EYs Tuna to? Everybody. Why? Because their food is wholesome, fresh, and healthy. However, i think EYs Tuna is also perfect for tourists and visitors. It is one of those restos that you may be proud of; it must be at the top of your list whenever you want to boast of Davaoeno specialities to your visitors from outside the city.

The good news is that the price is not bad at all. Your thousand bucks could fit five (for a full course meal, soft drinks, and rice) and you may even have some food leftover. It is that affordable!

Cabernet Chicken (Served With) Parmesan Risotto

Late last night, I read an article that said wine should be consumed an hour after opening. That made me check out the bottles of wine we had in our fridge that has sat there for weeks now. According to the article, once you allow wine to sit for that long, it slowly turns into vinegar thus making it unfit for drinking. So I decided to create my own version of Chicken Marsala. Unfortunately, we didn't have Marsala. But we had the most common type of Red Wine in our fridge: Cabernet Sauvignon. It then got me thinking. If there is a recipe for Chicken Marsala, then there must be a recipe for Cabernet Chicken somewhere. I searched Google for two minutes and found that it only had recipes for grape-stuffed Cabernet Chicken. Unfortunately, I did not have grapes in the fridge. So I decided to ask my Twitter followers for a Cabernet Chicken recipe. Thankfully, one of my friend, Daryl, sent me an easy recipe for Cabernet Chicken. I tweaked it a bit and added my own flair to it, and this is what I ended up making.

Cabernet Chicken

In a bowl, I mixed a tablespoon of Corn Starch/Flour

Five Tablespoons (or so) of All Purpose Flour

Some Salt, Pepper, Oregano, and Basil.

I then prepared some Chicken Quarters and set them inside a huge plastic container.

Then, I dumped the Flour mixture all over the chicken, put the lid on the plastic container, then shook it for a good three minutes. This is how I always dredge Chicken especially when I am not sure if I have enough Flour Mix for all the pieces. It also ensures a uniform coat on all the pieces. 

Once the chicken was ready I heated some oil in a pan then...

Browned the chicken in the hot oil.

I turned it over once and let the under-side brown as well.

I then set the chicken aside.

I threw all the oil I used previously and scraped off some of the burnt/cooked Flour and disposed of it as well. Then, in the same pan, I melted some butter.

Once the butter was melted, I added back the browned Chicken Quarters and some whole button mushrooms and let it sit on the melted butter for a while.

Then I deglazed the pan with the stale Red Wine and let the wine simmer for a while. Before turning the heat off, I added about two Tablespoons of milk and a dab of butter and then transferred the Chicken Quarters to an oven-safe pan.

I then baked the dish for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and then 200 degrees Fahrenheit for another 20 minutes.

After that, your Chicken Quarters and Mushrooms should come out looking all gorgeously Golden. I served mine with a semi-instant version of Risotto using regular leftover rice we had at home mixed with Pork Stock, Butter, Parmesan Cheese, Basil, Parsley, and Black Pepper.