When in Davao: Tiny Kitchen Creations

I was so scared to visit Davao again after what happened and still happening in Marawi. Knowing that the war zone is just 5 hours away from this smoke-free city doesn't make me feel very comfortable. But after hearing great words about this Spanish restaurant along F. Torres in Davao, I got excited more that worried.

Hello, Tiny Kitchen Creations. 

This beautiful restaurant is known to be one of the gems of the city. It is often packed for lunch and dinner and unfortunately, they do not take reservations. But they do accept pre-order as some of their dishes take an hour to prepare. We got to the restaurant around 6:30 pm and the place was full at 7 pm! It was a good thing Uncle R decided that we leave the hotel early for dinner. 

We decided to go with Paella Valenciana (PHP500, small | PHP900, medium | PHP1,350, large | PHP2,300, family | PHP2,875, party), Gambas Picante (PHP270), Salpicao (PHP300), Osso Buco (PHP270) and Chicken Noodle Do (PHP295). For drinks, R and I went with Pipino Fresca Lemonada (PHP75) and Strawberry Blush (PHP120).

First served were our drinks and I loved my Pipino Fresca Lemonada. It was very refreshing and the combination of lemonade and cucumber was delightful. R's strawberry blush was okay too but it leaves a weird after taste. 

We were surprised that the paella was served soon after. We were advised that it takes an hour to prepare this so having it in less than 20 minutes delighted us. 

And it was pretty good! The generous serving of seafood and paella rice made it a bang for the buck dish. The rice was flavorful on its own but  it tasted even better with a bit of lemon juice. 

I was told that the appetizer Gambas Picante is just good for one. But I was pleasantly surprised to see 12 pieces of shrimp on the clay pot. It's probably the cheapest gambas I've had and it was awesome too! R particularly liked the garlicky olive oil it came with. 

The Chicken Noodle Do is probably my least favorite dish that night but it wasn't even bad at all. The spiced chicken sliver and smoked bacon sauteed in olive oil and tossed with spaghetti could easily satisfy two hungry foodies making this another value for money dish.

If you love flavorful dishes, then you'd love the Osso Buco. The slow cooked beef shank in red sauce was so tender and tasty that the penne and focaccia bread it comes with were not enough. I was craving for rice after a mouthful. But do try the focaccia bread as it was awesome too!

Uncle R loved Tiny Kitchen's Salpicao. And I did too as the beef sirloin bits were so succulent and we all noticed that it was not just mere oil with garlic and mushrooms. The beef seemed to be cooked in some red sauce which made the dish extra special. It's definitely a must order dish along with the gambas and paella. 

And since a meal is not complete without desserts, we went with Creme Brulee Cheesecake (PHP160). 

I was so thankful that I forced R to get dessert as this cheesecake was so heavenly! It was a cake version of my favorite dessert. The top was torched and the middle was decadent. The flavor just tends to be on the strong side so best to split this with someone. 

Overall, it was a filling meal and I'd definitely drop by again when I visit Davao. Thanks to the Jose brothers for recommending this stellar restaurant!

Tiny Kitchen Creations is located at F. Torres St. Poblacion District, Davao City.