planet crap

Many fancy restaurants and eye-candy fast food joints have come and gone in Davao’s malls and streets in an attempt to please the palate of the folks in the city—Davaoeños, after all, have discriminating taste when it comes to food. Some attempts of these food places were successful and summoned snaking queues for a short while; others were feeble and ended up closing with metal roller doors.

But what is it about this small barbecue place in the downtown area that made it withstand the whirlwind in the fierce food place competition?

Pastilan sa Ponce, a small barbecue place in the street which goes by the same name, has been serving pastil in rice and grilled fares to go with it. Lots of pastil in rice and grilled fares to go with it.

And the place doesn’t know when to stop; it’s been drawing in people from all walks of life every 3 in the afternoon for 10 years now. Yes, one decade of pastil in Davao and the people still can’t get enough of it.

Pastil what?

To the aliens from Mars, pastil (or patil) is said to be a Muslim delicacy commonly enjoyed by Maguindanaons. It’s basically rice that is topped with chicken flakes (or in some versions, saucy innards) and wrapped in banana leaf.

(photo borrowed from this blog)

But because of the variations of the delicacy, some people have gained a common understanding that pastil is now the chicken topping on the rice (and not the whole banana leaf package thing); and that it can actually be eaten solo or as a staple food with some viand.

(another photo borrowed from this blog)

Pastil has become a favorite among young people in schools who prefer their lunch to go. Tradition maintains that the proper way to eat pastil in a banana leaf is to eat it as if it were suman or banana. But it really doesn’t apply to me, whether I eat it that way or with spoon and a diamond-encrusted fork—because pastil tastes good. And in Pastilan sa Ponce, it tastes really good.

Pastil please!

I didn’t know how to describe the scene in Pastilan sa Ponce until my friend Pam from Manila did it for me. “The scene at Pastil Sa Ponce was crazy. People crowded around a table covered with piles of marinated meat on sticks—isaw, pork, catfish, hotdogs, gizzard,” she wrote in an article.

Apparently, I didn’t know that I was among the crowd who were drawn to the raw barbecue (and pastil on extra rice please). I’ve been a regular at Pastilan sa Ponce and my mouth still waters in every visit.

In. Every. Visit.

And why wouldn’t I feel unusually ecstatic when I’m in Pastilan sa Ponce? Their barbecue tastes great. The pastil tickles my savory palate. And the food price drops rock bottom: a pastil with rice costs 7 pesos and barbecue starts at 3 (although I remember it used to be just piso. Seriously).

These are just some of the reasons why Pastilan sa Ponce is such a hit. Owner Ramil Garcia tells me that, in a day, his kitchen crew would cook up almost one sack of rice; and numerous large pots of pastil.

His customers are mostly students from Ateneo de Davao, where the food place is conveniently located. Pastilan sa Ponce has gained so much patrons over the past decade that it’s even become a living testament to most of the college students (be it a sushal colegiala or a liberal aktibista) in the area:

Hindi ka nakapag-graduate sa Ateneo de Davao kung hindi ka naka-kain sa Pastilan sa Ponce (You haven’t graduated from Ateneo de Davao if you haven’t eaten in Pastilan sa Ponce).

And the craze for pastil continues! Ramil tells me that he has extended Pastilan’s operating hours (he now opens on Sundays)! His menu of barbecue is also growing, with the chicken skin as the latest addition.

Pastilan sa Ponce stands strong and proud for 10 years because the food they serve is simple, cheap and savory. Extra rice with pastil please!

(Pastilan sa Ponce is located in Ponce Street, near the APO Park)

(This article was first written for Mindanews’ news magazine Our Mindanao. Planet Crap joins the first edition of Davao Bloggers’ Blog Caravan, hosted by Andrew Abella Dela Serna; click on the image below to visit his awesome travel blog Yeah Drew.)