When Munchtown opened its doors a few years back, I was more than excited to taste their freshly made burgers, artisan sausages, and blue pate specials. Unfortunately, they had to close shop which left many of Durianburg’s urbanites like me sad.
Not wanting to throw in the towel, restauranteur Carlo Lorenzana went back to the drawing board to revamp Munchtown and its menu. After some alterations and updating Munchtown reopened its doors along F. Torres Street which is already seeing a revival of its food street days.
The new Munchtown Davao carries along with it pretty much everything the original Munchtown in Manila and Lanang had. From its juicy freshly made burgers with home-made buns, to its artisanal sausages everything everyone loved is back. Munchtown’s thin crust pizzas also made a comeback in Three Cheese, Hawaiian, Pepperoni, and Bacon & Mushroom flavors.
“We decided to keep the best of the old menu because we know Dabawenyos are still looking for them,” said Carlo “This time, everything is made more affordable because we know Dabawenyos are always looking for good value for their money.”
So you ask, what makes the new Munchtown different?
Aside from the old menu, Muchtown now also has a grill, but not just any grill. Inspired by Japanese yakimono joints. Yakimono is a name given to Japanese dishes where pieces of meat are marinated, skewered and grilled, one example is yakitori.
Munchtown’s yakimono is a kaleidoscope of what Davao can offer as the list of grilled meats include, chicken liver, gizzard, heart, skin, butt, breast, and wings, cheesy chicken meatballs, quail eggs, pork belly, baby squid, tuna, tuna belly, shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini, and egg plants.
“We wanted to add a grill as Dabawenyos really love grilled food,” Carlo revealed, “our grilled items are affordable and pair well with rice and many of our regulars pair it with beer.”
My top skewer picks would be Munchtown’s Angus Beef Riblet, and their Ox Tongue. The ox tongue is tender to the bite and smoky thanks to the grilling. The Angus beef riblet overtakes the ox tongue however thanks to its rich fatty flavor and a nice crunch when biting off a piece. Imagine eating a nice juicy steak but in little pieces that are skewered, seasoned only with pepper and salt, then grilled to juicy perfection. It was had not to ask for an extra stick or two, or three, or four. This is the main reason why I mentioned Munchtown’s Grilled Angus beef riblet as my savory snack must eat for 2017.
“The Angus beef riblet is actually an affordable alternative for people who love steak. While some yakimono places offer wagyu cubes, these are actually processed foods composed of beef and binders while the Angus beef riblets we serve here at Munchtown are 100% beef.” added Carlo. And this attention to detail and love for real food is why one should rediscover Munchtown.
