Live in the Philippines

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The pizza wars

Food/Drink / by

One thing that most people really love is good pizza!  Ex-pats are no different.  But what about pizza here in the Philippines?  Well, over the years it’s changed a lot.

I remember the first time I came to the Philippines, it was in 1990.  There wasn’t much to offer in the way of foreign foods at that time, you either hate the local cuisine where you went hungry!  Things sure have changed a lot since then.  That first time that I was in the Philippines, I remember one evening I really wanted something more Western to eat.  It so happened that on the way back to my hotel for the evening, I saw a sign at a little restaurant.  The sign read “Pizza” and I was ready for that!

I sent my sister in law to go buy me a pizza for dinner.  My mouth was watering, I could barely wait to buy into that pizza.  When she returned to the hotel, she had two slices of bread with ketchup on them, and sliced hotdogs to top it off!  Cheese?  What’s that?

Well, whatever a bunch of ex-pats get  together, it seems that the discussion sometimes turns to pizza,  and a heated discussion can break out!  Everyone has a favorite, although it seems we all agree that the pizza here isn’t quite as good as what we had back home.  Nationwide, the contenders seem to be Pizza Hut, Yellowcab Pizza, Shakey’s or Greenwich. Of those, yellow cab is usually the winner, although Pizza Hut is a close contender.  It seems the Greenwich is always left in the dust.

I will say this though, for Greenwich, their pizza has improved a lot in the years I’ve lived here.  Still though, it’s a second-rate contender, in my opinion.

I can eat Pizza Hut or yellow cab, but neither is my favorite.  Here in Davao, as I’m sure in other cities of the Philippines as well, there are a number of local contenders.  Right now, my favorite is a place that I just recently found called Coco’s Grill.  I’ve known about Coco’s for a long time, but just recently found out that they now make pizza.  The Waterfront Insular hotel has to give my second favorite, although it’s a bit expensive.  Another place that makes a decent pizza in Davao is Charlie’s bake shop, although it can be hard to get a pizza there because they’re often out of ingredients.  For now though, I’m sticking with Coco’s.

yes, indeed, pizza has really improved since 1990 when I first came here!  It’s even improved a lot since 2000 when I moved here!  And… I’m happy about that!

Is there anybody who doesn’t like pizza?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. kamusta bob
    wow i didnt even know they had pizza in davao.it is a treat we usually have on weekends or game night here.i do have a favorite restruant in panabo and the name is lafranz,they serve exellent spagetti and some other delicious dishes as well.very inexpensive there also.if you ever get the hunger strike in panabo the restruant is near the wharehouse food center.give it a try bob.also a good place is doo dine near the highway.they also have a delightful dinning room with good food and good prices there.
    salamat bob

  2. Hi Bob,

    Thanks for reminding me, I need to buy a pizza stone prior to my move next month.

    I laughed one time in Macau about Pizza, they had one pizza named "USA" and one for "Canada", the only difference after reading the standard ingredients, sauce, cheese, pepperoni the "USA" pizza had CORN.

  3. 1993 I ate pizza 1 time at Shakey’s in Manila but I usually went to Dunkin Donuts. I'm a donut eater.

  4. Hi Ron W. — I will tell you what I'm going to do. I'll make it a point to visit that restaurant sometime soon. Panabo is not far, and hey of the spaghetti is that good… hey, it's a tough job! 😆

  5. hi John — there's a place here in Davao that has pizza with corn on it. And, it's actually pretty good. They call it a Texas barbecue pizza, it has pork on it, hot peppers, corn and onions, and the sauce is barbecue sauce! I like it.

  7. Hi Bob – the best pizza I've had in the Philippines is at Sbarro's in SM Mall, Quezon City. We have Sbarro's here, but it's not even in the same class as there. The white sauce pizza is especially good.

    Picobello's wasn't bad. I'd try them again.

    I worked for a pizza company (Pizza Haven) for about 14 years back in the day, and I do love a good pizza.

  8. Hi Randy C. — I haven't tried that pizza place in Manila. Of course, I hardly go up there. Hmmm — white sauce it does sound good. I'm not a huge fan of the pizza at Picobello, but I'll eat it in a pinch. 😆

  9. Sbarro's, that's the name I couldn't remember. Had Lasagna there in SM Cebu last Januari 2007. It's was good, enjoyed it.

  10. My wife makes pizzas in a cafe here in Canberra. When we move to the Phils I'm gonna build my own pizza oven in the backyard.

  11. Hi Luc – Sbarro doesn't have a location in Davao. Between you and Randy, the recommendations sound good. I've also heard other ex-pats recommend them as well. Maybe the come to Davao soon, or, on a trip I might have to give them a try.

  12. Hi Laurence – maybe he could turn that into a little business in the Philippines! I've forgotten where you plan to live here, but if there are many ex-pats in the area, I'm betting you could make some money. 😆

  13. It is quite strange that everywhere we go, pizza seems to be the craze, just like hot dogs. Is it because it is fast-food? I make my own pizza here in Samal and I can assure you it is not fast, but it certainly disappears fast! 😯 😕 😆

  14. Hi Ellen — what I was reading your comment the first thing I was going to say was that I don't consider pizza as fast food. But then you said it yourself at the end of the comment! I'm not sure why it's really the craze, maybe just because it's so good! Whatever the reason, I'm not going to fight it. 😆

  15. Bob,
    It is funny you have the article about Pizza.

    Last Saturday we went into Pizza Hut and I enjoyed the pizza. Later in the day I joked with a friend from New York, Land of the Best Pizza 😆 and said I might never be allowed back in NY since I enjoyed Pizza Hut.
    We even went back the next day and I enjoyed their lasgana.

    I have not tried Yellow Cab here in Davao, but I had it in Manila and it was terrible.

    One I tried Greenwich and did not like it at all.

  16. Hi Bruce — I used to like Pizza Hut a lot better than I do now, but I think I grown tired of it. I like yellow cab better than Pizza Hut now. Right now I feel the best pizza in town is a Coco's grill.

    I used to hate Greenwich, in fact, it usually made me sick. Last Christmas, though, they had a special lechon pizza, it looked good so I tried it, and I was quite impressed. Greenwich will never be my favorite, but at least I can need it now. Maybe I've lived here too long! 😆

  17. Bob,
    I am old fashioned and like pizza with traditional toppings and never got into the "California" pizza types with BBQ sause and stuff.

    I am more a Sausage or pepperoni and mushroom pizza type of guy.

    Where in Davao is Yellow Cab? I have not noticed it.

  18. Hi Bob
    Believe me the pizza situation is much better than it was when I lived here in the 80's. Back then Shakeys was the only game in town.

  20. Hi Dan Mihaliak — I'm pretty sure you're right there, Dan. Like I said in the article it's improved drastically since 1990. I can't even imagine what it was like in the 80s! 😆

  21. Hi Bob
    In April I was in Tagum and the only Pizza place I saw was Greenwich. I had a Greenwich Special and a Hawaiian Pizza and both were pretty decent, though small. Of course I had been eating local food for a couple days. I wonder how much a Sbarro's franchise is? I was a cook for Pizza Hut for a couple months about 30 years ago.

  22. Hi Richard D. — yes, it's true and the smaller towns, Greenwich is the one you usually find. Not sure how many people know this here, the Greenwich is part of the Jollibee family of companies. There must be thousands of Greenwich outlets around the country. I certainly wouldn't call it premium, but at least I can eat it. I couldn't say that five years ago.

    Not sure on the franchise cost for Sbarro, but they are a foreign company, so the cost is probably high.

  23. mmmmm…pizza….
    On my next trip in mid August I am looking forward to going to the Shakey's in the mall @ Pampanga…it is nothing like the original Shakey's…I used to go to college near that one in Sacramento, California….the inside was all wood and it had an old upright piano and many nights they offered live music in the honky tonk style…banjo player and all…hmmmm I don't think I will be hearing piano and banjo music this time…

    Best to all,

    marshall

  24. Hi marshallmellow – ha ha, yes, I also remember the old Shakey's restaurants. You described them to the tee. Not only did they have the pianos, but the ones I remember were player pianos that played their own music. I think those days are long gone! 😆

  25. Hi Bob – Thinking back to your article on breakfast sausage and the possibility of making one's own, I think pizza lends itself quite handily to the DIY'er. Don't have far to throw blame if that pizza is second rate! 😆

  26. Hi Paul — hey, you have a good memory! Actually, we do often make pizza at home. And, that breakfast sausage is one of the things that we use on it usually. We'll get all kinds of meats, mushrooms, mozzarella cheese and other goodies and put on there to! I guess sometimes we put so many toppings that the whole thing looks like a mountain! 😆

  27. hi Bob, here in my house we make our own pizza, it's more enjoyable you
    know….i'll make the dough, and hubby will do the toppings for his share
    daughter whatever she wants to add somehow she will eat what she
    prepare, as i am vegetarian i'll make my toppings too. pizza with corn?
    never tried….now i gonna add to my list !

    salamat Bob

  28. Hi evelyn – That sounds like a fun project for the family! I hadn't thought about it that everybody could put their own toppings on their own part of the pizza. I hope you guys have fun with that. 😆

  29. Bob… You touched a topic that is close to my heart (With a belly in my size, self-evident 😉 ). I lived in Chicago in my younger days (I was a chef at a couple of very high end Italian restaurants), and developed a love of Chicago-style stuffed pizza. If you have never had one, picture about 2 kilos of cheese baked between two crusts with sauce on the top. New Yorkers usually say it's good, but not pizza. Living outside the States for 5 years, needless to say, Pizza Hut will get rid of the craving, but it ain't the same! In Florida a couple weeks ago, Giordano's opened a branch in Tampa, their first outside Chicago, and I literally tried to eat enough to become the Lechon at the next family get together. Think of it as the Heroin of Pizza… Addictive to the extreme.

    So, I made my own. Bit tough to find decent cheese here (Robinson's Deli in Manila), and the olive oil was brought from the Middle East, so I have not tried to shop for it here. If you want to try, here's how:

    1. You need a large (16") heavy round baking pan with 2" sides.
    2. Make a good, light marinara sauce. Really ripe tomatoes are best, and I noticed, very cheap at the market. Leave out the temptation to use ketchup or the Filipino style bag sauce… No hot dogs either.
    3. Make a simple French bread dough, Flour, Yeast, Olive Oil, Salt, Pinch of Sugar.
    4. Raise and divide the dough into two parts. Roll out the first half and spread along the bottom and SIDES of the pan. poke holes with a fork in the dough and par-bake it in the oven at 450 for about 5 minutes.
    5. Remove from the oven and place around 2 kg of mozzarella, shredded or sliced thin, on the par-baked dough.
    6. add your toppings (not sauce yet…I like chopped spinach and mushrooms.) If you make your own Italian Sausage (also easy with the good pork here…ground pork, salt, pepper, garlic, fennel, chili), brown it first before adding.
    7. add fresh basil leaves (easy to find in Manila… Davao?) and some parmesan cheese.
    8. Roll the second half of the dough out and seal on top of the pan.
    9. Top with a HEAVY layer of sauce. Sprinkle with more parmesan.
    10. Bake 35 minutes at 400-450 degrees.

    Buon Apetito!!! Yes, it is a heart attack on a plate. It is work, but worth it… The kids can help. I made it here (two of them) and between family and the neighbors, it was a hit (it took some convincing, but once they tried it, they were hooked.)

  30. Hi John — oh, so you're from Chicago. A few comments, back when Bruce commented and was talking about New York being capital for pizza, I was going to mention that the people from Chicago might disagree, although I forgot. You got quite a specific recipe there to make pizza, maybe we'll have to give it a try! We can get adequate she's here in Davao, from some of the European deli style places. Also you can get excellent olive oil here as well. I'm sure you can get the stuff in Manila to, no doubt.

  31. Hi Bob
    I always found Shakeys and Greenwich to be below par while Pizzahut to be ok. There is a guy in my area of California who was the first foreign winner of the Neapolitan pizza contest in Naples. The only problem is that it is against environmental laws in our county to use wood burning stoves in restaurants. They only allowed him to make it one day last year (outside only).

  32. Hi Neil — I kind of like Shakey's myself. My taste can do morph as time goes by, I guess. Sometimes I feel like one, other times I feel like a different one. The thing I like about Shakey's though, is the crust. I like a really thin crust like that.

    The whole environmental thing as far as the woodfired stove doesn't surprise me!

  33. hi bob-
    that davao shakey's was certainly popular in the 80's. it's that brick building in duterte st beside the current shakey's. it now houses that cyber cafe & was pretty big. you can still see the facade of the old shakey's if you really look at it.

    lots of childhood memories. they even showed movies in a large tv, which was a treat. you can imagine that a lot of locals from my generation look back fondly at that place.

    it's funny, now that i think of it, davao in the 80's had working traffic lights & a shakey's. that was not the case for a number of years in the 90's.

  34. Hi Macky — interesting, I didn't know about the shaky is back in the 80s. My first time to visit Davao was in 1999. I guess as to shaky is in the city now. The one under Duterte Street, and one in SM.

    Hey, I have some good news for you to! Most of the traffic lights in town are working now! Notice, I said most.

  35. Bob and John,
    Yes for as long as I can remember, and a lot longer I would guess, there has been a disagrement between NY and Chicago pizza. Chicago is famous for their pan pizza where NY is the thinner pizza we mostly know. I like both but pan pizza is thicker and your eating more dough. I prefer a thin, flexable pizza, not so crunchy it cannot be folded.
    I better stop, I am starting to get a craving.
    Good article and remarks.

  36. Hi Bruce — my preference is for a thin crispy pizza. I like it when the crust is almost like a cracker, that's just perfect for me.

    That said, I do love a deep dish Chicago style pizza, although I've never seen one like that in the Philippines. Now I'm getting hungry.

  37. Last holiday in iligan we went to Jollibee for some french frieds ,
    and for me a double burger. [ that takes 10 minutes to make ] and is excellent.
    But i always wondered , that there is a Greenwich too in the same entrance. Now you mentioned that it is Jollibee family , i understand it.
    Their spaghetti is really good , if you compare the price , but i never had the pizza.
    There was allso a pizza hut in iligan , i only go there because they had beer on draft , but the food was bad.
    Last time we,re in iligan it was closed down.[ i expected that ]
    I think when we go retired in iligan [ over1 to 2 years ] i will open a small
    food place somewhere in iligan for my wife,s employement .

  39. Hi Anton — I'm not a fan of the spaghetti at Greenwich. It's a bit too sweet for me. Good idea on starting a little restaurant for your wife's livelihood. I have a friend who lives in Iligan and, who is from Switzerland. He has a small restaurant in town too. It's called Gilles.

  41. Chicago or New York, I really have to laugh when I hear this. I am sorry but the unrefined and greasy pizzas of the US are really nothing compared to pizzas in Italy.

  42. Hi The Dude from Europe – You know.. there is something kind of cool about freedom… the thing that I like about it is that we all get to have our own opinions, and all of our opinions carry equal weight and are equally important. For instance, Anton (who is European) was talking about how good Greenwich spaghetti is. I can't stand the stuff. But, that's OK, if he likes it, I'm glad for him. If you like a certain kind of pizza, that's great for you too. No reason to put down people for what they like, if it doesn't agree with what you like. 😀

  43. Bob, I think you need to take a chill pill here. I was also just giving my opinion (which is that a pizza complete with rubber factory-processed cheese from an American chain pales in comparison to an authentic stone-baked oven from Italy). I'm sorry if that offends you or others.

  44. Dude – I think you need to chill… you are entitled to your opinion, but no need to "laugh" at others (as you said) because of their opinions.

  45. Hi BOB , it was not me , but my children and family who liked the Greenwich spaghetti,
    when we came home that time , i maked spaghetti myself.
    a la carbonara , with garlic , bacon and cream sauce.
    Much better ,
    but for my maybe buisenes later i have to know what people like .
    Ciao

  46. I've had Pizza all over the world and one of the top three best Pizza's I've ever had was in a little place in Puerto Princesa Palawan. If I remember correctly the owner was from Belgium and his wife was a Filipina and they had sailed a boat from Europe to Palawan and opened their place. They had a wood fired oven and their Pizza's rivaled any I had in Italy and France

  47. In the Manila area in the last few years i have had good pizza's in several restaurants, including Pizza Hut and a local chain called Don Henrico's. I was surprised to like the Pizza Hut pizza. Later we went to Pizza Hut in the U.S. and the pizza was terrible. So, if you like pizza i recommend you forget your prejudice against chain stores if you have one and give them a try in the Philippines. But their not all so good. I tried another chain store pizza in Manila and it was awful. Maybe they had a bad day, or maybe different people like different things in a pizza, like life itself.

  48. Ladies and gentlemen,
    I'm confused and sorry to rain on your 'pizza parade'…
    but in the wake of the ferry tragedy, with over 800 victims and 111 more as a death toll of 'Frank' typhoon… well I expected some kind of reaction, maybe a topic about travel safety on ferries in Ph.,
    …maybe just a coment or two expressing some compassion…
    am really sorry to rain on your pizza parade but had to say something.
    ted in PG, Canada

  49. I think that tragedy is on the minds of many of us.

    "So far, 48 people have been found alive out of 865 passengers and crew on board and 70 bodies have been counted, the coast guard said."

    "The sinking of Princess of the Stars may be the Philippines' worst maritime disaster since 1987 when the Doña Paz ferry collided with an oil tanker killing more than 4,000 people."

    Sulpicio Lines, which owns Princess of the Stars, also owned Doña Paz."
    http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?Stor…

  50. Hi Bob. I like mine: thin crust, diced tomatoes, olive oil, basil, and thin slices of mozarella (no tomato sauce).

  52. Hi Bob B. — wow, that's high praise for the fellow in Palawan! You must've really had a good pizza pie there! 😆

  54. Hi ted – I agree with you that the ferry accident was a terrible tragedy. However, I write my columns well in advance. For instance this column about the pizza was written last week, put up on the site and scheduled to post on Tuesday morning Philippine time. It was written before the ferry accident ever happened.

    Also, I've written about things like ferry accidents, travel safety and such before, and I'm not sure what I would add to what I've already written. Yes, I'm very sorry about what happened, and I certainly hope that it never happens again. I'm sad for all the people involved in the incident, as I'm sure we all are.

    I apologize if this subject about pizza offended you, and also that I did not take note of the somber occasion. I hope you understand.

  55. Hi pogidaga – thank you for sharing that information. I feel almost certain that in the long run work in a sea nearly 800 casualties from that disaster. Very unfortunate.

  57. I ate pizza for the first time at a Shakey's Pizza in Rochester, Minnesota. I can recall my first visit to Davao in 1999 and being blown away that Shakeys was there.

    I reallly liked Don Henrico's when it was behind JS Gaisano Mall. The last time we were there it was gone and replaced by some sushi joint. They had a great spicey mexican styled pizza. Shakey's in Davao is okay. I do like that Italian place up in JS Gaisano also. I've never had Yellow Cab pizza. I'll have to try it when we visit in the future.

  58. Hi Samok Daddy – I also used to enjoy Don Henrico's when it was there near Gaisano South Mall, but it's been closed for years now, unfortunately. It was a nice place, though, and they had a nice lunch buffet there too, when they were still open.

    Thanks for commenting! 😆

  59. the best pizza i have had in the philippines is in a restaurant on the beach of boracay , sorry i can't remember the name of the place.

  61. here in bacolod, we love the homegrown ones apart from the usual franchises.

    we love Cafe Bob's pizza… thin crust and uses authentic deli meat products like… they have a brick stove where they cook the pizza…

    but Bacolodnons really love the 30-inch pizzas of Mamma Maria's & Papa Giorgios. Both are owned by expats. Story has it that both pizza places are owned by the same family- two sisters married to expats had a fight and one opened the former and the other the latter.

    Hope you try them when you come to Bacolod (for the Masskara this October)

  62. Hi JJ – thanks for letting us know about those places! If I am ever in Bacolod, I'd keep them in mind!

  63. Bob, I too love pizza! In fact i own a pizzera/bar in Portland Or. Traveled to NY and some how was lucky to get a true NY pizza recipe!
    The Philippines cheeses are not such of in the states. Here most use a very rich whole milk mozzarella. Tried most pizzera places there. Yellow Cab was over priced . I like Shakeys. However its still not like in the states If you get to Portland please come have a Pizza on me!! 😆

  64. Hi Steven – Wow! Now, I think you know that I am from the Portland area, so who knows? Someday I might just take you up on that free pizza! Thanks for the offer! 😆

  65. a little belated. but here's a new pizza place in davao called la pizzeria, behind bistro rosario. from the pictures i've seen, the place looks nice.

    more sophisticated stuff including pasta that looks tasty. even wood-fired oven pizza.