This section of our site will start featuring different restaurants, coffee shops, stores and anything that is new in my hometown Davao City. If you’re born in Davao you would probably have the immense love for the city. Not only that everybody is going to greet you with a smile on their faces but everyone absolutely knows everyone! It’s insane! Walking around the mall with my mother just to grab groceries will add 1 more hour in just saying hello and talking to everyone she sees. The funniest thing is that I’m becoming a Tita of Davao and have to encounter the same hour of greeting people I know when we are out. Yes, this city is big. In terms of land area, Davao City is large. But the community can be very small. In every new restaurant or every new shop, you will find yourself going to college with the owner or at very least know the cousin of the owner. This can be very handy in some ways and I love how Davao City is set up this way. It makes me feel like I’m home, that I belong to this community.
Growing up in Davao City we didn’t have a lot of restaurants to choose from. It also doesn’t help that every Sunday after attending mass my father would go to the exact same restaurant we go to every single weekend for 24 years. Davao City has changed so much in the last 10 years and the influx of new restaurants have been overwhelming. We don’t have to carry along our favorite dessert when traveling because most probably that brand has a franchise in the Davao City already. I’ve lived in Davao for most of my life and I can really say that a lot has changed. New coffee shops start popping out serving weird choices of frappucinos and lattes and I’m ok with that. It’s good for our City and most importantly locals will have a better list of choices, I wouldn’t know because my dad still goes to the same restaurant every Sunday. LOL.
Recently, I went out with some of my college friends and we decided to try a restaurant that none of us has gone to. We went online to search new trending restaurants in Davao City and one restaurant, in particular, caught our attention. The Out of Nowhere Kitchen, with such an unusual name we wonder what the restaurant has to offer. So we went over and tried this new restaurant. One thing we noticed is the design of the whole restaurant, it had a garden feel to it and it was very calming. We had a great time in Out of Nowhere Kitchen and their food was delicious! I was so shocked to see the serving size they had and considering it was not pricey at all. Their food ranges from 180- 300 which is not bad at all when you go out and dine with your friends or family. All of the dishes on the menu can also be shared because one serving was more than enough for one person. 
A few days after, I brought my husband to Out of Nowhere Kitchen for him to try. Disclaimer: My husband is very hard to please. Maybe because he has a distinct taste when he is being served with barbeque or the fact that he is Canadian and has a lot of different restaurants abroad. But to my surprise, he liked Out of Nowhere Kitchen. He said that the chicken was tender, the flavor was good and they were not cheap on the serving too. We had two different kinds of chicken barbeque but the table beside us ordered the big Submarine and my husband told me that we will be back to try that out! This restaurant had more than just barbeque to offer, they had sandwiches, pasta, nachos, seafood, salad, chowder (my personal favorite), and dessert! All of which were priced at a very reasonable rate.
Ok, let’s talk about the staff. I loved them! When I went with my friends I brought along Travis with me and if you haven’t met Travis yet you will be surprised at how this little guy can eat! As soon as my chowder (did I mention I love their chowder?) came he just wanted to keep eating non-stop. And luckily for us, our food did not take long to be ready, by that time we finished our chowder the barbeque was already served. One thing I want to emphasize is how friendly their staff was when I was already eating at the same time catching up with my friends the staff was playing with Travis and keeping him entertained from their booth. This might seem weird for some moms but I really like it when my kids do not pay attention to me when we are out LOL. It gives me time to actually enjoy my food and the company I’m with. They also gave us a highchair right as soon as we got in the restaurant which was very nice of them.
The day that I had Sean and Aiden with me to Out of Nowhere Kitchen was also different because Aiden has a lot more energy than Travis. I loved how the restaurant had enough space that we didn’t have to worry about Aiden bothering other people from the table beside us. When Aiden wanted to pee, the bathroom was so convenient and clean that we did not have an issue at all. There was also enough space for Aiden to walk around when he was done with his meal and we can tell that the restaurant staff was keeping an eye on him while Sean and I finish our food. I am a sucker for restaurants with good staff, I believe that they can really affect the way people think about your restaurant. I can say Out of Nowhere Kitchen is a very kid- friendly restaurant and is somewhere you can come with your whole family.
I had an opportunity to get a hold of one of the franchise owners of Out of Nowhere Kitchen. I asked him a few questions about the restaurant and tips on having your own restaurant.
1. Tell us something about yourself.
I am Jerico Haw, 27 years old who resides in Elrio Bacaca, Davao City. I am into real estate, real estate broker by profession. I love investing in stocks and businesses. I am physically active and enjoys music. I am the Eldest of my 2 siblings. I graduated from SPC, took up BS Nursing.
2. Tell us about the concept of your restaurant.
Basically, the concept of my restaurant is an Asian fusion Cuisine family restaurant that offers a wide variety of Asian dishes from sandwiches, pasta, chicken and even pastries.
3. Why franchise versus starting your own restaurant?
I choose to franchise because I have no time innovating new ideas because I am not a chef nor loves cooking in the first place. I only have enough capital to invest a business that would fit my taste.
4. What sets your restaurant from others?
My restaurant is unique because our theme is “out of nowhere” so we are located in a residential area that normal restaurant doesn’t usually do. We also captured what davaoeños preferred taste, ambiance and most of all the prices of our food.
5. What is your bestseller?
Our best seller is the grilled chickens. Our number one grilled chicken in the market is Grilled Asian Chicken.
6. What is your personal favorite dish?
My personal favorite is Grilled Satay Chicken because it has the taste of Malaysian Cuisine. Strong and a little bit of spicy.
7. Are there any dishes to look out for?
We currently launched our buffalo wings last week. Rest assured, the owners of OON will continue to innovate new dishes to serve you guys.
8. How do you handle positive and negative feedbacks?
When we encounter negative feedbacks, we first listen then acknowledge. After that, we investigate what went wrong then conduct a meeting together with the concern staffs, re-brief them and if possible re-train them.
9.Tips for people who want to start a restaurant/ franchise?
I would suggest doing a feasibility study first. Always be sensitive to the price and location of your restaurant. Check your finances first and know your competitors.
10. Message to people who have not tried Out of Nowhere Kitchen.
For those who have not tried OON, try to visit our branch at Voyager St. the street in between Star Hotel and Nanay Bebeng. You will surely enjoy our food at an affordable price. We are also located in the heart of Davao City, very accessible. This is a must try when visiting Davao city.
This is ONE SERVING of their iced tea
Hope you enjoyed reading this blog! I made a short Vlog about my day out with the girls see the link below!
Leave a Reply