31/07/2026
Daghang salamat Provincial Government of Davao Oriental ๐๐ป๐
๐๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐๐| ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ก๐จ๐ง? ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ข๐ง๐ โ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ !
No. 16
Every town has that one place people don't remember simply because of the foodโthey remember it kay kabahin na gyud kini sa ilang kinabuhi.
In Mati City, one of those legendary spots is ๐๐ค๐๐๐ฃ๐โ๐จ.
On days when the weather turns cooler and the rain gently falls, many find themselves looking for something warm, comforting, and perti gyud ka pamilyar. But for many Oriental Davaoeรฑos, visiting Modingโs has never been just about satisfying a craving. Dili lang basta kaon; balik-lantaw gyud kini sa mga tam-is nga kagahapon.
The story of Modingโs began in the ๐ญ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฌ๐, back when it was still known as ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ง๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐โa restaurant-inn established by Chinese businessmen during Davao Orientalโs economic boom. Yet behind the restaurant's history lies an even more remarkable journey: that of ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐, who left China at just seven years old to build a new life in the Philippines. Like many Chinese immigrants of his generation, sayud siya nga ang pagpaningkamot, disiplina, ug kadasig ang susi sa kadaugan. Before stepping into New Times, he worked diligently as a tailor in a denim jeans shop, carrying values that would soon shape a lasting family legacy.
While managing New Times, he met ๐ ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ, the woman who would become his life partner. When ownership of the restaurant was eventually entrusted to him, he chose a name that honored the person who stood beside him through thick and thin: Modingโsโtaken directly from his wife's cherished nickname.
As Mati transformed from a quiet coastal town into the city it is today, Modingโs introduced generations of locals to authentic Chinese cuisine and freshly baked breads. Mura na gani ug nahimong tradisyon sa matag pamilya ang ilang handmade ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ ๐ ๐ถ๐ธ๐ถ, ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ผ๐ป, ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ผ, ug ang paborito sa tananโang ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ด๐ผ. These timeless recipes have been lovingly preserved for more than six decades.
Up to this day, the restaurant faithfully continues its weekly production of handmade noodles, ensuring every plate starts fresh in-house. Their signature Pan de Monggo, generously filled with slow-cooked sweetened red beans, remains a absolute staple, labi na gyud sa mga gikan nitambong og Misa sa ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ก๐ถ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น.
But perhaps the greatest ingredient behind Modingโs enduring success isn't found in its kitchen. Tua kini sa mga tawo nga nihimo sa Modingโs nga kabahin sa ilang adlaw-adlaw nga kinabuhi.
Decades ago, farmers and traders from neighboring towns traveled to Mati to sell copra. Before heading to the market or before taking the long trip back home, usa gyud ka init nga pag kaon sa Modingโs ang makapawala sa ilang kakaapoy. Over time, those same customers brought their children, who later brought their own grandchildren, turning a simple meal into a cherished family heirloom.
Today, under the care of ๐๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐ต ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด, the familyโs third-generation owner, Modingโs continues to honor the legacy built by her grandparents while embracing modern, thoughtful innovations. Pangutana man gani sa maski kinsang Matinians, bug-at gyud ang ngalang Moding's sa ilang kasingkasing.
After all, the best family recipes are not only preserved in cookbooksโthey are preserved in the people who continue to gather around the table.
