A small, simple and good place to eat cheap and clean in Malaybalay City

That’s five adjectives in a headline. I think Dockie’s Place deserves it anyway. It is rare to find a place where you eat what you paid for, no pretensions.

After a day negotiating with the requirements of ISO 9000-2008 certification of our university, I had to rush out to meet my mechanic for a briefing of his work on my toy car. The hassles of repair work, and yes the shocking cost have added to the day’s stress. Since I was horseback riding on Lem’s motorized stallion, I thought we owe ourselves some perks.

I craved for the Ilonggo’s La Paz batchoy. I was into that quest when you won’t accept anything less. We drove through Fortich Street and came close to the gates of BukSU —but there was no batchoy on the food stops.

Out of instinct, or was it hunger, I had to convince my colleague to pass by Claro M.. Recto Street. He asked if we were going to this high-end French restaurant. In my mind i said “you wish” but reality bites! I can’t. I have a shoestring budget! I told him, I’m Bukidnon, Bol-anon and Ilonggo, above all – Mindanawon not European.

That’s how we found ourselves in Dockie’s Place for a P20-serve batchoy!  Of course you can’t compare the hot serve to a La Paz recipe but it was more than a lowly provincial-based journalism instructor can ask for. The owner, “Dockie” offered his “chili sauce” to spice it a bit as I sounded off my gusto to order the P30 per serve beef “halang-halang” instead.

Nothing beats the soup match, rice pudding (puto) for P6 apiece. I thought it was a perfect combination to be pushed by clean tap water from a shiny dispenser. Water is the universal solvent. He he, I’ll call it sour graping to drive away more carbon and sugar from the body.

Why does it merit the resurrection of my blog after a long hiatus? Like I said, this is a rare find in a time when media promotion in big and colorful billboards jacks up prices of food where you will look for it. Sometimes we feel we pay for all the ambiance and signage.

Of course, food stuff is a diversion from a voluminous reading and writing assignment. I will call it a break to “sharpen the saw”.

I know a lot of my imagined followers share my taste for food and my shoestring budget, so this gives me another reason to blog.

My bow to Dockie, a TESDA NC2 accreditation holder of hotel and restaurant management. He started cooking lugaw (Arroz caldo)  a year ago mainly for students. Another bow is for his decision to use beef in batchoy and other specialties: “We have Muslims and Adventists who look for food, too.”  It can really be a place for anybody, right?

So if you want to space out from our country’s “State of National Emergency” and the glaring debates on the extra-judicial killings or the Presidential Communication team’s “ooopssess” for President Digong’s first official trip abroad,  or you are just like me – a hungry bird – don’t think twice – eat, live.

If in Malaybalay or passing by, look for this place  and be yourself. Peace!

P.S. Also available in their menu of short orders: “RM” (Remember Me) at P15, Special Arroz Caldo (P20), (regular) Arroz Caldo (P10), Sizzling Sisig (P50), and Tapsilog/Longsilog/Hotsilog (P50)