When Rogelio “Kap Budoy” Canales invited me for dinner last Sunday, I thought it was Mixed Temptation Chinese Restaurant’s culinary offering for the Mid-Autumn Festival otherwise known as the Moon Festival or the Mooncake Festival. As the Mid-Autumn Festival dates change each year, I had to ask my Chinoy friend who informed me that the traditional Chinese festival this year falls on my birthday on September 29.
“No sir, I am inviting you this time for the re-launching of the Mixed Temptation Chinese Restaurant along Ponciano Street,” reasoned Rogelio Canales alias Kap Budoy, the restaurateur owner of Mixed Temptation, as he added, “Making the right impression is very important in the restaurant business where customers pay for two things: delicious food and good ambiance. I have been serving good food and drinks to customers day after day but am still unable to realize the expected benefits here. So I thought it’s time to consider a restaurant renovation. Well, even if your restaurant has been doing good in business, sometimes it is still necessary to give it the proper facelift to keep up with the ever changing landscape.”
Indeed, Mixed Temptation is quite well known as one of Davao’s best Chinese restaurants offering Cantonese cuisine. Kap Budoy’s bigger branch located at the Phoenix Compound in Lanang is doing quite well. He has had an expansion with one serving as a family restaurant while the other is a restobar for the alcohol guzzlers of the city.
Naturally, for the Kadayawan Festival, Kap Budoy with the able support of his wife, Almarie, have prepared a lineup of dishes for families and barkadas to enjoy fine dinner while spending time together. “We want everybody to enjoy a nice dinner in celebrating the Kadayawan Festival. This is why Mixed Temptation is launching its Kadayawan Menu to create a night of thanksgiving for everybody to strengthen their bond with each other,” so revealed Kap Budoy. Mixed Temptation is all ready for the Kadayawan Fest with the restaurant lit more brightly than before and decorated in red and gold to create that air of abundance. In Chinese culture, the color red symbolizes luck, joy, and happiness; while representing celebration, vitality and fertility. Take note that red is a traditional Chinese color as it is believed to ward off evil.”
Kap Budoy and Almarie warmly welcomed happy guests that Sunday evening. The staff of Mixed Temptation are friendly and polite; and well trained by Kap Budoy with the goal to give the best in customer service. Kap Budoy truly had a good experience while working at the Lotus Court of Marco Polo Davao. The hardworking Kap Budoy worked his way from being a waiter on call to becoming head captain of Lotus Court. He was even given the recognition as Marco Polo Davao’s Employee of the Year.
That special evening at Mixed Temptation, Kap Budoy and his service crew served pork asado, squid in a chili sauce, Hainanese chicken, and century egg slices in a platter for appetizer. The dimsum consisted of several kinds of siomai, chicken feet, Shanghai roll, pork and chicken bun which came served in a Chinese bamboo basket steamer. Next came the savory Nido Birds Nest soup and the Century Egg soup. I truly savored the Bird’s Nest Soup as I missed this soup through all these years. The main course was comprised of the Minced Beef Fried Rice, Pineapple Fried Rice, and Fu Chow Fried Rice; my favorite delicate tofu with enoki mushrooms, Aromatic Duck Sandwich, Lemon Chicken, Pata Tim, Beef Tenderloin with black pepper, Pork Asado, steamed Lapu-Lapu, Singaporean Shrimp with black pepper, among others. For dessert, Kap Budoy served his well-loved Buchi with chocolate and matcha fillings, oreo snowballs and fresh fruits.
What a night of Mixed Temptation delights. It felt like the Kadayawan Fest, indeed. Thank you, Kap Budoy, Almarie and the staff of Mixed Temptation.
