Our tour of Davao started off with a visit to the Oboza Heritage House along Rizal St. in the middle of the city. This house, built in 1929, is the second oldest house in Davao, and is owned by the family of the former City Mayor Alfonso Oboza, who held Davao together during the Second World War. The Oboza family has leased the place to Claude's Le Cafe de Ville, a fine dining restaurant serving continental food, and to Cellar de Oboza, a casual restaurant with Spanish-Filipino dishes.
The Oboza family had lent plenty of photographs and memorabilia to create the genteel ambiance for the restaurants. In one photograph, the Oboza couple is surrounded by four Philippine Presidents--Quezon, Osmena, Roxas and Quirino. The house has a fabled story--word has it that President Roxas hid in the house when he was trying to escape the Japanese soldiers. Such elegance! We found ourselves stepping back in time in a place steeped in Philippine history.
We understand that the restaurant owner Claude Le Neindre, a Frenchman, used to be the General Manager of the Davao Insular Hotel in the late seventies when that hotel was run as an Intercontinental Hotel. Staying in the Philippines to start a family, he started a small French restaurant that was located a few meters away from the Oboza house. When the Obozas decided to lease out the place, Claude came up with the concept of a stately restaurant to rival the best. The house was restored and improvements (such as air-conditioning) were installed. The restaurant is now one of the most sought-after venues for intimate parties and romantic dinners!
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