Places to Eat in Cagayan de Oro

After spending your day shooting rapids and rappelling down a 65 ft. waterfall, you might be feeling ravenous right? Lucky for you, Cagayan de Oro offers an equally sensational gastronomic adventure.

Street Food

As with any other place in the country, you are bound to see kwek-kwek, tempura, and fish ball vendors but what rules the street here is chicken proven. Chicken proven or proben is a proventriculus, which is a part of the fowl's digestive system, coated with corn-starch and then deep fried. It is sold skewered in sticks or in a plastic bag and can be eaten as a snack or a full meal. Usually costing no more than 5PHP per stick, it's very popular with students.

You will find chicken proven and other street food vendors in universities and around Divisoria and Pabayo streets. Other than these areas, you'll find throngs of street food vendors in Cogon Market.

Traditional Food

Kagay-Anon Restaurant (Limketkai Center, 9000, Rosario Cres.) is a popular local restaurant that has been in existence since the 1990's. Apparently, this place is famous for their ostrich salpicao so we had that along with other popular items from the menu such as pinakbet (mixed vegetables) served in a hollowed out squash, kinilaw malasugue (blue marlin), sinuglaw (grilled pork belly and fresh tuna), tortang talong (eggplant omelet), and binakol (chicken soup dish). The food is superb and serving size is good for 3-4 people.

Mesa Restaurant in Centrio Mall is another top pick for delicious Filipino cuisine. We loved the ambiance and the waiting staff were attentive. We tried what our waiter recommended and were deeply satisfied. We had the sinigang (sour soup), kinilaw (raw fish), and baby squid in olive oil. The servings are quite generous so it's best to come in a group.

Western and International Food

Top of mind in Cagayan de Oro when craving for some international cuisine is Circa 1850 (G/F Tune Hotel, C.M. Recto St.) The interior has an industrial vibe going on and the combination of wood, steel, and bricks makes for a contemporary look. As for the food, every morsel was divine. We had the mussels sardinia, tuna tartar salad, fish and chips, and skillet chicken and mushrooms. The quality of the food is definitely on a par with the price and portion size and we will not hesitate to recommend this venue to friends and family.

Drooling over the prospect of eating some Thai dishes? Check out Thai Me Up (Ayala Centrio Mall, Capistrano Mabini St.) They have the usual spring rolls and pad thai along with other equally delectable menu items such as chicken satay and green curry. Good service and reasonably priced food. We went on a Tuesday night so we missed out their Monday lunch and dinner buffet which we've heard goes for only for 299PHP/pax.

Cafes and Coffee Houses

For your caffeine fix, grab a seat at one of the oldest home-grown coffee shop in the city, Coffee Works (Rosario Strip, Limketkai Center). Their coffee and tea selection is as good as any other coffee shops but what tickled our fancy was that they use a beeper to alert customer when their cup of joe is ready. While this buzz devices are ubiquitous in Korean cafes, it's not widely used here.

Another cafe worth a visit is Chingkeetea (Marfori Compound, Pabayo St.) for their Taiwanese milk teas and smoothies. This quaint cafe is almost always packed with students and yuppies and is a regular on social networking sites. Pop in and you will see why. Besides the authentic milk tea, its shabby chic interior and a smattering of artworks make this place a great place to hang out.