Manga-on Ta! (Let's Eat)

Mangaon Ta, CDO! GrabFood invites Kagay-anons to celebrate their food at the Grab Caravan BIGA10 Festival!

2022-07-12T16:14:00.003+08:00

Mangaon Ta, CDO! GrabFood invites Kagay-anons to celebrate their food at the Grab Caravan BIGA10 Festival!

The Grab BIGA10 celebration is now taking over the Golden City of Friendship, Cagayan de Oro by bringing together Kagay-anons to celebrate friendship, food, and a lot more on July 16 at SM Downtown Premier.

Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, July 2022 — Grab, Southeast Asia's leading superapp, continues the celebration of its 10th anniversary by bringing the Grab Caravan BIGA10 Festival to the Golden City of Friendship, Cagayan de Oro on July 16, 2022! After successfully taking over Rizal, Cavite, and Iloilo, the celebration will now be heading towards CDO to bring together Kagay-anons and celebrate their love for food by bringing all their local food favorites all in one place!

The festivities for the Grab Caravan BIGA10 Festival will be happening in SM CDO Downtown Premier Roofdeck on July 16 from 10 AM to 8 PM! Joining the fun are some of Cagayan de Oro’s crowd-favorite restaurants such as Milestone Coffee, Mediterranean Food Gourmet, Café Pilar, Demetrio’s, Jambalaya, Sarsuela’s, Topps Pizza, Chookies, Grateful Baker, Tako-Motto, Teacup Tea To Go, Curio Coffee, Royal Panda Dynasty Restobar, Siomai sa Tisa, and Kapka. From local cuisines to Kagay-anons’ take on well loved international dishes, everyone will definitely enjoy a wide and filling variety of their food favorites at the caravan.

Beyond great food, the Grab Caravan BIGA10 Festival will make the day much more exciting with entertainment and discounts for everyone joining!

Get ready for games and a fun-filled program with host, proud Kagay-anon, Nicole Datayan
Jam to good music throughout the day with exciting sets from DJ RB Banaag and Just Boys
Don’t miss out on the discounts that will be exclusively available during the caravan since promos on GrabFood will be available all day for on-ground guests and neighboring customers ordering for delivery!

For nearby residents use the code KAONTASACDO for P100 OFF on their GrabFood delivery orders for a minimum order of P649.
For visitors in the caravan use the code GRABCDO to get 20% OFF on self pick-up orders with a maximum order of P400.

For a more affordable, and rewarding experience, Grab’s e-wallet, GrabPay will be the official payment partner of the Grab BIGA10 Caravan Festival, giving guests a chance to enjoy greater discounts and deals on their orders. But cash payments will also be made available!

Don’t miss out on the celebration of food at the Grab Caravan BIGA10 Festival on July 16 at SM CDO Downtown Premier Roofdeck! Watch out for more updates by following GrabFood on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

#MangaonTaCDO
#GrabCaravanBIGA10Festival

About Grab

Grab is Southeast Asia’s leading superapp based on GMV in 2021 in each of food deliveries, mobility and the e-wallets segment of financial services, according to Euromonitor. Grab operates across the deliveries, mobility and digital financial services sectors in 480 cities in eight countries in the Southeast Asia region – Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Grab enables millions of people each day to access its driver- and merchant-partners to order food or groceries, send packages, hail a ride or taxi, pay for online purchases or access services such as lending, insurance, wealth management and telemedicine, all through a single “everyday everything” app. Grab was founded in 2012 with the mission to drive Southeast Asia forward by creating economic empowerment for everyone, and since then, the Grab app has been downloaded onto millions of mobile devices. Grab strives to serve a triple bottom line: to simultaneously deliver financial performance for its shareholders and have a positive social and environmental impact in Southeast Asia. (www.grab.com)

Liempo King – Home of d’original Lechon Liempo!

2013-12-06T05:17:00.000+08:00

Craving for Lechon but only want a portion? Now you can enjoy the flavor and texture of real lechon in a pork belly! Liempo King is Cagayan De Oro’s original Lechon Liempo, offering a delightfully tasty twist to your traditional pork belly. Using only the freshest ingredients grown locally, every liempo is seasoned and marinated with special herbs and spices which are delicately tucked inside it's meat allowing it's rich flavors and aroma to completely absorb. The meat is roasted to perfection -- it's skin is savory and crisp on the outside, and juicy and bursting with flavor on the inside. Every bite gives you that distinct lechon taste that you can't get enough of!It’s promotional price of only PHP 135/whole order of liempomakes it conveniently budget-friendly for all to enjoy. Liempo King also offers Lechon Manok and value meals for the convenience of patrons dining solo.

Liempo King is located in along JP Rizal St. Cagayan De Oro City and open from 9:30 AM - 11:00 PM daily. It’s other braches are located along 6^th Tomas Saco Street, Cagayan De Oro Cityand Upper Carmen (Across Xavier Subdivision), Cagayan De Oro City.

I heard they added a new spicy succulent version and I'm dying to try it! They also have affordable pork barbeque now!

For inquiries, you may e-mail: liempoking@gmail.com or like them on http://www.facebook.com/liempoking.

Chocolates and Creams: The Taste Of Dreams

2013-12-06T04:46:00.004+08:00

I got the chance to meet the dream weavers Melody and Shela, who owns an upstart pastry business based here in Cagayan de Oro named Chocolates and Creams. Just a glimpse of their innovative and irresistible pastry designs would make you want to try them all!

Here's one, for example... when I saw these eggs, I had to grab one and had to taste it and I must say, it was devilishly good:

Melody and Shela both studied Food Technology in Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan and they told us that their chocolate-coated dreams are inspired from their personal travels. They wanted to apply their knowledge and produce cake creations that are one of a kind. And here they are making their dreams happen!

They have these fruitylicious versions - the Blueberry Explosion and the Strawberry Divine. I personally loved their Strawberry Divine! The strawberry and cream melts in your mouth!

...and this enticing Chocolate Madness' pleasurable chocolate feel, oh my, it couldn't be easily forgotten.

Check out this artisan cake craft - Heavenly Tiramisu! Their version of the popular Italian coffee-flavored dessert.

And this one-of-a-kind Caramel Cashew Cheesecake - which could be the only one of it's kind there is, is a dream creation that's totally blissful! This creation is also supporting our very own city's cashew product.

Bottom line. I encourage you to try them and I hope their extraordinary creations would blow your minds too!

To know more about these chocolate-and-cream-coated dreams, visit their page by clicking on this link: Chocolates and Creams. Like it, and have a taste of it too!

Dessert Strip

2012-06-13T17:52:00.000+08:00

Dessert Strip is a 100% home-made cookies and pastries shop in Cagayan de Oro, that's using world class baking ingredients. Cakes, cookies, and pastries lovers will now have a wide array of uniquely baked goodies and sweets to choose from.

Dessert Strip is owned and managed by Ms. Maribel Andaya-Pineda, known in the industry as Chef Maribel partnered by multi-awarded celebrity and pastry Chef and Consultant/Instructor Mr. Hasset Go. Mr. Go also owns Med Chef in Metro Manila.

Chef Maribel's best sellers are her cakes. Her moist banana cake with softened dates and roasted walnuts frosted with cream melts in your mouth. She also has this high carotene Carrot Cake creation with grated coconut, dates with walnuts, topped with cream cheese frosting. What caught my attention was her Malunggay Cake which are good for those health-conscious people with sweet cravings.

Dessert Strip opened its first branch at the 2nd level of Robinsons Mall-Limketkai Drive, last November 28, 2011 and I was there to witness their opening. I also was able to try out their baked goodies.

Here's the number for orders.

with Chef Maribel and Chef Hasset Go.

with Chef Hasset Go.

Check out their unique products at their location, I'm sure you'll like them!

Check out Dessert Strip's facebook fanpage for updates.

Mamsuy's Home Made Spanish Style Sardines

2010-03-25T10:15:00.001+08:00

This Spanish Style Sardines mini business started early 2006. This used to be our family recipe only passed on from my grandfather. A lot of our friends and relatives would normally finish up all these when we serve them on family occasions. Later that year, we were having a hard time with cash and had to decide to come up with something to earn from. So we, my mom - Susan "Mamsuy" Lim, decided we go on and do the mini business. She would do the cooking and my sister Jeri Mae Lim and I would do the delivering and advertising. Friends and relatives would buy from us which really helped us a lot. The business stopped around 2008, when our cooker died and couldn't fund for a new one. It was just the other day that Mamsuy finally got the funding to buy a cooker, so we started it again.

This is Home Made, Hot & Spicy, and of course, delicious. Grab one now and let us know what you think. :)

Putting them in the microwaveable containers to cool down a bit before covering.

In the microwaveable container.

Sealed.

Each container weighs 220grams and each costs Php 50.00 only.

More Photos Here

Lyn's Puto Delight

2010-03-24T12:11:00.002+08:00

Lyn's Puto Delight was formally started November of 2008. It originally was Chad Chester Uy's family recipe only. A lot of friends has been asking them to open up a puto (steamed rice cake) business since almost all of their friends loves and requests for them on almost any occasion or even just the ordinary days that they crave for it. Friends then grew shy to ask even more, so they asked them to cook for them and pay for it. When Chad got married to Rosalyn L. Uy, they decided to continue and open the planned biz.

You can grab and taste these puto at Cham's 24 Hour Convenience Store Carmen, Macasandig, and Xavier branches. Or you can order thru text/call: 0923 915 8923 and look for Chad.

Prices:

Box of 25pcs – 150Php

Box of 50pcs – 275Php

Box of 25pcs Cheese Overload – 175Php

Box of 50pcs Cheese Overload – 300Php

Order 1 day ahead. Pick up place is Cham’s Macasandig

Pik-Cup

2010-03-13T12:47:00.000+08:00

Young Entrepreneurs Vincent "Inting" L. Uy and Francis Merrill "Kirk" E. Escalante thought of having their own business for their future. Since both of them have the common hobby of eating, they thought of something affordable and convenient for all ages and thus PiK-Cup was born.

They started with just delivering to Metrobank where Inting's older sister is working. But as time flew, they both lacked the inspiration to continue and Kirk had to go back to school. They eventually slowed down and stopped for about a year. This is when Inting's mommy Victoria L. Uy stepped in the picture to revive what was started, cause she saw the potential of the business.

Pik-Cup now has a stall at Xavier University Canteen. You can also have the Pik-Cup's delivered if ordered by bulk. So far, Pik-Cup has only 4 options to choose from: Pork Asado, Sisig, Chicken Stew, and Corned Tuna. ALL FOR 35PHP PER CUP ONLY!

For more information visit their stall at XU Canteen or call/text:
728305, 09175490300 look for Mommy Vicky Uy. :)

CDOBloggers at Loreto's Grill and Family KTV

2010-03-10T10:19:00.000+08:00

Last August 15, 2009, the CDOBloggers had a meeting at Loreto's Grill & Family KTV - the Home of the Original CDO Sisig. It's located at #35 Tomas Saco 6th Nazareth
Cagayan de Oro, Philippines.

The meeting was for the upcoming Cagayan de Oro Fiesta and other Cagayan de Oro events to blog about - like the Tatak Environmentalist, One Shirt, One Tree Project.

If you're in Cagayan de Oro and you're looking for a place to unwind and eat great food - visit Loreto's Grill & Restaurant and enjoy their wide array of delicious lutong-bahay dishes!

They also have spacious themed Karaoke & Billiard Rooms. With prices per room ranging from 130-250/hr and can accommodate 6-20 persons.. In these photos we were at the SMB Room. There are other rooms like the Coke Room, Pop Room, Oscars Room, Super Heroes Room, Rap Room, Rock Room, Ginebra San Miguel Room, Classics Room, Elvi's Room, and Marilyn's Room.

Celebrate important occasions with their catering and packed meals service or hold a party at one of their function rooms.

For more information Call/Fax:
(088)8571342/ Fax (08822)714849

I am your CDO Guide

2009-08-17T15:20:00.003+08:00

This blog is about Cagayan de Oro food. Food that can be found, bought, dined, served, and eaten here in CDO. I will be your online CDO Guide when it comes to CDO Food.

Being a CDO Guide, I will tell you a little bit about the food, where it can be bought/found/eaten. I will share to you how much it would cost and how tasty or bad it may be.

Being born and raised here in Cagayan de Oro, I can say I can be one of the best CDO Guide there is. :D

I am a very proud member of CDOBloggers, Inc., a group who's aim is to help promote Cagayan de Oro and everything in it, on the internet.

Zaza's FREE Nestlé Chuckie Gift Pack

2009-07-19T18:21:00.002+08:00

March of 2009, I don't know what exact date, but I was browsing to Ms. Rowena Wendy Lei of http://animetric.blogspot.com and I saw her post about Nestlé Chuckie's Freebie and I had to register to get the freebie cause Zaza loves Chuckie, and it's for free! The freebie was only for the first 200 to register to their site and I really thank Ms. Rowena for sharing this cause I made it to the first 200. hehe.

May 14, 2009, I received an email that my Chuckie Burstastic package was on the way.

May 22, 2009 we received Zaza's Nestlé Chuckie Gift Pack and we were so excited to open it. We were the first 200 to try their new flavors then. hehe. I personally loved the choco burst. Both Zaza and I didn't like much the peanut nor the cookie flavor. Double choco was the best! Specially when it's cold!

Here's his free gift pack. Inside were the 3 new flavors and some flyers and promo items. :)

I suggest you visit Animetric's blog for more promos and freebies. :) thanks again sis. The Chuckie new flavors are now out in the market at, here in Cagayan de Oro it's around 17-21pesos each, depending on where you'll buy it. You guys should try them out.

Zaza & the Lechon head

2009-07-19T04:04:00.002+08:00

5/17/09 - Joy (miyahmayah) was out for a meeting/party at church. Here in the Philippines - I'm not sure if it's also applicable to other parts of the world - during big parties.. left overs can be brought home by either close guests, or the host of the party for someone who didn't make it to the party, we call it BH (Bring Home) or sometimes called as Balot (wrapped). At Joy's meeting, they had alot of left overs, so joy got some for us at home. When she came home Zaza was already sleeping, so she reserved the surprise for the next day.

5/18/09 - Zaza woke up earlier than me so I didn't get to see the action. Mom showed Zaza his surprise - the Lechon head - Joy (miyahmayah) then took pictures of him with it. Eversince Zaza was born, he never had a lechon bought for him, even during his birthday, nor did we serve on special family occassions. There was once at my older sister pilarmarielim's wedding with ewicgarcia but the lechon came chopped already. So this is the closest moment he had with a dead/cooked pig. When I woke up about 2hrs after, he bragged about seeing it but now Ama (my mom) has already cooked it. He was so excited to show me the pictures on my cam that he had to get it and said I should turn it on. hehehe.

Zaza had to touch it, and looked confused. hehe

More photos here.

Lechon here in Cagayan de Oro costs about 2,000 - 3,000 pesos.. That could already feed about 150 guests :) During peak season like Christmas or Graduation it usually climbs up to 3,500 depending on the size.

Alimango (Mud Crab) v2

2009-07-13T07:19:00.003+08:00

Like I said on my previous blog post about Alimango...

Crabs - specially Mud Crab is my ever favorite sea food.
This one was bought at Carmen Market for 120 pesos only last 4/27/09.
Zaza went with Mom at the market and when he came home he said "Surprise Nana, Love you"

Mud Crabs have much thicker shells than the blue or orange shelled crabs that we call here Lambay - that seems to have more delicate meat than the Alimango's. Alimango's can be prepared steamed with lots of seasoning, cooked with chili and tomatoes, stir-fried with garlic and oil, or steamed with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and wine, etc. We use the latter way of cooking alimango. Here's a photo of cooked Alimango with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and wine:

I just love crabs! :)

Rai Rai Ken, Limketkai Mall

2009-07-09T11:41:00.001+08:00

was where we had our (Zaza and I) very first Japanese Restaurant experience, together. It happened last 4/4/09. The waiters/waitresses there were very accomodating and the food we ordered was good and they have large servings. I specially loved the Futo Maki.

Zaza had Fish and Fries, I had Pork Bowl w/ Kakiage, and Mom had Beef Bowl w/ Kakiage. We also ordered Futo Maki for starters. Photos of our orders below:

Rai Rai Ken's Fish and Fries

Beef Bowl w/ Kakiage (small) - P109

Pork Bowl w/ Kakiage (small) - P99

Futo Maki - P205

Rai Rai Ken is located at the 2nd Level, South Concourse of Limketkai Mall.

Alimango (Mud Crab)

2009-06-26T11:46:00.001+08:00

Seafoods are very abundant here in Mindanao and has been compared to be way cheaper than other areas of the Philippines. My favorite seafood is Alimango or Mud Crab (Scylla serrata). Cagayan de Oro Wet Market's prices of mud crabs range from 60-200 pesos depending on their size. In mall supermarkets it usually costs about 250-400 sometimes even more during special occasions like Christmas, New Year, even Graduation.

Mud Crabs have much thicker shells than the blue or orange shelled crabs that we call here Lambay - that seems to have more delicate meat than the Alimango's. Alimango's can be prepared steamed with lots of seasoning, cooked with chili and tomatoes, stir-fried with garlic and oil, or steamed with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and wine, etc. We use the latter way of cooking alimango. Here's a photo of cooked Alimango that costed 150 pesos and had about 3 big sized pieces cooked with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and wine.

The best part is when its female, fat, and heavy - usually has a red/orange fat addition inside we locally call Alege - my favorite part and the reason why female crabs are expensive and have much higher cholesterol content. Crab gender is identified by flipping over the crab and checking the underside triangular shape - "apron", flowery shape and wide angled are female crabs with eggs, pointed triangular shape is male, and triangular and a bit flowery sides is gay. Yep you read right, there are gay crabs too :) Happy crab hunting and eating in CDO :)

Sentro 1850 - Cagayan de Oro

2009-06-15T06:02:00.002+08:00

Sentro 1850 is the Best Fine Dining Restaurant in Cagayan de Oro City. It's conveniently located at the center of the city ("sentro") at building number 1850 along Don Apolinar Velez St. - thus their name. They serve a mix of Asian and Continental Cuisines that's mouth-watering and surely makes you come back and ask for more with prices that are easy on the pocket. A must try when you visit Cagayan de Oro - brace yourselves for a huge treat!

December 17, 2002 was the start of the business and Part Owner/Chef Eric R. Yap, who's down-to-earth, friendly, and very accomodating, mostly does the cooking of their delectable cuisines. Sentro 1850 has an elegant interior and at the same time warm and homey atmosphere. They also have available function rooms for private parties and they also cater big events like weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries with very reasonable packages. You can contact them at these numbers +63-8822-731850 or +63-88-8541850

Here are a few of my personal Sentro 1850 favorites:

Bric-a-Brac Baby Back
Louisiana Style Charcoal Grilled Baby Back Ribs Basted with Smoked Barbecue Sauce.

Fish Gratin au Gratin
Lightly Coated and Baked Basa Fillet Smothered w/ Soft Cheese and Parmesan Crumbs.

Grilled Balinese Swordfish
Fresh caught swordfish steaks marinated and grilled balinese style served with thai fried rice, onion salsa and ginger sambal.

And my list can go on and on.. I haven't tried all of the entrees on their menu cause I can't get enought of those listed above just yet. I'll maybe blog about some more from their menu real soon.

Sentro 1850 photos by ChiQ Montes; Sentro 1850 Meal photos by yours truly :)

Dinner at Bigby's Cafe - Cagayan de Oro

2009-06-14T18:34:00.000+08:00

March 11, 2009

I worked the whole day at my boss' place. After work I felt so tired and was really hungry, picked up Zaza at Wonderland with Mom. Bigby's was calling out for me, so I texted my sister to come over and join us for a delicious dinner, which I didn't enjoy much - full story here.

Here's what we ordered for dinner:

I ordered my ever favorite dish at Bigby's - Chix Ahoy. It's a sizzling boneless chicken with garlicky flavor. It's served with plain rice, vegetable and corn as side dish.

I got Zaza Lil' Bigby's Meal - Kiddie Combo 3 which is a bag full of chicken popcorn served with honey mustard sauce and he totally enjoyed it.

Mom ordered Grilled Rodeo Chops - grilled marinated pork chops served with cranberry sauce or you can choose the pan gravy.

My younger sister Joy ordered Mojo Chicken Q - boneless chicken smothered with sweet and tangy BBQ sauce served w/ adobo rice and salad.

To know more about Bigby's, you can visit their website at: http://bigbyscafe.net - their menu is also posted on their site. :)

Our first Steve's BBQ experience at Cagayan de Oro Night Cafe

2009-05-27T19:32:00.001+08:00

Cagayan de Oro's Night Cafe and Market happens every Friday and Saturday from 530pm - 2am in the heart of the City, Dvsoria. You'll find there live band to entertain you, native foods at low prices. They also have a low prices of clothes, shoes, pants and many more..

Last March 28, 2009, Zaza, Mom, and I were roaming around the Night Cafe looking for great deals, and we wanted to unwind and get out of the house cause we have stayed there for a week already. During our long walk, we came across a little booth selling shades. Zaza wanted to have one, so I bought him one for 50php. Here's a picture of him wearing it:

You might be wondering why there's still a sticker. He didn't want me to remove that sticker.

We were so tired of walking around that we decided to eat at Steve's BBQ. They sell grilled food or sometimes we call it "Ala carte". They have been known to have one of the bests BBQ here in our city and we haven't tried it yet - so we had dinner there. Here's Steve BBQ's Banner and the area where they cook.

We had BBQ Chicken Wing or locally called as "Pitso", Pork BBQ, Chorizo, and Liempo as our viand and for our rice - the Hanging Rice or "Puso" which is rice wrapped in coco leaves and boiled/steamed. Total cost of our orders were 144 pesos only :) Here are the photos of our orders:

Since our orders were ready, Zaza requested he pose first before we eat. So I took photos of him :) Steve BBQ is located across the corner of Jollibee Velez - Again, night cafe happens every friday and saturday of the week only.

Sea World Squid Rolls

2009-04-16T18:05:00.000+08:00

Like any other cities here in the Philippines, Cagayan de Oro was also hit by Tempura/Fish Ball/Squid Ball/Squid Roll craze. The aroma of these when cooked is very much inviting. They have a long strip just outside Xavier University together with the new craze Kwek-Kwek and Chicken Skin.

Even on the weekly night cafe's vendors are everywhere.

We have tried and tasted alot of brands and this specific brand caught our taste buds. It doesn't have a weird aftertaste, nor does it taste bland. It's ingredients are perfect for us that everytime we cook this, we can't stop picking and putting it into our mouths.

Here's how it looks like when it's cooked. If the picture was clearer you would usually see spring onions in it. So, it's not just all flour, they added some good stuff too.

Here's Zaza taking a snack after doing some lots of coloring :) He too can't stop eating them when we serve this. 1 kilo pack costs 155-160php depends on where you buy them. Unfortunately Robinsons doesn't sell this brand, only Gaisano Supermarket and Ororama Supermarket - sometimes even Ororama runs out of stock. Gaisano has 1 big freezer full of this brand. They also have tempura, squid balls, fish balls for this brand. But we love the squid rolls better.

Kikilo (Spotted Scat)

2009-04-16T11:29:00.000+08:00

Kikilo (Spotted Scat or Scatophagus argus) is a freshwater fish that can also be found here in Cagayan de Oro city only after floods - yep you read right, after floods. They are flashed down to sea water from fresh water that's why they get caught during those times - as what my mom said and our laundry woman who's husband is a fisherman.

But my mom told me they have cultured this fish in the city for continous supply like the Tilapia's. We know an old resident chinese in the city, who owns one of the oldest stores here too, who has their own farm for this fish.

Mom usually cooks this Tausi style - with black beans or in soy sauce with lotsa ginger. It has white meat with very soft texture and delicious taste. Below are photos of it cooked in soy sauce. We didn't have any black beans on hand when this was sold to us by our fisherman neighbor, thus the soy sauce recipe. This only costed 50pesos (half kilo).

Tabas/Bilong-bilong/Chabita/Kadis (Moonfish) w/ Champorado

2009-03-13T16:13:00.000+08:00

Tabas or Bilong-bilong or Chabita or Kadis - with English name Moonfish of the family Menidae is one of the available fishes here in Cagayan de Oro City and one of our favorites. It is colored silver and is usually cooked paksiw style in vinegar, ginger, and onions - but we love it deep fried cause you can eat every part of it. hehe.

Here's some picture of it when cooked deep fried. And some pics of Mom's little assistant, Zaza, almost finishing them off, eating it together with Champorado / Tsamporado which is Sweet Chocolate Rice Porridge in English.

Champorado is soft-boiled rice with cocoa powder or tablea (blocks of cocoa powder made from cacao beans) - Mom uses the latter cause she says it tastes much better. Tablea can also be used to make hot chocolate.

Mom prefers the brand Maestrado Tablea from Mambajao, Camiguin - which is also available here in Cagayan de Oro City - because of it's "orig" taste. At the back of their packing is also steps on how to make your own hot chocolate :)

Here are some pictures:

Kinason (Philippine Clams) & Galunggong (Mackerel Scad)

2009-02-27T22:10:00.000+08:00

Kinason is what we call this kind of clam in the picture below. It is usually cooked as a soup with Malunggay and spices. But here, Mom mixed it with Okra, Kamote Tops/Leaves, Sili Leaves/Saluyot (Jute Leaves), Kamatis (Tomatoes), Luy-a (Ginger), Sibuyas Dahon (Scallion/Spring Onions), Tanglad (Lemon Grass) and some salt to taste. When this soup is cooked, it'll be a bit thick/slimy looking because of the okra and saluyot leaves cooked together.

Galunggong or Mackerel Scad (Decapterus macarellus) can grow up to a foot in length and has a dark somewhat oily but tasty flesh. This fish is an extremely common fish in Philippine waters and markets. It is usually cooked fried or grilled. Below is a picture of how it looks like when it's fried.

This is what we had today :) The clams only worth 20 pesos, the galunggong 50 pesos, all the vegetables 30 pesos. So for a total of 100 pesos, this could feed about 5 people for 2-3meals depending on their consumption :) We've had it for 2 meals already and we still have alot left.

Mamsuy's Chow Fan

2009-02-24T08:24:00.000+08:00

Is what we're having today. :) Chow Fan (Chaa Peung) - Fried Rice in Chinese is cooked in different ways, this is one of them. Usually its much better/tastes better if left over rice is used with it. I don't know why, it just is.

My Mom - Susan Lim - also known as MamSue or Mamsuy by her friends, cooks really good food but only cooks these kinda good food whenever she wants - whenever she feels like it. If I had her talent and if I could just clone myself, one would be cooking in my own restaurant, one would be doing my current job, and the other taking care of Zaza. So anyway, back to the Chow Fan.

Mom made use of leftover rice from last night, scrambled eggs, spring onion, bell pepper, and some seasonings to add color and taste.

I was up late lastnight working so I woke up a bit late, Zaza was already up and helped mom cook this. He woke me up and said it was time for us to eat breakfast, so I stood up and ate with him. Here's a photo of Mom's little helper, Zaza, right after cooking.

Binas-oy & Fried Kutob

2009-02-22T20:34:00.000+08:00

Is what we had for lunch today and what we'll have for dinner tonight.

Binas-oy or Bas-oy is a vegetable soup usually mixed with Malunggay (Horseradish Tree), Alugbati (Malabar Nightshade), Okra, Kalabasa (Squash), Kamote Tops/Leaves, String Beans, Tanglad (Lemon Grass), Kamatis (Tomatoes), and Luy-a (Ginger). Some mix it with more veggies and some with Fried/Grilled Fish but I like it this way and this is our recipe - actually my mom's, but I usually request that no fish be added so it'll only be just veggies. I usually have these cooked when I feel sick and it does work wonders. This is also highly recommended for lactating mothers and sickly children.

Kutob is a common salt water fish that's always readily available in most wet markets here in Cagayan de Oro. Mom says there's no season for availability for this fish. I can't seem to find any picture of live Kutob nor information about it. I also forgot to take a photo before it was fried, i'll do next time.

The vegetable names above have been linked to another site where there is more detailed information for each of the vegetables. Most of these Philippine vegetables are medicinal and in that site are details that some of these plants may cure the ailments.

Sr. Pedro Lechon Manok - Key to their success

2009-02-08T15:20:00.000+08:00

A long line of customers savor the sweet, mouth-watering smell of roasted chicken, cooked to tenderness by Sr. Pedro’s helpers, as they wait for their order along a busy road in Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City. That chicken, the prodigious lechon manok (roasted chicken) that captured the Pinoy palate by storm, is most sought by average people who, as one of its loyal patrons says, just want to get a taste of Sr. Pedro’s blessing.

Now with 250 outlets scattered around Metro Manila and key cities nationwide, Ang Lechon Manok ni Sr. Pedro has taken a giant stride to culinary fame and fortune.

Peter Unabia, founder of Anakciano Inc. that owns Sr. Pedro, talks of their next project after 16 years of enjoying phenomenal success -- to return the blessings they have received. This, Peter, or Pedro to his friends, has been doing, along with his 10 other siblings, for the past four years.

“We organized a foundation, called the Anaktering Foundation, in honor of my mother Tering who was very religious. Through this foundation, we found ways of sharing our blessings. And we chose to help the small farmers of Misamis Oriental,” says Peter who now sits as provincial board member in the 2nd district of Misamis Oriental.

The foundation aims to provide a livelihood opportunity for small farmers. This is done by contracting the farmers as suppliers of chicken broilers.

“We contract the farmers to supply the chicken. We give them series of trainings on how to breed broilers. These trainings are given for free. We also provide the chicks, feeds, even the medicines and vaccines. All the farmer has to do is build a cage that will pass our standards, and take care of the chicken until its ready,” explains Peter.

Presently, backyard contract growing by the marginalized farmers accounts for 10 percent of the total chicken supply of Anakciano Inc. The other 90 percent is supplied by commercial contract growers. In sum, the annual output from the contract growers has reached a whopping 11 million birds. Of these, 10 million are processed as ready-to-roast chicken delivered to all Ang Lechon Manok ni Sr. Pedro outlets around the country, while the others are sold as dressed chickens.

Peter the farmer

The Unabia family traces its roots to Malaybalay, Bukidnon, as hired hands who plowed large tracts of fields owned by big hacenderos. The family patriarch, Daciano, leased a small piece of land, and, like other small farmers in Mindanao, had to contend with middlemen, creditors and traders to get by with a few earnings from his harvest.

“I grew up knowing how difficult life is for a small farmer. We were poor and we were not given any opportunity to rise up from our miserable situation,” says Peter.

Hard work and enough will to get ahead in life eventually took the Unabia family to better times. Daciano and Tering were able to send their children to school. But the eldest in the brood, Peter, had set his eyes on the chicken business.

In 1992, Peter sought the help of his brothers to put up a small road-side roasted chicken outlet. Banking on his brother’s prowess in cooking and his own talent in management, Peter persevered in making that small chicken stand his ladder to success.

“We didn’t give up despite the many challenges. It helps to know that if you succeed, many others will benefit, like my family, and yes, my kin, the farmers,” says Peter.

What is the right way to help the farmers, Peter asks himself. The answer he gives is based on his own experiences as a poor farmer—to give them the opportunity to prosper, to free them from the bondage of credit and to develop in them a sense of ownership and trust.

Not dole-out

“Instead of giving the farmers fish, we teach them how to fish. This is our thrust in the foundation. It should not be dole-out, otherwise, the farmers will not prosper,” says Peter.

Presently, the foundation is directly dealing with 1,624 farmers from Balingasag, Talisayan and other remote towns in the province who were contracted as backyard growers. While most of the farmers reported a P3,000 to P5,000 additional income from the project, there are some who were not able to sustain it.

Peter is shaking his head as he explained the difficulty of managing the project. “Some of our beneficiaries had problems taking care of the chicken. Some sold them to earn quick cash, some ate the chicken for lack of anything else to eat.”

But, Peter says, they were persevering. They have, after all, chosen to deal with more than a thousand farmers, instead of dealing with a few large commercial growers, to distribute income. The 200 chicks that the foundation provides the farmers are translated to P11,200-investment per farmer.

“It is a big amount to invest, but we get consolation from knowing that some of the farmers that we help eventually prosper,” says Peter. Some farmers soon expanded to become commercial growers themselves.

Just recently, the Anaktering Foundation and the Anakciano Inc. have ventured into a goat-dispersal project aimed at teaching farmers shared responsibility. Still in an experimental stage, the initial 20 recipients were given five female and one male goats for dispersal. As soon as the female goats breed, the recipients will have to give the first breed to a new recipient.

The biggest venture so far that the foundation has initiated is its corn production. With 140 marginalized farmers benefiting from the project, the foundation has invested P22,800 per hectare of corn. The farmer’s counterpart is the land. Labor is paid for by the company at P5,000 per hectare, as well as all farm inputs, such as seeds and fertilizer.

Children of poor farmers have also benefited from the “Hustong Pagkain Program” of the foundation. It is a feeding program for malnourished children in rural areas of Misamis Oriental. Thrice a week, foundation volunteers go to the rural areas to give out milk and chicken to children beneficiaries. A total of 318 malnourished children have graduated from the feeding program.

Sustainability

Peter has some things in mind to sustain the livelihood opportunities given to farmers. The key, he says, is local government unit support that is not paltry but should be consistent in helping the farmers. Another is the delivery of programs by the Department of Agriculture which should be appropriate to the needs of the farmers.

“The framework should be toward quality not quantity. The programs should be sustainable and not just dole-out,” Peter reiterates.

As a public official though, Peter knows there’s more work to be done in terms of re-orienting programs for marginalized farmers. “But I’m not stopping,” he counters.

From: Inquirer Business by Ma. Cecilia Rodriguez

Culinary Fushion

2008-07-17T20:36:00.000+08:00

Ticket @ 300php * Limited seats! :)