The Nest CDO: Your slices of France and Italy in Cagayan de Oro

Meet Henrik Yu.

Many Kagay-anons know that he’s one of the owners of homegrown brands Bigby’s Cafe and Missy Bon Bon. Let me add something more to describe this amiable, well-traveled and wise entrepreneur – he’s quite the risk taker. He often wins, mind you, because he has a vision and passion like no other.

So when I heard of his latest venture – The Nest CDO, a new dining and lifestyle destination in Cagayan de Oro – I knew that Henrik will, once more, put his heart, soul and impressive business acumen into effect. In other words, I’m pretty sure he will win again.

I had the chance to visit The Nest CDO exactly a week before their supposed “very, very soft opening” (Henrik’s words) on June 18, 2016. I was among the very first to try their offerings – and I must tell you, it was truly an afternoon well-spent.

The Nest, located along Corrales Avenue in front of Sprint Multisport Store and a few steps away from Boy Zugba (another one of Henrik’s ventures), will carry two new exciting food concepts – the Parisian-inspired Maison de Bon Bon and the Italian restaurant Giuseppe Pizzeria & Sicilian Roast.

It’s called The Nest because the owners apparently want it to be a hub of sorts – of arts, ideas, crafts, food, photos etc. It’s where you can spend lazy afternoons with your friends, perhaps a date with the girl of your dreams, family dinners or a photo taking session with your equally Instagram-fanatic friends. Or, in my case, a cool place to take my Snapchat stories at!

Our first stop was Giuseppe Pizzeria and Sicilian Roast. Henrik proudly said that this was a place where you can find authentic Italian fare. “As the city becomes more vibrant, we’d like to keep things purist around here,” he said.

And purist the food was, indeed.

We started with the focaccia bread with herbs served with liver pate and fresh tomato salsa (with a side of grapes). The bread was chewy and delicious. Which was expected from a company that also owned Missy Bon Bon, right? They know a thing or two about breads, of course.

The liver pate, on the other hand, is rich, creamy and smooth and when you mix it with the freshly diced tomatoes, they become a perfect match.

We also had the arugula e prosciutto or pizza with tomatoes, mozzarella, parma ham and arugula. Thankfully, the arugula tasted fresh and succulent and retained its distinct bitter, peppery taste. This pizza came with Giuseppe’s homemade hot sauce. I tried to fold the pizza slice (I eat pizza that way) and although it was a bit “foldable,” the crust was crispy and good.

By the way, here’s an interesting trivia – the wood-fired oven that they use here is straight from Italy.

Next came the spaghetti bolognese and the calzone vegetariano. This is Italian cuisine so the spaghetti isn’t sweet (unlike the sweetened one most Pinoys have grown accustomed to). Instead, the bolognese has al dente noodles, herbs, spices and cheese.

Their vegetarian calzone is folded pizza filled with artichokes, eggplant, capsicum, spinach, olives, mushroom and arugula. Just make sure you eat this as soon as it’s served so you can really enjoy the taste. Piping hot food is always gooood!

They also served us these pizza de pollo. Yes, that’s truffle. Anything with truffle is always a win!

Then we had porchetta, a savory pork roast, served with gravy and a small slice of green apple.

I washed all the food down with my four seasons fruit juice. Refreshing!

We were also given the grand tour that day – not only of the rest of Giuseppe’s facilities but also of Maison de Bon Bon.

Maison de Bon Bon is right next to Giuseppe. When you’re at the second floor, you can actually just go to the patio and see/use a door that can connect you to Maison.

The interiors reminded me so much of Laduree in Makati.

Maison de Bon Bon will be your slice of France in Cagayan de Oro. I must say, I’m looking forward to this restaurant because, really, one look at their menu and it’s like being in the middle of Rue Cler in Paris.

Some of the choices that I read on their menu (and want to try real soon): smoked salmon salad with black olive vinaigrette and warm marinated goat cheese crostini, gratinee coquilles st. jacques, french onion soup gratinee, bacon wrapped fish (IKR) with mustard cream and eggs benedict!!!

Maison de Bon Bon will also serve sweet and savoury crepes and pancakes and french toast. Aaahhh, my kind of breakfast!

See that cake? Apparently the flower design is printed on a film-like edible material. Really cool.

Of course, they serve gelato here. I requested for my favorite pistachio flavor that afternoon. Too bad I only had one serving!

Really nice chairs. Even the long chairs by the mirrored walls look comfortable.

Hello! Millenials call this an #OOTD 🙂 My fellow HATCH Mastermind Group CDO founder Mike took this. Thanks, Mike!

The Nest CDO will have an al fresco dining area as well.

Food here is good for sharing. Sir Henrik recommends getting a pizza, a pasta dish, something heavy like the porchetta and dessert. Those meals will be good enough for 4-5 people.

Aaahh…So much to look forward to on June 18, 2016! Be there when The Nest opens at 11 AM to 11 PM.

Thank you to Sir Henrik, Vic, Nessa and to all the nice folks over at The Nest for the invite!

* Second photo used in this entry is courtesy of The Nest CDO

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Mindanaoan Irene

Mindanaoan is a multi-awarded blogger, content creator, seasoned social media strategist and publicist with undeniably successful track record. 2012 International Visitor Leadership Program (for global leaders) alumnus and O visa grantee (for people with extraordinary skills and who have risen to the top of their field). Avid traveler and a proud relief operations volunteer. Regular resource person for social media, blogging and content creation. Available for work and travel – [email protected]

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