Food Archives - Mindanaoan - Multi awarded CDO and New York Lifestyle Blog

Jul132016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

FrostBites CDO: Singapore-style ice cream sandwiches

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Features, Food, Reviews

If you've been to Singapore, I bet you've seen those "uncles" who have those mobile carts with umbrellas and sell that infamous 1 SGD (roughly 33 Philippine pesos) ice cream. These ice cream sellers are actually all over Singapore especially at places with very high foot traffic - tourist spots, MRT stations, busy street corners etc. During my very first trip to Singapore several years ago, I made sure that I included "buy that 1 SGD ice cream wafer along Orchard Road" in my itinerary. Actually, some of those mobile ice cream carts also sell ice cream by the cones and cups. Some also sell softdrinks, water, juice drinks and energy drinks. But, of course, the main product is still the ice cream sandwich. Now here's good news for people who have been craving for the popular Singapore i...

Jun132016 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

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

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Events, Features, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Society

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...

Apr262016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Try This When In Iligan: Delicious Roti de Iligan

Culture, Food, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Mindanaoan Update, Muslim Mindanao

After spending a few hours at Timoga Spring Pool, my friends and I then proceeded to the city proper. We were a bit hungry but weren't in the mood to eat neither at a fastfood outlet nor at a fancy restaurant. We just needed a quick bite. So Vic of WowCDO led us to a small, unassuming little cart along Lluch Street (behind St. Michael’s College) that sold roti for only Php 25. It was amazing to see several people patiently queuing. There was good reason, though – the delicious roti de Iligan was served piping hot, had a generous filling and was very affordable. It wasn't the Indian roti I was used to. Instead, roti de Iligan was a sort of amalgamation of Indian and Muslim influences. Made of flour, vegetables, mayonnaise, cheese and other ingredients, roti de Iligan is simple...

Dec202014 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Pancake House re-opens at Limketkai Mall CDO

Cagayan de Oro City, Features, Food

Just writing about this is making me swirl with happiness! Pancake House has finally re-opened along the North Concourse of Limketkai Mall, Cagayan de Oro City! After a temporary halt in operations a few months ago (due to the expansion of the newly-opened Globe Gen3 store), Pancake House CDO is finally back! What are your favorite Pancake House offerings? Mine are the cheese pancake, caramel banana walnut waffle (with bacon strips on the side, please!), almondigas soup, classic pan chicken and the seafood gambero! And yours? See you at Pancake House CDO!

Nov72012 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Taters Centrio Ayala Mall opening promo

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Events, Food

It's rare that I don't bring a Taters product whenever I watch a movie at an Ayala mall. To watch a film without delicious munchies from Taters is just not the same. That's why I'm really glad that Taters is now in Cagayan de Oro City! Taters CDO is set to open on November 9, 2012 at Centrio Mall. Centrio, as you may all know by now, is the Ayala Mall in CDO. Taters Centrio is located at the 3rd floor of the Ayala Centrio Mall. There you can find a smorgasbord of yummy snacks and munchies - popcorn, fries, hotdogs, chips, nachos (MY FAVE!), fish fillet, burgers, onion rings and sandwiches. And here's good news for the first 100 customers of Taters CDO at Centrio Mall - for a minimum purchase of Php 200.00, you get a FREE Churkey Burger! (This I gotta try!) See you all at Taters...

Jul32012 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Inside Vjandep pastel factory in Bulua

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin, Consumer, Corporate, Food, Northern Mindanao, Recipes, Technology

Pastel is a Spanish term for cake. And perhaps the Mindanao business that successfully introduced pastel to the market is Vjandep Pastel. The pastels produced by Vjandep are soft bread buns filled with various fillings such as yema (custard), ube, chocolate, pineapple, durian, bavarian cream etc. From a humble business that originated in Camiguin Island, Mindanao, Philippines, Vjandep Pastel now has turned into a huge corporation. Vjandep pastels are now among the favorite pasalubong delicacies in Northern Mindanao. Just recently, I had the chance to visit the Vjandep Pastel factory at Barangay Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City. According to Vjandep Pastel owner Virgilio Jose, the factory can produce thousands of dozens of pastels every single day. The pastels are distributed not only within C...

Feb282012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Happy Eggs Cagayan de Oro all-day breakfast place now open for business

Advocacy, Agriculture, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Announcements, ARMM, Arts, Bacolod City, Banks, Basilan, Beauty, BIMP-EAGA, Bisaya, Bislig, Blogging, Broadcasting, Bukidnon, Business, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin, Campus, Caraga, Cebu City, Commentary, Compostela Valley, Consumer, Contests, Corporate, Cotabato, Culture, Davao City, Davao Del Norte, Davao del Sur, Dipolog, Education, Entertainment, Events, Fashion, Features, Festivals, Fiesta, Flights, Food, Freebies, General Santos City, Gifts, Government, Headline, Hongkong, Hotels, Humor, Iligan City, Internet, Island Garden City of Samal, Jobs, Journalism, Kaamulan Festival, Koronadal, Kuala Lumpur, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Leisure, Macau, Maguindanao, Make Money Online, Malaybalay City, Malaysia, Manila, Marawi City, Media, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Movies, Music, Musings, Muslim Mindanao, Negros Occidental, News, North Cotabato, Northern Mindanao, Opinion, Ozamis, Pagadian, Personal, Personalities, Photos, Politics, Radio, Recipes, Religion, Resorts, Reviews, Sarangani, Shenzhen, Shopping, Sindangan, Singapore, Society, SoSCksargen, South Cotabato, Sports, Style, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Tacurong, Tangub City, Tawi Tawi, Technology, Television, Tourism, Travel, Videos, Visayas, Weddings, Weird, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Peninsula, Zamboanga Sibugay

Hi folks, may I warmly invite you all to visit the newest all-day breakfast place to open for business in Cagayan de Oro City - Happy Eggs CDO! Before anything else, please allow me to quickly offer you guys 3 reasons as to why you should come and visit Happy Eggs CDO: 1. their "silog" meals all have TWO EGGS cooked just the way you like them! (sunny side up, scrambled etc) 2. the price points are really very affordable (their baconsilog, for instance, is only Php 70! Yup, juicy and delicious bacon, a generous serving of rice and two eggs for only Php 70!) 3. they have quite the interesting menu! (where else can you find an eatery that serves dried fish such as pinikas and red sal and even pansit canton? Aaah, we all crave for BULAD sometimes, don't we? :) Plus - talk about bud...

Feb142012 by Mindanaoan Irene4 Comments

Missy Bon Bon pastel – new Cagayan de Oro pasalubong

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Features, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Tourism

Missy Bon Bon in Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao, Philippines is no longer just known for their delicious pastries and gelato. These days, the charming Missy Bon Bon breadshop and gelato store is also known as the home of CDO's latest pasalubong delicacy - pastel! Pastel is a soft, sweet filled bun. For many years, pastel became the preferred pasalubong in Northern Mindanao. The entire fascination over this delicious bun started when a family produced yema-filled pastels in Camiguin Island. Word about these delicious buns spread and eventually, tourists began lugging around boxes and boxes of these sweet treats as pasalubong. Fortunately for those in CDO, you need not go to Camiguin Island just to buy these delicious pasalubong delicacies. Missy Bon Bon has finally released their ow...

Nov152011 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Review: Grilled steak and other dishes at Roadhouse Cafe

Bukidnon, Food, Malaybalay City, Mindanaoan Update, Opinion, Religion, Reviews

A few days ago,I accompanied a congressman-friend of mine as he made the rounds around his jurisdiction. It has been quite a while since I've done that --- you know, accompany a politician as he attends events, speak to his constituents, deliver speeches, meet key people etc. I sort of miss it, truth be told. But I digress. What I want to share with you all today are some food shots I took and a small review about Roadhouse Cafe. Forgive the lousy texture of the photos as I merely used a digital camera for these. As you guys know, I'm more comfortable sharing food photos taken with my trusty DSLR. Anyways, Roadhouse Cafe is one of my favorite restaurants in Mindanao. My favorite dishes in Roadhouse Cafe include their baby back ribs and their pumpkin soup. I even wrote a review about ...

Oct252011 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Review: Max’s Restaurant CDO

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Commentary, Consumer, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Northern Mindanao, Opinion, Photos, Recipes, Reviews, Weird

I have a strange love affair with Max's Restaurant Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao branch. My family and I used to be regular customers when the Max's Restaurant CDO branch was still in Divisoria. I even wrote about one of their promos before. I also used to treat a lot of my Public Relations clients there before. I also organized a few political events in their function rooms. However, after I read this negative feedback about Max's Cagayan de Oro by a CDO Blogger, I decided to stay away, lest that I myself would experience the same poor service. What happened between Max's Restaurant and the CDO Bloggers was a shame, really. I do know that the CDO Bloggers President then already issued an official response. Not sure if Max's management issued an apology or statement. Fast forward a year...

Jun42011 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Singapore Chronicles: Singapore hawker food at Maxwell Center

Blogging, Features, Food, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Singapore, Tourism, Travel

One of the things that I absolutely MUST do whenever I travel domestic or abroad is try the local cuisine. By local cuisine I mean street food, food sold in hawker centers or food courts or food that look "unique" --- basically food usually eaten by locals during regular days. As much as possible, this Mindanao blogger doesn't eat at fastfood chains. I do this because it makes me appreciate that country's culture, people, tradition and food better. Besides, hawker centers in Singapore are still the undisputed sources of delicious authentic Singapore food! Before I proceed with this post about the Singapore hawker center my mom and I went to during our February 2011 mother-daughter Valentine's Day trip abroad, you might want to read these blog posts to learn more about our Singapore - Ma...

Feb22011 by Mindanaoan Irene6 Comments

Review: BonChon chicken – fried twice, twice as good

Food, Mindanaoan Update, Recipes, Reviews

During my most recent trip to Manila, three very good friends and I finally had the chance to visit the Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati branch of Bonchon Chicken. Now if you haven't heard of BonChon, this below might give you an idea of what you're supposed to expect: (yes, that's from the New York Times!) BonChon chicken is supposedly one of, if not the best, tasting chicken you can ever taste in your lifetime. And I must say, after that early dinner with friends, I can only agree 110%! Here's why... (more…)

Dec62010 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Review: Red Box Karaoke Ayala Cebu

Beauty, Business, Cebu City, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Music, Reviews, Tourism

I finally had the chance to visit the much-talked about Red Box Karaoke located at G101, Garden Level of The Terraces (below Active Zone, just beside the fountain) at the Ayala Center Cebu, Cebu Business Park. I've been hearing a lot of praises about this new Cebu hangout - karaoke place in Cebu so when my Cebu City-based brother finally had one free weekend, we decided to go to Red Box Karaoke Cebu and try their primetime package. The Red Box Ayala Cebu primetime package is available from 7 PM up to 12 midnight. For only P299.00+ per head (P399.00+ on Fridays and Saturdays), you can enjoy TWO FREE drinks (drink choices: iced tea, soda, local beers, mineral water, hot tea and brewed coffee), access to the extensive song library composed of more than 100,000 songs and fully airconditione...

Nov132010 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Tsim Sha Tsui Ayala Terraces

Cebu City, Commentary, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Opinion, Photos, Reviews

No, this time it's not the Tsim Sha Tsui district found in Hongkong (which I miss but will soon be in again come March 2011! Well, that's another post :D) We're talking about the Tsim Sha Tsui restaurant found at The Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu. Tsim Sha Tsui serves, quite obviously, Chinese cuisine. This Cebu restaurant is also known for their Dimsum Conveyor Buffet (an eat-all-you-can thingie for about P350.00 per head). Tsim Sha Tsui (pronounced as sim-shya-tswoy, according to Hongkies or Hongkong locals) is found at the second level of the Ayala Mall Cebu The Terraces. Anyways, on my first day in Cebu City, my brother and I had lunch at TST. And you know what this means. Food shots! The Hakao / Ha Kao / Hakaw or shrimp dumplings were juicy and delicious! (more…)

Nov42010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Where to eat in Davao City Mindanao – CTres Buffet Restaurant and Piano Bar

Blogging, Business, Davao City, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Tourism

More and more buffet places have been sprouting in my hometown Davao City, much to the delight of both Dabawenyo and non-Dabawenyo foodies. One of the buffet places in Davao City that has been receiving great reviews is CTres Buffet Restaurant and Piano Bar. CTres, by the way, is pronounced "seetres." Located along E. Palma Gil Street, Barrio Obrero (although a lot of people consider it part of Bajada), CTres serves buffet lunch and dinner everyday, even on Sundays. If you're planning to have dinner there, I highly suggest that you reserve a table as the place gets packed really quickly. I personally witnessed this. I went to CTres at around 6:30pm and there was only a lone vacant table. About two minutes after I got settled, I saw an entire barkada enter the joint and got disappointed ...

Sep242010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Resorts World Manila celebrates Mooncake Festival

Announcements, Features, Festivals, Food, Hotels, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Resorts, Tourism

If you're here in Manila (like me! - I'm currently attending the 17th National Public Relations Congress) then you still have time to catch the Mooncake Festival at Resorts World Manila! Celebrate the Mid-Autumn together with Resorts World Manila (RWM) with its Mooncake Festival! This September, Resorts World Manila has prepared the indispensable delicacy, known as the mooncake, for family and friends to share. The mooncake is a delicious tradition rich in history. The festival is strongly associated with the Moon Goddess of Immortality. It also represents the time of the year when the moon is at its fullest and marks the end of the harvest. It is traditionally celebrated with dances, moon viewing parties, and of course, partaking of mooncakes. If you're a slot player like me (I on...

Sep192010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Lychee mojitos at Mu Shu

Bacolod City, Features, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Visayas

I like mojitos. It's one of my favorite cocktails. In my opinion, it's a pretty friendly drink - delicious, sweet and with just the right amount of "kick." For the uninitiated, a mojito is a traditional Cuban drink. The "regular" mojito is usually made up of 5 ingredients - white rum, sparkling water, mint (mint leaves as garnish), lime and sugar. To product a mojito, lime juice is added to sugar and to mint leaves. The mixture is then mashed. The mint leaves, by the way, should not be too minced or shredded. Instead, they should just be sliced or bruised enough to release the leaves' essential oils. Rum is then added and the entire mixture is stirred in order to dissolve the sugar. Sparkling water is then added. Lime and mint leaves can be used as garnish. Now if you're wondering wh...

Sep192010 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Kraft Eden Cheese launches Keso de Gallo – vote for Mindanao cities!

Announcements, Blogging, Business, Contests, Events, Food, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Update, News, Tourism

100 towns. 100 days. 100 unique dishes. 1 Grand Yuletide celebration. Yes, Kraft Eden, the very same company that ignited the joy and faith of Filipinos nationwide in last year's Keso de Gallo, is back once again to bring the warmest and tastiest Christmas. If last year they toured around 9 different cities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, in 9 different churches with 9 carefully selected Pinoy recipes for a total of 9 mornings (whew!), this year Kraft Eden will make things grander - 100 participating towns, 100 unique dishes to be showcased for a total of 100 days! Now that's what you call pushing food tourism to a whole new level! The Keso de Gallo this year has started last September 4 and will end until the first Sunday of January 2011. Through this "100 Days of Christma...

Sep182010 by Mindanaoan Irene4 Comments

Bacolod: Calea for the best desserts!

Bacolod City, Features, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Recipes, Reviews, Visayas

I was told that one's Bacolod City escapade will never be complete without visiting Calea, a famous homegrown cake shop...and it was easy to understand why. Calea Bacolod produces the best cakes, pastries and desserts this side of the world. Calea is Bacolod's answer to Manila's cake shops and bakeries but with better choices and lesser prices. This Mindanao blogger's recent trip to the Visayas was made sweeter when my friends and I stopped by Calea (the branch along Lacson Street, just a few blocks away from Sorrento Piazza, where my friends and I had a sumptuous dinner at Pepe's Grill!). This Calea branch is supposedly the first ever. These days, this cake shop has two other branches - one at Robinson's Place and another one at East Block. And just in case you're wondering about the h...

Sep142010 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Bacolod: Pepe’s Grill | Where to eat in Bacolod

Bacolod City, Features, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Negros Occidental, Reviews, Tourism, Travel, Visayas

So to continue my kuwento about my great big Negros Occidental adventure with three amazing friends, we had dinner at Pepe's Grill, known to be one of Bacolod City's finest restaurants. Located at Sorrento Piazza along Lacson Street (the main thoroughfare in Bacolod City), Pepe's Grill is almost always packed. Lucky for us, there was a spare table good for the four of us when we arrived! A lot of yuppies go to Pepe's Grill for dinner before heading off to a bar for a night of booze and dancing with friends. Families and barkadas also go to Pepe's Grill for weekend lunches and dinners. In fact, when we arrived, there were several parents enjoying meals with their kids. So judging by the many satisfied customers, one can surmise that this Bacolod restaurant is doing something right! Oh...

Aug272010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Cebu: Big breakfast at Ilaputi, Asiatown IT Park

Food, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Visayas

My brother, who runs the uber famous Philippine-based tennis blog, Tennis Guru, has been raving about this 24-hour place at Asiatown IT Park, Cebu City called ilaputi. He regularly eats breakfast at this Cebu restaurant and eventually, he has managed to convince a lot of his friends to try ilaputi Cebu as well. Well, since I'm in the Queen City of the South for a few days, I decided to ask him to take me there as well. So on a bright and sunny Thursday morning, we visited ilaputi's Asiatown IT Park branch and ordered ilaputi's "Big Breakfast." I was not disappointed. Not at all. Ilaputi Cebu Asian and fusion restaurant's big breakfast was a real treat - yummy chorizo, bacon with garlic fried rice, two (!) eggs and marinated pork with rich sauce. The delicious meal was served on a ...

Jul182010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Yummy Sunday birthday lunch at Kagay-anon Restaurant

Blogging, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Personal

My family and I recently celebrated my brother Ben's birthday by sharing one delicious, special birthday lunch on a Sunday at Kagay-anon Restaurant. One of our brothers, Nathaniel, wasn't around, though, since he's already based in Cebu City but we called him several times all throughout the day so we still strongly felt his presence. For that special Sunday birthday lunch, we had camaron rebosado and calamares: We also had another family favorite which is lato seafood. Check out the lato serving at this restaurant in Cagayan de Oro City after the jump! (more…)