BEYOND nature trips and historical attractions, Cagayan de Oro offers the most unique cuisines that can satisfy even the picky appetite. But the best ones can’t be found in fancy restaurants or al fresco diners. A walk in the park takes one to Mediterranean countries right in the heart of the city of golden friendship.
A plane ride to Cagayan de Oro is just a couple of hours away from the hustle and bustle of metropolitan Manila. Visitors in this city may only take a walk in the Divisoria district to find homegrown food shops that serve exceptional dishes like Halal food, pater as well as a Persian-inspired palate. American food does not also bash away from the line of diners in the welcoming food district of the city. A few blocks away from each other, these three food spots add to the number of favorite grilled and barbecue dish that has always made Cagayan de Oro known to its patrons and visitors.
Pater Al-Kuwait
Along T. Chavez Street, a new delicacy cafeteria from the Muslim Mindanao culture has recently opened. It offers the pater, one of the most well-known delicacies in the Lanao area. In Maranao, it is called "pater" and in Maguindanao, "pastil".
Pater Al-Kuwait was brought to this city by Iliganon Marlon Gerodias. He wanted to introduce the delicacy to this part of Mindanao. Pater is a rice dish topped either with shredded cooked beef, chicken or tuna and wrapped with blanched banana leaves.
Pater is served with palapa or the Maranaoan appetizer made of scallion bulbs or "sakurab" in Maranao with ginger and "siling labuyo" or chili pepper. All of these ingredients are crushed using a mortar and pestle until all the ingredients are evenly mixed. Salt is added to the palapa as a preservative so it can last for a week.
While the taste takes one right at home, the price cost is equally affordable to a student meal. The pater meal costs only P30.
Fatima Jamel, a student and a frequent diner of Al-Kuwait Pater said that she is glad that someone took up the idea of putting a "pateran" here. She said she is very happy that Kuwait Al Pater has achieved the original "pater" taste which she grew up with back in her hometown.
Ababu Persian Kitchen
Another restaurant in Corrales Street, a few blocks from Xavier University, also brings a unique delicacy to Cagayan de Oro. Ababu Persian Kitchen specializes in the kebab delicacy of the Middle East.
Ababu's Cagayan de Oro branch manager said that the name of their restaurant came from a dream of its owner Carl Anton a few years ago. It was Anton's dream to be successful in establishing a Persian restaurant which will be named Ababu. Ababu is not really a term with a meaning but something that the owner believes to be bringing success in his business.
A lot of Kagay-anons have already appreciated the taste that Ababu wanted to introduce. Most people are caught with Ababu's kebab which is a charcoal-grilled meat, usually beef, and served with a pita dough. The customers are then given the freedom to choose the ingredients that they are going to mix in their Kebab pita like tomatoes, eggplants or other side dishes.
Patricia Jamen, a tourist from Butuan said that Ababu was one of the restaurants that she really wanted to try in her visit to this city.
"I also actually have a Middle Eastern cuisine business back in my hometown but Ababu is known all the way there to have the best Persian cooking. So I prompted to try it upon reaching Cagayan de Oro," she said.
Chub’s Diner
After trying out the Mediterranean dish, a classic diner food is a perfect meal to satisfy anybody’s favorite all-time craving. A few blocks away from Ababu’s Persian Kitchen is Chub’s Diner, also located along Corrales Street. This diner is one popular burger house in the city.
January Tomawis, Chub's supervisor said that through their five years of business in Cagayan de Oro, their patrons admire the taste of their burger especially the patty. She explained that Chub's Diner's burger patty is made with a secret process made personally by the owners which made it authentic to the palate.
"Unlike other burger shops, we make our patty that is why our burger is special. It is not artificially processed and it will be remarkable to the customers in a way because we offer the real thing," Tomawis said.
Aside from their burger, Chub's Diner also has a wide variety of diner food in their menu which, Tomawis said, are always being reinvented.
"The owners always want to offer something new to the palate of our customers that is why they are constantly experimenting on food," she added.
These are only three restaurants that have already made their name in this city by introducing a new flavor to Kagay-anons. Like these food shops, more diners are also opening its doors to bring a new dining experience to visitors and patrons here.
Whether it’s an overnight stay for a white water rafting with friends, a one-time shindig with family or even lunch out with colleagues, trying out a new dish in this city has always been an exciting discovery. It only takes a few walks and an adventurous stomach to find the best dish in town. So, eat like the Kagay-anons do!