Dining Snippets in CDO: Missy Bon Bon x Clark and Nikks x Boy Zugba x Sierr-A-Cup x Ribs and Bibs
For my annual August trip, my friends and I headed towards the sunny city of Cagayan de Oro. Since one of my companions hails from the city, I was a bit hands-off when it came to curating the itinerary so I had zero expectations for the food in store for me in this trip.
MISSY BON BON
Our first meal in CDO was actually a late-night McDonalds drive-thru binge owing to the NAIA Airport runway mishap that resulted in a slew of cancellation and delayed flights. The silver lining to our 7-hour delay was that we were still able to technically arrive in CDO before midnight of our intended arrival date (in contrast to the horrific stories of other stranded passengers affected by the incident).
DANGGIT PAMAHAS DE CEBU + COFFEE (P150+P20)
First up was the popular brightly lit all-day-breakfast joint, Missy Bon Bon. The menu features a pretty good balance between local and continental breakfast staples, but it was the Danggit Pamahas de Cebu which caught my eye. The Danggit pieces were good; however, I would have better enjoyed it with spiced vinegar. A P20 upgrade offers you a huge mug of extremely watered-down black coffee which is guaranteed to damper your spirits instead of waking you up.
Fortunately, Missy Bon Bon’s interiors seem to perpetuate an eternal mood of sunshine that it’s impossible to not brighten up inside the restaurant despite that awful cup of coffee.
Missy Bon Bon
Limketkai Mall, Rosario Drive, Robinsons, Cagayan de Oro
Date of Visit: August 19, 2018 with Marj Arcillo, John Cabrera, Meka Carag, Norman Gatdula and Marj Villacorte
CLARK AND NIKKS
After a really exhausting, exhilarating, wet and wild ride to and from Dahilayan Adventure Park, we decided to unwind in Clark and Nikks, located in the very laidback Lifestyle District. It actually serves up Unlimited Wings (which came in different flavors), but since I’m not really a big wings fan, I opted for an ala carte order of their Beef Salpicao and Garlic Rice.
BEEF SALPICAO (P260) AND GARLIC RICE
It took forever and five follow up’s until my garlic rice was served. Instead of frustration though, I was more shocked when I saw that instead of the cup that I expected; I was served with a platter of steaming hot freshly-cooked garlic rice. Since my Beef Salpicao had to wait quite a while before it was eaten, the beef chunks toughened up a bit already. Regardless though, its tasty marinade was unquestionable. I definitely have no regrets in ordering this combination.
Clark and Nikks
Lifestyle District, Corrales Extension, Cagayan De Oro
Date of Visit: August 19, 2018 with Marj Arcillo, John Cabrera, Meka Carag, Norman Gatdula and Marj Villacorte
BOY ZUGBA
This trip was all about celebrating friendship, so what better way to celebrate friendship than to partake in atraditional boodle meal. Boy Zugba was recommended by our friend, Mike Piasan, whom we haven’t seen in five years.
The place is also loaded with quirky interiors and details which help make the atmosphere more laidback and perfect for unwinding.
MEAT ME @ DA SEA (P1799)
We opted for its biggest platter called the Meat Me @ Da Sea platter. It featured an unbalanced selection of meat and seafood varieties. Fried squid rings and seafood kinilaw were the only seafood representatives pitted against the grilled liempo, the massive inasal quarters, grilled pork barbecue skewers and links of the restaurant specialty Cheezy Chorizo. Fried kangkong leaves, crunchy kropek chips and salted egg wedges completed the meal as tasty sides. Of course, a boodle meal isn’t complete without a mountain of rice to share and devour. If you're looking to feed a gang without breaking the bank, this is definitely a perfect choice for you.
Boy Zugba
Corrales Ave.-Ramon Chavez St., Cagayan De Oro
Date of Visit: August 20, 2018 with John Cabrera, Meka Carag, Dani Dingcong, Norman Gatdula, Mike Piasan, and Marj Villacorte
PANAGATAN
If you’re looking for better seafood representation, Panagatan would be your best bet. Apart from its spacious restaurant (it’s one of the biggest restaurants I’ve ever been to), you’ll never run out of seafood varieties and cooking styles in this restaurant. Unfortunately, my stomach wasn’t really cooperating during this time; thus I barely touched this glorious feast laid out in front of us.
If you’re into bagged seafoods, Redtail is another great option. P400 is enough to give you a glorious pound of juicy shrimps bathed in its lip smacking tangy and spicy Redtail style sauce.
Panagatan Restaurant
Zone 3, Butuan - Cagayan de Oro - Iligan Road
Date of Visit: August 20, 2018 with John Cabrera, Sharvyl Cantila, Meka Carag, Dani Dingcong, Norman Gatdula, and Marj Villacorte
Redtail Restaurant
Stall 5 and 6, Papa Juanitos Square, Cagayan de Oro
Date of Visit: August 21, 2018 with Marj Arcillo, Meka Carag, Dani Dingcong, and Marj Villacorte
SIERR-A-CUP
If you find yourself waiting to catch the sunset at Hugo Sky Lounge, a perfect companion during the wait would be a cup of Joe at Sierr-A-Cup. Aside from offering a wide selection of handcrafted drinks and baked goods (they serve freshly-made waffles!), the cozy café’s service is also worth mentioning.
CAFÉ MOCHA (P135)
Sierr-a-Cup
Hugo Sky Lounge, Cagayan de Oro
Date of Visit: August 20, 2018 with John Cabrera, Meka Carag, Dani Dingcong, Norman Gatdula, and Marj Villacorte
RIBS AND BIBS
For my last meal in CDO, my friends and I decided to share the Daddy Back Ribs of Ribs and Bibs. Apart from serving us with a large slab of tender fall-off-the-bone ribs, an order also comes with three servings of buttered vegetables, three cobs of corns, three cups of rice, and a side of your choice to pack in a huge value for your money.
DADDY BACK RIBS (P975)
At first glance, my friends and I actually thought that we’d be able to take out a portion of our massive meal; but boy were we wrong. The ribs were cooked in such a succulent manner that little did we notice that we just kept eating rib after rib until we actually finished the entire thing.
Ribs and Bibs
Centrio Mall, Cagayan de Oro
Date of Visit: August 22, 2018 with Dani Dingcong and Marj Villacorte
