Eating out in CDO: Kagay-anon, RedTail and Panagatan

This will be just a short post regarding three of the places we ate at while we’re at the City of Golden Friendship. Cagayan de Oro’s already a bustling city almost like Manila. I like their Centrio mall with the landscaping in one part of the mall that looks so nice to chill at. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to blog about the famous white water rafting and a lot more fun activities you may do in CDO as I WASN”T ABLE TO TRY ANY OF IT. Yes. I also feel sorry for myself. Tss. I’ll be back, CDO. I shall return.

Well anyway, moving on. Wherever I go, may it be local or abroad, I see to it that I would able to sample out the local fare or go on dine on restaurants which are originally from that place.  So here are 3 restaurants that you might also want to try while in CDO:

1.       Kagay-anon

It is an authentic Filipino restaurant famous in Cagayan de Oro located near Limketkai Center. Kagay-anon basically means someone from Cagayan de Oro. The interior of the restaurant was simple with tables and chairs made of wood. Even their plates are also wooden. The place is spacious enough for big groups and family gathering which they mostly cater to. We ordered Ostrich Salpicao, Crispy Shrimp and another 2 viands that I forgot. As recommended by the server, we tried the Ostrich Salpicao which is very tasty but basically just tastes like a normal meat but still good. I loved the crispy shrimp because of its, uh…  crispiness. Haha! I’m bad with these, sorry. Anyway, Kagay-anon is good for gathering as they offer a lot of choices. Servings are enough with the price which is in the mid-range level. Kind of reminds me of Cabalen. We waited for a bit for our food to be served maybe due to our late arrival, I guess. Well, still it’s worth a try as it’s been recommended by a lot and I even saw it an in-flight magazine on the way to CDO. From the numerous awards I saw in their counter, it seems that they're already an established and very known name in Cagayan so be sure to try out their feast when in CDO.

Limketkai Center, Rosario Crescent, Cagayan de Oro

Contact No.: +63 (88) 856-3688
(8822) 728958/729003

Operating Hours: 9am – 8pm

2.       Red Tail Shrimps and More

We had our lunch here on our 2nd day and just minutes after were seated, groups of people came in filling up the place. Red Tail is located at Papa Jaunito’s Square which is just a walk away from Mallberry Suites hotel. Basically, it’s just like your ordinary seafood restaurant but with a twist. What makes them different from others s on how they serve the food and how they let you eat it. And that is exactly the reason why I loved this restaurant, because of their concept of “kamayan” or eating with your bare hands. Well, not exactly with your bare hands as they also provide you plastic gloves and a bib to prevent food particles in your clothes. They would also line up your table with plastic paper and once your food is served, you may now start your sumptuous meal enjoying it with your bare hands and no one cares if you make a mess.

So on with the food. Those juicy and tasty shrimps are served in a plastic bag submerged in its sauce of your choice that they shake for a bit before serving.  Besides their best selling shrimp (Php335 / lb) in medium redtail style sauce, we also ordered grilled pork belly and Calamari which are all so good, too. You first choose the catch you want (shrimps - Php335/lb, crabs - Php335/lb, local mussels – Php155/lb  or a combination of the three – P395/lb).  Then you choose the flavor (RedTail Style (garlic and butter in a blend of assorted spices), Garlic Butter or Coco Loco) and the level of spiciness (non spicy, mild or spicy) and you’re good to go. If you love shrimps this would be like heaven for you. Definitely a fun dining experience you must try.

Papa Juanito's Square (Limketkai Drive), Cagayan de Oro

Contact No.: 880-3950 / 09178755347

Operating Hours: 11 am – 10 pm

3.       Panagatan

We got to first try this at Centrio Mall but I still suggest you try dining in on their main branch along the main highway at Opol, Misamis Oriental which is on the right side of the road, about 20 mins. from the city. The main branch offers an al fresco dining experience right along the bay. The sea breeze and the view is such a nice treat while enjoying your seafood lunch/dinner.

We ate at the main branch during lunch where a fair group of diners filled the area near the bay. While in Centrio, there’s not much when we visited for dinner on a weekday. Generally, service time on both branch is a bit slow like a minimum of 20-30mins. before food starts to arrive. We ordered a lot that I already couldn’t list everything but the Bouillabaisse soup is the one that stood out the most and also their Bicol Express. The baked scallops and pinakbet was a bit of a miss though, I just expected much more as those are one of my favorites. And also their prawns are acceptable, too,  but I’m still loyal to RedTail on that department. Haha! Anyway, Panagatan is another good choice if you want a variety of Filipino dishes to choose from.

Opol, Misamis Oriental, Mindanao, Philippines

Centrio Mall Branch: 3^rd floor, Centrio Garden

Contact No.: (088) 754 487 / 09228586071

Oprating Hours: 6:30am – 10:30 pm 

If I'd choose between the three, I'll go with RedTail for the juicy shrimps, tasty spicy sauce and fun dining experience. But don't get me wrong, the other two is still worth a try among all the other restaurants in CDO. Even if you ask the locals, they'll most probably recommend any of the three, too. It's just that Ocho Seafood and Grill in Tacloban made my standards in seafood and Filipino cuisine, higher than ever. haha!