Boy Zugba

Time to throw your diet on the back burner because Boy Zugba is finally here!

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Zugba, from the Cebuano word “sugba”, literally means grill and that’s what Boy Zugba is all about. They are the newest grill and BBQ restaurant in Cagayan de Oro City and they serve classic Filipino food that we have all grown to love but just leveled up.

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Upon entering, you will be greeted by this sign which roughly translates to: “Friends, welcome! Please come on in to our Visayan Kitchen.”

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It’s always a full house here at Boy Zugba. A clear sign that we’ve come to the right place.

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Their bright, colorful caricature walls create a fun, energetic atmosphere where family and friends can gather together for some grub and beer.

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You gotta love Boy Zugba’s sense of humor.

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Whether you want to have another serving of rice or something else, no need to shoot your hands up in the air. Just press this button and immediately one of their wait staff will approach you. 

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Lovin’ their condiment tray. Not only do they have the basics covered (soy sauce, vinegar, chili), they also threw in some more spices and a garlic press. 

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Tsuper Sisig
If lechon and sisig were to have a love child, this would be it. I’m not a fan of lechon… But if you are, I think this would be something worth trying out. 

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Sinuglaw de Cagayan
Sinuglaw, short for sinugba (grilled) and kinilaw (raw), is a mixture of grilled pork and fish ceviche. These two very different dishes combined create an interesting contrast both in flavor and in texture. Not the best sinuglaw I’ve tried, but still good. 

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Bandihadong Karne
Literally a platter of meat, you get pork BBQ, liempo and cheezy chorizo with a side of atsara.

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Living up to their name, Boy Zugba does have great BBQ and liempo. But to me, the star of this dish is their cheezy chorizo (sorry no photo to show). It was the best thing that happened to me. I don’t think I can settle for just any chorizo from now on. I’m ruined forever. Please get your hands on it when you can! It’s life changing. Haha!

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And yes, carbo loaders, they serve unlimited rice. I suggest you come here famished. 😀

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Overall, we had a wonderful experience at Boy Zugba and we’d love to come here again.

Boy Zugba is located at Corrales Avenue and Ramon Chavez Streets, Cagayan de Oro City. Open from 10 AM to 11 PM. Price range is 200~400 PHP.

Abaseria Deli and Cafe

Abaseria is a native Filipino restaurant located at 39-B Pres. Quirino St., Villa Aurora, in Kasambangan, Cebu City

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This restaurant is popular among locals and tourists for their charm and the unique dining experience they bring.

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Adorned with beautiful trinkets and ornaments, Abaseria has that homey atmosphere that you’d always want to go back to. 

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Abaseria actually takes its name from the Spanish word “abaceria” which means grocery store. Interestingly enough, most of the things displayed (if not all) inside the restaurant are up for sale. Yes, even the decors are for sale too!

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Some of the many things that you can buy from Abaseria are food items like preserved goods, local delicacies… 

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And even fresh fruits.

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They also have an array of local crafts that you can choose from. Such as home decors, baskets, bags…

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and fun fashion accessories.

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By the way, Abaseria also provides on-premises catering service for intimate parties such as anniversaries, birthdays and the like.

Here’s a teaser of some of their most popular dishes…

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Manggang Hilaw (green mangoes) with uyap (bagoong)
The uyap was sooo good! 

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Smoked Fish with Itlog Maalat (salted egg)
I miss this already! I didn’t know how much I like smoked fish until I had this. I ate most of the salted eggs by the way. Guilty as charged.

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Fried Chicken
The chicken wasn’t moist (I’m sure you can tell just by looking at the photo) – flavorwise it was alright.

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Steamed vegetables with Special Dip
Didn’t get to try these. My boyfriend devoured them all before I had the chance.

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Lechon Kawali
My boyfriend kept filling up his plate with these bad boys. I had to stop him at some point.

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Adobong Bangus Belly
The fish was fresh, tender and delicious. Certified crowd-pleaser. 

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Sabaw na Monggos (Mung Bean Soup)
This one got us all excited. Monggos is one of my personal faves. Although I like my soups thick, this one did not disappoint. I refilled my bowl too many times to count.

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Happy and full. Thanks Jude for the wonderful treat!

Abaseria is truly a one-of-a-kind restaurant that should not be missed when in Cebu. They offer delicious meals at reasonable prices – it’s no wonder why they’re popular!

Open daily: 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM, Monday through Saturday and 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM on Sundays. For reservations, call them up at +63(32) 234-4160 or +63(32) 233-8339. 

Thai Me Up & Fil Me Up, A Quick Glance

There happens to be a cockroach lurking somewhere in the house as I write so I have to make this post as succinct as possible. I swear a cockroach invasion shall bring me to my untimely demise!

Thai Me Up, as the pun suggests, is a restaurant that serves Thai cuisine. But just recently, they have expanded and opened Fil Me Up to cater Filipino cuisine as well. Whoever came up with the names is a genius!

I like how the Fil Me Up sign is designed. I personally think it’s well thought-out.

This is definitely not how I remember the interiors to look like when I was here for the first time back a year or so. I believe they redesigned it in order to bring that Filipino ambiance. 

My boyfriend and I chose to have our lunch here outdoors in a gazebo just for kicks. We could have been more comfortable eating indoors but who can say no to this? Come on, everybody knows it’s perfect for picture taking!

Scrumptious lunch for two (then three when my friend Ellen finally arrived to join with us).

From right to left that’s Garlic Spare Ribs, Chicken Chili Paste Fried Rice and Thai Me Up Chili Prawns. 

When I looked up as I was eating, I saw this beautiful lamp above of me.

My gorgeous friend Ellen and I on a swing after enjoying our hefty lunch. 
Random note: Such knobby knees and manly legs I’ve got. Pffft.

My boyfriend and I acting like tourists next to a calesa with an imaginary horse unicorn.

So, I should end here now before the cockroach would suddenly decide to come and attack me. Don’t miss to experience (preferably with friends and family) Thai Me Up /slash/ Fil Me Up. Awesome food. Fantastic place. Something you’ll never regret I swear.