For our Cagayan de Oro food trip restaurant reviews, I had envisioned covering only the best, successful locally owned restaurants. Looking for a good food pit stop that fit the description though can get pretty unpleasant when you’ve got a weary five year old tagging along and the rain pouring in a steady patter.
The closest we could get to for our first review was Siam. Having heard from friends in Cebu, this is definitely the place to be if you’re looking for Thai dishes that carry hints of Filipino flavors.
The Cagayan de Oro branch looks a bit intimidating. With its predominant white theme and gold accents, it seemed a bit formal, if not antiseptic. Definitely a place you wouldn’t want to drag a dripping umbrella to. Thankfully, none of the staff thought of throwing us out for almost looking like sore thumbs.
In any case, the place is small and its size offsets the seeming aloofness of its premises so regular folks need not worry dropping by without a reservation.
Our little guest in tow took the liberty of ordering first and pointed at the first crunchy looking dish on the menu, prawn patties (P105). My personal cook and I took to more adult looking fare, Krua Thai fried rice (P160), Thai spareribs in sesame seeds (P190) and fried fish in tamarind sauce (P250).
My first general observation was the softness of everything. The spareribs were surprisingly pinkish on the inside and so soft that the meat almost felt like juicy flakes in my mouth. The prawns and fish were equally easy on the teeth but weren’t mushy.
The fried fish in tamarind sauce was perhaps the most novel treat of the night. My husband is not a fan of peanuts in main meals and I’m not crazy over green mangoes in recipes but eating the dish was like a cultural experience bursting with the richness of mixed flavors. Oh, and the marriage between fish fillet and sour sauce was an absolute winner.
Surprisingly, the top favorite of the night were the prawn patties. They may look like kids’ food but the obvious taste of real ground prawns was proof that extenders and fillers don’t have complete dominance over restaurant food.
On our next visit, Jan wants to take a stab at the crab in garlic (P95 per 100grams) while I’d like to sample stewed pork spareribs Thai style (P200). The various meat dishes in green, red or yellow curry (P180-P275) might also be worth checking out.
Siam Thai Cuisine
Rosario Arcade, Limketkai Center
Cagayan de Oro City
(088)852-4718
(088)852-4718
(088)852-4718
(088)852-4718
They used lapu-lapu which I believe in English is called grouper. This fish is one of my favorites… white, flaky flesh
Wow, those spareribs in sesame seeds looked delicious. I'm curious to know what kind of fish that was you guys ate with the tamarind sauce. And I agree, anything in curry is usually good to check out.
Right you are. It was a brilliant mix if I may say so. Thanks for dropping by Chyng 🙂
oh man, every thai food is a feast in my eyes!
ok, im craving right now.
ps- fried fish in tamarind sauce is brilliant no? that's my fave too!
Delicious food at affordable price! No wonder how much you enjoyed eating here. I need to visit the place next month during my trip in Cagayan de oro.
This is only the first review of the many to come. Cagayan de Oro truly has excellent restaurants. Keep posted 🙂