Thai me up in Cagayan de Oro City

MANILA, Philippines - Want to check out a Thai restaurant in Cagayan de Oro? When the invitation comes from well-known celebrity chef Sau del Rosario, the invitation is difficult to resist. Chef Sau, after all, was a long-time resident of Thailand and could be considered an expert on that country’s cuisine. That — plus the fact that the affable guy is always good company — were the deciding factors to make us pack our bags for a quick trip to Cagayan de Oro City.

Thai Me Up restaurant is owned by 33-year-old entrepreneur Jan Michael Uy and his wife Margie. Opened in November 2009 with a seating capacity of 100, it has since expanded to accommodate 200 diners. A function center for corporate events is built separately from the restaurant’s main dining area.

The dining destination is built on a 2,000-square-meter lot at the corner of Capistrano and Mabini streets, and a perimeter fence effectively keeps noise levels from the streets in check. Landscaping work is ongoing and when the ferns and foliage plants are fully recovered, the grounds will transform into a lush oasis of green. Gazebos have also been built under an old and towering ficus tree in the front yard for even more relaxed dining and lounging afterwards.

“People in Cagayan de Oro are adventurous,” says Jan Uy about his hometown. “We wanted to offer something different, yet be accessible price-wise.” After finishing a master’s program on entrepreneurship at the Asian Institute of Management, he has opted to veer away from his family’s food packaging supply business and set out with his own business venture. The logical option was a Thai cuisine outlet because this counts as among his favorite foods. Chef Sau serves as a consultant at Thai Me Up so that the quality of the dishes served remains consistent, the flavors authentic, and service both efficient and capable.

The dishes served us were the usual favorites at Thai-themed restaurants: bagoong rice, guilt-free pomelo salad and tom yang goong or hot and sour prawn soup. However, the best surprise in the menu was the pricing of the various choices: beef in basil sauce for P160 and fish fillet in black pepper sauce for P168. The fattest meatiest crabs were priced at P85 per 100 grams. These were cooked with chili or with panaeng, the dry, red Thai curry paste. Although Thai spring rolls (P145) were also great choice wrapped with thin slices of cold and refreshing cucumber, what I enjoyed most was the spicy pork salad (P150) that had a hint of sweetness. Although traditional sticky rice with mango was tempting, we ended our meal with a rich durian cheesecake. Delicious!

Jan Uy is pleasantly surprised at the success of his first restaurant venture and plans to beef up the menu by introducing more varied merienda choices. By making the restaurant a free Wi-Fi zone he hopes to attract a young and tech-savvy crowd. As a firm believer that good fortune and success must be shared, he says, “It is only proper that hard work should be rewarded. My end goal is to make deserving members of my staff among the highest paid in Cagayan de Oro City.”

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Thai Me Up is at the corner of Capistrano and Mabini streets in Cagayan de Oro City. Call 73-THAI(8414).