When TMU Food Corporation first thought of making over their trail blazing Thai Me Up Restaurant, they immediately thought of focusing on Heritage Filipino Cuisine from Cagayan de Oro and Northern Mindanao.
“Kagay-anon loves to eat! We thought of naming it Cucina Higala after a long and thorough field research because we wanted a name which immediately brings Cagayan de Oro to mind, and has a Kagay-anon ambience to it.”
Cucina, the Spanish word for kitchen which has been adapted into the local lexicon, and Higala (Bisdak for friends or family) since Cagayan de Oro has been tagged as the City of Golden Friendship. Ergo, Cucina Higala’s hash tag Good friends, Great food!
“We’ve decided to focus on Modern Filipino and Heritage Cuisine knowing how fickle the taste buds and finicky the food trends are in these days of social media, Cucina Higala is a place to bring your family and friends for an unforgettable dining experience, an adventure of good food!”
To field test their initial menu of 25 dishes put together after months of research, Cucina Higala will highlight heritage dishes like Cagayan de Oro’s Humba and Sinuglaw, as well as specialties from neighboring provinces like the Surol of Camiguin and Beef Rendang of Lanao del Norte.
The house specialties are their takes on the ubiquitous Kare-Kare and the rather more esoteric Callos.
“We value our customer’s feedback and believe the customer experience plays a vital role in determining the future of our establishment,” said Brigen Sapitula, restaurant manager. “Once we have assimilated their response and critique of our initial menu, the rest will follow in a month or so, but we will continue our search for heritage and family heirloom recipes from all over Northern Mindanao’s which we can adopt into our menu for everyone’s enjoyment.”
Besides its heritage dishes, another hallmark of Cucina Higala are its healthy beverages like Magic Potion(made from blue ternate flower extract, a flower renowned for its health benefits) and Pineapple Ginger. For dessert, there’s Sizzling Binaki, Maja Tart and traditional Tablea Chocolate Cake.
“Aside from showcasing delectable Filipino dishes which highlights Mindanao’s heritage cuisine, we are also supporting local products which benefit the entire community of Mindanao,” the TMU Group owners said. “We support local farmers and start up businesses in our community by sourcing from them our ingredients which are all organic. The well being and health of our customers and suppliers are just as important to us as the success of our enterprise.”
There’s also a plan to promote the works of local artists who will be invited to make Cucina Higala one bug virtual art gallery where their works will be showcased. A collegial mural in the main dining area is also in the works.
Still another social project is the sponsorship of indigent students who will be granted scholarships for courses in hotel and restaurant management in local schools. The scholars will also be allowed to undergo a one year apprenticeship in Cusina Higala to enhance and develop their skills through the company’s paradigm of excellence.
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