Cagayan Food Crawl: Promoting the Philippines, One Flavor at a Time

20 restaurants. 10 bloggers. 2 days. 

In two days, close to 20 restaurants in Tuguegarao have hosted the bloggers and social media influencers and allowed them to review their best-sellers and must-try dishes. Authentic local cuisines were served, heirloom recipes, the flavors of Cagayan was put to test. 

Will the bloggers like it? Will it pass their discriminating palates, will they share the local food stories in the region? 

The first-ever Cagayan Food Crawl is a food appreciation tour for bloggers and digital influencers in Northern Luzon. It aims to promote and help the F&B industry in Region 2, Cagayan Valley. 

It was held last April 8 and 9, in line with the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) theme - Flavors of The Philippines. The DOT Cagayan Valley Region  supported the said momentous event. 

The most exciting part was the warmth of restaurateurs in the area. A total of 60 dishes were served for review. Each has its own characteristic, each has its own story to tell. 

There was fusion. Asian. Filipino. Western. Italian. It was food tourism at its best. 

Pan De Cagayan Pizza

We started the food crawl at exactly 9am. The first participant was the Pan De Cagayan. Pizza, pasta, breads and more on a premium. Cagayanos are lucky to have this kind or concept in Tuguegarao. What stood out to the bloggers is the 5 cheese pizza- a combination of five kinds of cheese that is ultimately gooey. 

Manio's Pampaguenos Kare- kare

Manio’s Pampanguena came next and their palabok and kare-kare is a must-try among other dishes. Lechon cannot be left out in important occasions and Cris’ Lechon has perfectly captured lechon’s flavor the way it should be. 

Cris' Lechon

Then comes a Filipino buffet, Kainang Pilipino, an icon in Cagayan food industry. Bloggers were immersed in an actual cooking demo by the owner. You should try their pinaupong manok, a local favorite. 

Lumping Gulay at Kainang Pilipino

Must try Baked Caggu

Ice Craze surprised the bloggers with humongous slabs of pork baby back ribs cooked to perfection, it almost melts in your mouth. Sold at a very affordable price, customers can just take it home and feed the entire family.  

Humongous slab of tangy melts-in-your mouth baby back ribs

Ice Craze specialties for Cagayanos

Hap Chan's bestseller Beef Broccoli

Hap Chan also served Asian and Chinese dishes. We loved the dimsum and the beef broccoli no questions asked. It is a runaway winner. 

Xanjeros' pasta creation

Xanjero’s served the biggest burgers in Tuguegarao. If you wanna join the Guinness Record’s biggest burger. If you are hungry for days, you will never complain at the enormous size of its burgers.  

Hilaria's cocktails

Hilaria's bestsellers

Get these heavenly baked goodies at 8th Avenue

Indulge in 8th Avenue coffee

Leonardo’s steaks are very palatable. Good steak at very friendly price. Again, big servings. 

Leonardo's steaks, perfectly big and affordable

Steak, just the way you like it 

Billy Jack’s  Pancit Batil Patong serves the best-tasting and most unique pancit in town having balut as topping.  

Billy Jack's Pancit Batil Patung with Balut

Barako Boy Coffee set up

Bark Boy pasta selection featuring Tuguegarao Longganisa

Get artisanal coffee from Barako Boy . La Luna Grill serves good food, also kare-kare and their sizzling plates.  

La Luna Grill's crispy Kare-kare

Not to be left out, Hotel Carmelita also let bloggers review their pancit batil patong and the Pizza Supreme, a thin crust pizza filled with all the goodies on top. 

Hotel Carmelita's Pizza Supreme

Hotel Carmelita's  Chicken in Garlic  Sauce 

Charlie’s Kitchen Savory has the uniquely different crispy path version. Get their fish rolls and you will never regret. 

Kitchen Savory Crispy Pata

Our last was Fracasso, the giant pizza store in Tuguegarao. Margin four pizza flavors in one massive 30-inch pizza served hot and fresh from the oven. 

Fracasso's 30-inch blockbuster pizza

Food is undeniably the second reason for traveling. It is next to tourism and destinations. Tourists travel for food, too. Tourist explore flavors different from their point of origin. 

With the success and positive feedback the Cagayan Food Crawl has generated from the event, and most importantly the online content it created for the F&B industry, participating restaurants are thankful to DOT Region 2 for bringing in events like this one. 

“More of these, please DOT,” stated the owner of Crown Restaurant who boasts of the best Yang Chow rice in Tuguegarao. 

Crown Restaurant's Pork Asado 

Crown Restaurant's famous Yema cake

And because the Philippines is a bountiful archipelago, each locality, each town has its own unique food to offer for its visitors. Vanj D. Padilla, Norte Bloggers 

Note: 

This post also appears at Vanj Padilla blog.