Food Trip: Thai Me Up Restaurant

Residents of Cagayan de Oro were introduced to the delectable Thai culinary culture upon the opening of Thai Me Up restaurant late last year. Since then, it has been  a must-visit dining hub among friends, families and those on a vacation in CDO. The small function room is where some business meetings, social gatherings and lectures are held.

During one of my visits, I took pictures and made some observations. The marketing strategies of the establishment are undoubtedly good, but is it worth all the hype?

Strong Points:

Parking Space

Being located in a 2,000 square meters lot, they took efforts to provide a spacious and secure parking area. I appreciate restaurants that keep the comfort of their customers in mind. Their location is in a busy street where jeepneys rush by and then stop abruptly in the middle of the street. It's a good thing to dine without worrying what's happening to your vehicle outside.

[caption id="attachment_2443" align="aligncenter" width="499" caption="Pork Spare Ribs Php170"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2445" align="aligncenter" width="235" caption="Bagoong Fried Rice Php 150"][/caption]

No Brownouts and Free Wifi

Outside the restaurant is a sign that says "Brownout-free."  For local residents who know how it is to suffer from power interruptions for 5 straight hours daily, this definitely is a plus point for Thai Me Up. Online workers like me who are affected with the crisis can always run to their place and enjoy their free wifi zone.

[caption id="attachment_2446" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Spicy Pork Salad Php 150"][/caption]

Cozy Ambiance

The superb interior design and Thai fixtures everywhere will virtually transport you to Thailand during your meal. Our favorite spot is a kiosk where we could comfortably sit on the floor, just right for the low-level tables  typical of Asian dining set-ups. Those with arthritis can always choose a regular table.

Affordable Yummy Food

What else could be  a more important factor for any restaurant than its food? Thai Me Up earns my thumbs up for its flavorful array of dishes that  gets me hungry just by looking at the pictures I took.  Thai cuisine is known to be spicy, sweet, salty and sour. Thai Me Up strikes a balance  capturing these elements into their dishes, to the delight of our taste buds.  It doesn't hurt the wallet too, because the prices are made affordable. Among my favorites are the Tom Yang Goong (Hot and Sour Prawn Soup) (Php 185), Pepper Squid (Php 145), Spicy Pork Salad (Php150), Beef in Basil Sauce (Php 160)  and Thai Me Up Noddles (Pancit Canton) (Php 130).


[caption id="attachment_2448" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Thai Me Up Noodles Php 130"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2449" align="aligncenter" width="299" caption="Thai Me Up Cooler Php 150"][/caption]

Weak Points

Small Servings

With affordability comes its trade-offs . Each serving is good for about 2-3 persons only so don't expect to be satisfyingly stuffed when you come out after a meal with the family. On the bright side, the price allows you to order a variety of dishes just so you can try a little of everything.

Service

I would have been all rave for Thai Me Up except for some inconsistencies in their services. It's nice that the guard courteously escorts us to a suitable parking space and  the crew welcomes us warmly, but that's about it. Towards the middle of our meal, no one was nearby the  Kiosk to attend to our needs. We wanted our second pitcher of Thai Me Up Cooler to be served and water for our glasses but our necks were sticking out looking for a waiter to serve us. All our food were about to be consumed  when we finally got somebody to follow up our order.  It took around 30 minutes to be served along with the water to save us from choking. When it was time for dessert , it was another long wait that had to take 5 times to remind different waiters to serve it already. I didn't know they had to travel to Davao to get our Durian Cheesecake.

It's also disheartening to point out that at another time, my parents went to the restaurant and waited for around 10 minutes on their table to be attended to. When a Caucasian couple sat nearby, the crew immediately rushed to take their orders while my parents were still unattended. They fled and looked for another dining place.

Overall Assessment

I'd still recommend the place, if only they train their people more because their food makes me want to keep coming back. The  good points clearly outnumber the weak points but in the end, the gravity of quality service remain a strong determining factor in keeping the loyalty of customers.

Thai Me Up is located at corner of Capistrano and Mabini streets in Cagayan de Oro City. For reservations, you may call them up at 738424 or 310.8424.

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