My boyfriend and I consider seafood as our favorite. We make it a point to go to Dampa Seafood Market and Palutuan along Macapagal Avenue in Paranaque City at least once a month.
When we need to satisfy our cravings for crabs, prawns, salmon, oysters, scallops and other seafood, we drive to this group of restaurants and stalls selling fresh seafood.
Since there's only two of us, we usually just buy a half kilo each of the fish or shellfish we then have cooked by our suki restaurant.
One of the establishments we frequent is Kay Mig. It has three private dining rooms, each has its own videoke system, and a main dining hall. Among the many restaurants here, it is one of the few that has a certain style, as reflected by the interesting bric-a -bracs and decorative items which seems to have been collected by the owner -couple's travels in different countries.
Their sweet chili crab's sauce has the right consistency which not too thick nor too watery. The spiciness and sweetness of the dish is just right. Their butter garlic prawns are also cooked well.
Since we only order crab claws, we get more crabmeat than when ordering whole crabs. But since whole crabs are usually sold alive, whereas crab claws are only sold chilled in ice, the former taste fresher and sweeter.
The garlic rice is served in small bowls and Kay Mig serves the best garlic rice so far.
Softdrinks in can are sold for around 40 php, but fresh buco juice served in coconut shell is also available. Bottled beverages like iced tea, juices and alcoholic drinks are on the menu too.
For those dining in groups, 1.5 liter bottles of softdrinks are sold for 90-100 php.
Service tend to be slow so always follow up your order with the waiters.
Sometimes we have our seafood cooked at Seazar's where they serve prawns in a delicate butter sauce infused with the taste of crushed garlic. We ask the cook to just keep the head but remove the shell from the body so eating this dish would be a breeze,
We also ask the cook to steam or saute the crabs well, so they wont have a fishy smell and to crack the shells thoroughly so the sauce will flavor the meat and we won't have to use crackers to break the remaining shell.
Baked scallops with garlic and butter taste way better than tahong.
Grilled salmon served medium done and dipped in a sauce of soy sauce, vinegar, chopped onions and siling labuyo is a nice light viand.
One can also buy fresh fruits in season from the stalls and have the restaurant staff prepare them. So you can serve sweet ripe mangoes or bright red watermelon or other fruits to your party.
When you arrive at the Palutuan, just tell the waiters who hard-sell their services that you already have a suki so they won't bother you while you're doing the marketing from the fresh seafood stalls.
If you have a party at home, you can either buy your seafood here and cook them at home or just let one of the restaurants cook them for you. You can bring your airtight containers so the inside of your car won't smell and the sauce won't make a mess.
Eating or having your dishes cooked here is less expensive than dining in other seafood restaurants.
There are also tiangge stalls here selling clothes, toys and bootleg dvd. Some restos have live bands or videoke rooms.
On weekends, parking gets full easily so if you'll hold a party here, tell your guests to come early.
If you wish to walk off the calories before heading home, San Miguel By the Bay, across Mall of Asia, can be reached a few minutes away. Here, you can stroll or drink coffee or order drinks from the bars dotting the seaside promenade.
My bf and I usually order drinks at the Manila franchise of Hooters. I was expecting to see sexy, buxom waitresses but was disappointed to see thin women serving the customers. Sure their shorts and shirts were ultra-tight but mostly they were flat chested or had padded bras to fill up their bosom. They also had thick skin-toned panty-hoses beneath their tube socks which would surely merit a citation from the fashion police. The guy having his birthday party there was presented by the waitresses with a lackluster song and dance number.
Across Dampa was a low building lined with hotpot, shabu-shabu, or all-you can eat buffet restaurants.
We've tried eating at Sakuyaki, which is owned by a Korean guy married to a Filipina. Their hotpot set (on the menu, it was showing as good for one person) could feed three to four hungry men. The beef strips, and the three heaping plates full of vegetables were really filling when eaten with a bowl of rice. Meals are served with complimentary saucers of kimchi and coleslaw.
We couldn't finish the set between the two of us, so we asked the waiter to wrap it up. We also asked for extra soup which they added for free. They have free wifi and a frequent diner's discount card.
A few meters ahead is Blue Wave, where there's also an interesting cluster of restaurants, coffee shops and gourmet shops. A live band entertains the crowd on Saturday nights.
Across the Folk Arts Theater in CCP Complex is Harbor Square, which also offers a wide array of restaurants and coffee shops. After dinner, one can check out the stalls in the tiangge near the parking area.
Even if it's a long way from QC where I live, the food served in the different restos in that stretch of Macapagal Avenue is worth the effort.
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