Fried Red Grouper with Sweet and Sour Sauce
THE PHILIPPINES is a country of over 7,000 islands. This means our waters are a treasure trove of seafood. I prefer to have my seafood newly caught, and for me to ensure this, I have to make an early trip to the market.
The Isla Sugbu Seafood City at the Grand Convention Center along Archbishop Avenue indulges seafood lovers with the freshest catch. Here, the abundant harvest is conveniently displayed on beds of crushed ice. Live fishes and crustaceans in aquariums will catch everyone’s fancy. Savvy entrepreneur/ restaurateur Winglip Chang has an excellent team of cooks who will cook the fresh selections according to diners’ preferred style of cooking. After the highly successful “Sutukil” showdown promo, Winglip, together with his Manila-based marketing team led by youthful Dustin Ngo, invited guests to their “Paluto All-You-Can” introductory promotion.
Baked Oyster with Cheese Butter
My visiting Makati-based creative director daughter Stephanie and I prepped our palates for a feast. We were not disappointed since the opening dish was Steamed Live Swahe (medium-sized shrimps). Actually, we prefer “swahe” to prawns since they are sweeter and juicier. They were so fresh, peeling off the shell came easy. And the cooks steamed them perfectly— the shrimps were succulent. We did not mind using our hands to enjoy the shrimps.
Diners can choose from the fresh catch of fishes, crustaceans like crabs or “llambay”, shrimps and slipper lobster or “pitik-pitik,” shellfish such as oysters, clams, mussels, as well as choice of meats (pork belly or chicken). Live lobsters, mud crabs, sea mantis, grouper and stonefish however are charged separately. The “Paluto All-You-Can” introductory rate of P680 is a steal.
A plate of Baked Oysters with garlic and cheese was a palate pleaser. We skipped the Tanguigue Tinola and prepared to continue using our hands for the Deep Fried Mud Crabs with Salt and Pepper. Mud or mangrove crabs we call “alimango” are always a treat. Mud crabs are now widely farmed in ponds with brackish water. They have very thick hard shells compared to the swimming crabs or “lambay.” “Alimango” has firmer and sweeter flesh. They are wickedly delicious, especially the orange-colored crab fat or “aligue.” We ate with gusto, although I would have preferred the alimango plain, steamed in its own juice.
Steamed Suahe with Soy Sauce
I also like Adobong Alimango cooked in coconut cream, vinegar, garlic and red chilis.
The slipper or shovel-nosed lobster or “pitik-pitik” was also deep-fried served with lemon-butter sauce. The plump, juicy flesh, which was easy to take out from its hard shell with a fork and knife, was bursting with sweetness! The Sweet and Sour Grouper Fish was just as exciting. Grouper comes from the word Garoupa and is commonly known as “lapu-lapu” in Tagalog and “Pugapo” in Cebuano.
The Squid Adobo was almost overshadowed but it was just as good.
I usually cook this with vinegar and garlic rendered black by the squid ink, but the dish was brownish and thick, so I surmised oyster sauce was added. A plate of fresh fruits cleansed our palate.
This delightful “Paluto All-You-Can” experience runs till the end of November.
