by Lori Baltazar
The Seafood Market that I remember is the one that was on Makati Ave in the late 80’s/early 90’s. A huge, brightly lit space, it had these odd fluorescent lights that bathed everyone in a weird pinkish-green glow. It was called a “market” because there was a selection of seafood neatly arranged like that in a supermarket from which customers would choose from and then indicate their desired method of cooking and/or dish. The restaurant itself was air-conditioned and quite plush ”“ or at least as far as “plush” can be along Makati Ave. I remember my dad telling me that a meal in Seafood Market (the name of the restaurant) wasn’t cheap, but it wasn’t much concern to me because back then, Pa paid for everything.
Fast forward to now where I’m the one who takes great pride in treating my dad out to the occasional expensive meal and where Seafood Market has been replaced with “Dampas” in Libis, Quezon City, Parañaque, and Pasay. The new century “seafood markets” if you will, this is a restaurant … er, eating place with its own wet market at the back. Clean and free of stench, compared to other wet-“ter” markets, fresh seafood glimmer under the bright lights of each stall. Fish, prawns, crabs, oysters, squid, scallops, and clams all look especially inviting. The stall owners are more than willing to haggle, sometimes providing comic relief in the form of their outrageous comments ranging from flattery ”“ “Ma’am, bili ka dito, ganda mo,” to promises ”“ “Dito ang pinakamura, Ma’am … promise!”
Diners go to market for their meal and then troop to a weighing counter where an attendant will weigh the just-bought food and take orders on cooking preferences. A great help is the chart on recommended dishes and corresponding prices. In this area, there are about five or so “open kitchens” or carinderias, each with its respective name like Emperor’s Garden, Lola’s, or Trinity and diners can choose where they’d like their food to be cooked. Personally, they’re all pretty much the same so choose the kitchen with the shortest line.
After being given a number, pick a table in the air-conditioned dining room or the wide-open space resembling a mess hall. A bonus here is the bazaar where an appetite is worked up browsing through knickknacks, clothes, and pirated DVD’s. At the Dampa sa Libis, where I’m at tonight, diners can even shop for cars if they’re so inclined!
chili crabs
Obviously, it’s the food that people come for and not the ambience. There are some dishes at Dampa sa Libis that are par for the course such as the shrimps cooked in garlic-butter, steamed clams, and chili crabs. This evening, our crabs are cooked two ways: chili style and buttered. The former is tangy, the latter has Daricreme Margarine written all over it in taste and smell. When asking for a mallet or an implement with which to crack the crustaceans, the waiter replies flippantly, “Sinira na po lahat,” I regret not bringing my own.
Our large shrimps are cooked in the same sauce as the butter crabs ”“ Daricreme Margarine with a touch of banana ketchup. It’s satisfying enough but satiates too soon. Eating with the fingers and slurping seafood juices from shells and peels is a messy affair and soon, I have a mini mountain of used paper napkins taking up residence beside me. Any food that requires too much peeling and preparation beforehand is not recommended for the ravenous ”“ you’ll die from hunger before getting in a few bites!
There are other dishes that make it to our table ”“ the adobong kangkong and stir-fried broccoli. My sister can’t stop raving about the shrimp tempura, so two large platters descend upon our already crowded table. Larger in size than any I’ve ever seen even in Japanese restaurants, this tempura has a thick but light crumb coating. Though this is not authentic tempura by any stretch of the imagination, this one is crunchy at first, followed by a burst of bready-ness, and then the sweet, tender meat of shrimp. Dipped liberally in the requisite sauce, the tempura is addicting. The little one at our table is particularly taken by what she calls the “crunchies.”
Because I spy oysters at the market, I tell my sister that we must have oyster cake. I’m a great fan of this briny omelet peppered with little bursts of salt, and while it’s not as great as the one I had in Singapore, it’s not bad.
Dinner for five of us was a little under P1,500. Sorry, no prices this time. My hands were full of crab.
Dampa Sa Libis
107 E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave, Libis, Quezon City right in front of Greenmeadows Subdividision Gate 5
Open 10:00am- 12:00mn.
637-3301/395-5050
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I love oyster cake. The one at Mann Hann is pretty good. 😀
nice pictures and salamat for making me envious of the fresh seafolod…..
i will have to rediscover these things when i go back
That looks amazing lori.
I love places like dampas simply because it’s all about the food.
stumbled upon your blog just this week while reading a friend’s blog, and have been sifting through your archives for a couple of days now…i just have to say that i really like your subject matter (food!) and your writing style, and i plan to drop by your site more often.
also, i just had to comment regarding your experience in Dampa sa Libis…if you liked your dining experience there you’ll love the one here in Paranaque, where it all (supposedly) started…there are more choices with regards to seafood and dining places, and the prices are a lower.
Growling tummy, hungry for prawns or tempura. I’d add some of that pako for a salad, it looks so juicy and tempting.
hi lori,
you’ve impressed me already and one more thing that impressed me today is that YOU BLOGGED AT 5:46 AM!
man, i’m on my way to work when you typed in this entry! ah, such an early riser and early blogger you are….
lovin’ the crabs and shrimps… yah-yah-yummeh!
can i invite myself to your next dining activity? 😉
he he …
Thanks for featuring the Dampa at Libis. Would love to try this place. The shrimp tempura does look yummy! Are the oyster cakes as good as the ones in Mann Hann?
Thanks for featuring the Dampa at Libis. Would love to try this place some time. The shrimp tempura does look yummy! Are the oyster cakes as good as the ones in Mann Hann?
Many thanks for sharing these! I just want to fly there now and pig-out on these scrumptous seafood!
Lori,your pics are amazing !
Ohh, I do remember the Seafood Market Restaurant you were referring to. I was about 7 yrs old and we troop to Cubao or Makati once a week to get a feast of seafood. My dad was a faithful patron and friend of the owner, thus luckily treated so well since my dad would never take advantage of discounts. So at least they render great service. Back then, I notice the diners were mostly foreigners/expats because I remember it was pricey. A family meal reaches a thousand and more already.
I though like the Dampa style nowadays, but not my brother. He doesnt find it a fun experience. He will only try Dampa if it will be in Libis that is because of the cars. Funny!
Anything seafood, I love…I love this post! Thanks!
I really enjoy eating a “dampas” and it has been waaay too long since the last time…your post has really got craving for this! I remember the last time I ate there with a big group, we had a coke “litro” and every time we would pass it around the bottle kept getting more and more slippery! 🙂
Lori, you should try the dampa in Pasay. Specifically, have your food cooked in this place called “Aling Tonyas” it’s always packed full! Big bosses in multinational companies have lunch there on weekdays. If their willing to stand through all the heat and troubles of going to the market, that should be proof enough that the food there is THAT good.
I do agree that Mann Hann has the best oyster cakes! They also have this wonderful way of preparing LIVER (which I abhor) that makes it taste good! They should be more popular for that!
hi lori!
you should try ordering sinigang sa miso in Dampa sa Libis. just buy panga ng tuna. 🙂 yummy, yummy!
mouth-watering=) hehe..i love your site. More Power Miss Lori..=)
hi lori! im an avid fan of your site… lurking mode nga lang lagi 😀
i love dampas too.. we have one here in parañaque and it is really nice 😀 we always enjoy the food… plus the fact i love seafoods! 😀
keep on blogging 😀
for some reason, i can’t bring myself to try the dampas in other places. i stick to the one in dampa, never mind that i lived in QC. maybe i’ll give libis a chance when i go home…or i’ll just go straight to the one in paranaque from the airport.
your blog never fails to make me miss home!
Not too many people know about Wok with Liu in Pasay Seafood Market. It is an apartment turned into a restaurant. You buy your seafood in the Seaside Market and bring it to this restaurant across the street from the rear of the market. Their specialty is Chinese cuisine. The make terrific adobong pusit, salt and pepper crabs, clams with tausi, etc. We have brought foreign friends there who swear how good the food is. Ambience is not the greatest but the food is just great.
hi! am alfie 28 years old from dumaguete, i just relocated to manila after i got married since my husband is working here…. am 3 months pregnant and craving for seafoods- thanks for you site i know where to go and enjoy seafoods meals- especially lato- we don’t have dampas in dumaguete…. we get fresh seafood all the time- sourced mostly from bais city….. thanks also for sharing their contact number- we called first to check if what i wish to eat are still available….
God Bless and more power.
a.b.a.