Marina Seafood Restaurant

Although its midnight madness sale in Glorietta, we braved the flock of shoppers that normally trooped to the malls at this time. Indeed, people came in droves and it became a happy please to be.

We never had a plan for a restaurant today. Along the way, Mimi suggested to try out the Isabella's Chicken at Chicken Inasal. This chicken is a product of a telenovela (soap opera) on local television about a certain chicken recipe that's stolen from its rightful creator and marketed in a successful chain of restaurant by the stealer. That's how powerful television is in the Philippines, it can prompt people to do things, even try out some chicken preparation. I was glad Chay was not happy at all with Chicken Inasal. She prefers the other Bacolodian chain, Chicken Bacolod. Apparently, these two chains have different recipes for their flame broiled chicken in yellow sauce.

We compromised on Marina Seafood Restaurant. This is a filipino restaurant that serves seafood like yellow fin tuna, squid, shrimps, crabs, clams and others. Of course, one can still order such food as chicken, pork or beef in various preparations. Marina is a great place for value for money dining and its seafood is always fresh.

We ordered the sinigang na ulo ng maya-maya (stew of fish head - soured with tamarind), grilled tuna belly, grilled aubergrine salad, and adobong kangkong (water spinach). The sinigang na maya-maya was soured to perfection. The soup was steamy hot where leeks of string beans, slices of raddish, aubergrine, onions and tomatoes. The fish tasted good and fresh. The tuna belly was truly a headliner. It was juicy on the inside that came great with the local lime dip with soy sauce and lots and lots of hot, hot chili peppers. The salad was as appetizing as it looked on their menu. Grilling the aubergrine lends it a distint aroma that sizzles in the mouth when combined with julienned tomatoes and white, sweet onions. The fish sauce that came with it was a delight as well.

We had a wonderful lunch and we paid Php210.00 each for our meal. We lingered for a couple of minutes inside Glorietta trying to window shop on the on-going sale of midnight madness. If clothes where a need, a lot of choices can be had scowering through the shops that priced down its goods to as much as 70% reduction. Me, Gentley, Mimi and Chay all went back to the office thereafter with Alvin driving the van.