Seafood Dampa in Macapagal Boulevard: Freshest Bounties of the Sea

I've been hearing a lot of reviews about Dampa in Macapagal Boulevard, just a few blocks away from Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City. I knew it was a take-off from the "original" one found somewhere in Paranaque City. I don't even know if that thing still exists until now because I was told that most of those stalls had already transferred to Macapal Boulevard Dampa. My best friend invited me to come along when they've brought in her foreigner boyfriend to Dampa in Macapagal. They wanted him to experience the "paluto style" of restaurant/eateries as well as try the best seafoods in Manila.

For those who aren't familiar yet, Dampa is basically a wet market where you come to shop (or you may ask someone to do them for you) for fresh seafoods, meats and veggies and then ask restaurants to cook them for you--according to your own preference and liking: it could be grilled, steamed, fried, stewed, buttered etc. The most important thing is to learn the proper technique to haggle with the seafood merchants. If you are totally clueless about it, I suggest you ask someone who knows how because otherwise you might be overcharged in terms of item/product pricing. Shopping your own seafood meal is actually fun. I was surprised to see really huge lobsters, an abundance of seafoods like sea urchins, parrot fish, clams and rich fat crabs at Dampa Macapagal Market. 

It was chow time and we've ordered pusit lumot (small type of squid) for adobo (marinated in vinegar and soda with onion leeks), buttered garlic shrimps, grilled pink salmon belly, shrimp tempura and some flour battered fish. The taste really amazing, surprisingly not "fishy" especially the squid. Its got a sweet aftertaste--a proof that it was indeed a fresh harvest from the sea. I'm not used to eating pink salmon as a grilled dish, we usually cook it sinigang (Filipino tamarind based soup dish) but never grilled. I loved it so much! It bursts of sweet and salty taste. 

But among our orders, I instantly fell for buttered garlic shrimp. It was so addicting, I swear I could finish an entire plate in one sitting. It tasted so good that we all wanted to have a second serving cooked. Even our foreigner guest loved them! We're certain that the next time he visits the country, we'll visit Dampa Macapagal again. That's how well we enjoyed our meal.

Dampa Macapagal is located at Macapagal Boulevard, near Roxas Boulevard and Mall of Asia, Aseana Complex, Pasay City.