It had taken quite some time before I was able to attend another foodie meet-up organized by Zomato. So I was really happy when they had invited me to attend a food tasting/review of Shrimp Bucket at Il Terrazo mall, which was really just a stone’s throw away from the Philippine Showbiz Republic’s office where I’m currently working. It was my first time at Shrimp Bucket and I was pretty excited to try what their menu has to offer, especially since I am a seafood aficionado. They had this cozy ambiance complete with intricately designed stacked golden bucket towers as decorative on the ceiling.
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| The unique golden Shrimp Buckets on the ceiling. |
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| With Shrimp Bucket's resident chef and another food reviewer |
My dinner started off with an order of their Kani and Shrimp salad as the entrée or appetizer. Being a big fan of Japanese foods, I devoured the said salad with gusto. It’s a great way to start off your meal. The Kani [artificial crabs] sticks were properly shredded along with veggies like cucumber and then topped with shrimps. I’ve noticed that the shrimps were indeed fresh. None of those ‘rubbery’ feel/ texture one would usually eat in other establishments. The dressing was very light and tangy yet undeniably delicious.
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| Lemon Raspberry House blend iced tea |
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| The lovely Shrimp and Kani Salad |
We were then served with Shrimp skewers with Five-spice dip. Okay, this appetizer may be needing some ‘acquired taste’ before one gets to appreciate it because of the five-spice dipping sauce. I like the fact that the deep-fried breaded shrimp didn’t taste rancid. I was kind of expecting all deep-fried items to taste that way because I didn’t want to be disappointed. In fairness, Shrimp Buckets’ wasn’t rancid at all. The shrimp skewers are crunchy although in my opinion, they tend to overdo the flour breading. I strongly suggest that they give this dish some boost if they would rub in the flavors on the breading mix itself rather than pairing the skewer with a very powerful dip. Don’t get me wrong, I do love curry—which what exactly how their five-spice dip tastes like. But what I’m simply saying is that the five-spice dip doesn’t seem to go well nor complement the breaded shrimp on skewers. It would have been better if instead of five-spice dip, they’ve drizzled the shrimp skewer with light wasabi-mayo dressing or anything lighter, basically not a heavy dip like five-spice based.
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| Shrimp skewers with five-spiced dip |
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| Shrimp Sebastiana |
If I’ve had some negative comments on their Shrimp skewers with five-spice dip, I’m all-praises for their Shrimp Bucket’s Shrimp Sebastiana. But a word of caution, this isn’t for the faint-at-heart. Eating this appetizer is not only addicting, but too much of this may be bad for one’s health. Why? Imagine shrimps are covered with flavorful creole and crab fats or aligue in our mother tongue. It’s rich in cholesterol but it’s worth to give it a try. We’ve all agreed it was one of the best dishes served that night.
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| Dad's Seared Chicken in Coconut Milk |
Another revelation that evening was their Dad’s Seared Chicken in Coconut Milk [P225]. The chicken was so tender yet flavorful. The coconut milk gives off a rather sweet taste that blends well with the green chili peppers. It’s actually the best chicken in coconut milk that I’ve ever tasted in years since my grandma passed away. Eating Shrimp Bucket’s seared chicken in coconut milk was so divine—I bet, you’ll be asking for more cups of rice!
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| Bags by the pound: Mussels in Mardi Gras |
Then came the main highlight of the night, we were served with Bags by the Pound: Shrimps in Salty Eggsperience and Mussels in Mardi Gras. The shrimps inside the plastic bag were really huge! They’re more like prawns, actually. And I was surprised that shrimps + salted eggs do complement each other. I wish I was at home so that I could dig into that bag and perhaps put some rice inside because just like everyone else who had tried the dish, they ended up wanting more of the sauce [yes, you may order for an extra fee] because the Salty Eggsperience sauce is a viand on its own. I just wish all the shrimps are peeled so I would just enjoy eating them rather than having to work peeling them and deveining them individually. But I guess they’re part and parcel of the whole ‘Shrimp Bucket’ experience. That’s what the shrimp buckets are for, you throw those [shrimp heads, peeled skin] away inside those small buckets. The mussels in Mardi Gras sauce are also delightful. It’s a bit spicy for that extra kick but basically the sauce is chorizo-based. Be ready to have your hands dirty when you eat these Bags by Pound seafood stuff. They’ve got available plastic gloves in case you don’t want to get those hands messy/dirty. But then again, when you do that, you kinda miss the fun + the true essence of eating at Shrimp Buckets.
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| Bags by the pound: Shrimps in Salty Eggsperience |
To cap off our meal, we’ve tried Sollie’s Tapioca in coconut milk. It’s very light with some distinct caramel notes. It suits well as the best dessert to order because it seems to cleanse one’s palate, especially after eating too much oily foods. I love this dessert because it’s not too sweet and you could really taste the natural sweetness of coconut milk sans artificial sweeteners.
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| Sollie's Tapioca in Coconut Milk |
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| Olf Fashioned alcoholic drink |
Order Shrimp Buckets signature Lemon Raspberry or Orange Passion iced tea drinks to wash down those items you’ve ordered. If you’re in the mood for some alcoholic drinks, they have Old Fashioned and Mojitos as well as other items to choose from.
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| Mojito |
My verdict? Overall, I find Shrimp Buckets impressive. I can’t help but compare it to the other restaurant I went to whose shrimps looked pretty small. At Shrimp Buckets, the owner assured us that they’re very consistent with the quality of their shrimps—it has to be all at the same size and of course, the freshest bounties from the sea. They do not want to compromise their quality. With regards to the price, I think they are reasonably priced.
I had enjoyed my meal at Shrimp Buckets that I look forward to bringing my family with me the next time I visit the restaurant. And hopefully, that would be soon because I still couldn’t get over those huge shrimps, and when I do, I’ll make sure to have a bib with me so my clothes wouldn’t get dirty.
Come and visit Shrimp Buckets at the 2nd floor of Il Terrazo Mall in Tomas Morato, Quezon City. They also have branches at UP Town Center and Bonifacio Global City.
Disclaimer: I am not compensated for this post. Opinions expressed are 100% my own.
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