Marina

Putri Linda

4.0

It’s been a long, long time since we ate at Marina. I remember going there with my family for their seafood fare especially their fresh oysters in buckets. So, I was excited that I will be able to experience their food again when we were invited by Grammer.ph for their re-launch in partnership with Marina. Marina Seafood started in Iloilo in 1987, serving authentic Ilonggo cuisine, specializing in seafood I was glad that they still hold up to what they were known for until now.Some of the dishes that were served during the event were:Marina Platter (Php999) – includes a really big slice of thick grilled blue marlin with meat that is firm yet so tender (yummy!) and baked oysters that are fresh and topped with garlic and cheese.Ginataang Tambo (Php275) – Bamboo shoots in gata or coconut milk with big fresh prawns. I usually don’t like bamboo shoot for its smell and after taste, but this one did not have that. It is almost like I’m eating langka rather than bamboo shoot. It blends perfectly well with the coconut milk.Nilagpang na Bangus (Php285) – It is like bangus sinigang with broth a bit sour, but their version is an ilonggo way of doing it where they grill or “sinugba” the bangus first before have it simmer in broth with tomatoes and onions which lends to its smoky sweet taste that adds another dimension to the taste.Seafood Pancit Efuven (Php250) - Efuven is a flat noodle made from egg, a local noodle in Iloilo. It is a dried noodle dish topped with eggs and Bihod or tuna eggs that taste like toasted minced nuts. I like the light taste of it, but to some, they might feel it still lacks seasoning. You will need to eat this while it is hot, because the noodles tends to stick with each other when it gets cold. Crabby Patty in Aligue Sauce (Php149) – What surprise that they really used real crab meat for the patty. I would have stick with the aligue sauce and not used the dressings (aioli, thousand island and honey mustard) topping the patties so you get to taste the real flavor of the crabs and covered by the sweetness of the dressings.Longganisang Pusit in Aligue Sauce (Php299) – fried squid stuffed with savory ground longganisa. I like how the squid is still tender ever when friend and savory herby-ness of the longganisa (and not the sweet type). Really good paired with the aligue sauce.Marina Fish and Chips (Php249) – did not expect much for this dish as it is just a breaded cream dory. But what is surprising is how they made the eggplant strips into chips that looks like bread sticks. Bagoong Seafood Paella (Php350) – The rice is a dish on its own. Topped with generous serving of lechon kawali and prawn, you can already eat it on its own but with friends as the serving is really big. I like how you it was not salty while you still taste the bagoong.KBL (Php299) - KBL stands for Kadios or Black Beans, Baboy (pork), and Langka (jackfruit). Unfortunately I did not had the chance of tasting it. But it looks appetizing.They also served their newly launch dishes, the Buco Caldo. Soup dishes that are served in coconut husk with the coconut meat mixed with the ingredients and the soup were made from coconut juice. I love how cleansing and refreshing the soup is. They have this in Batchoy, Chicken Binakol and Molo.Oh they also served a dessert – Halo-halo! For this month their halo-halo is topped with strawberry ice cream. Good but not a fan of strawberry flavor in halo-halo. It seems that it made the dessert too sweet. Every month they put different ice cream flavor in their halo-halo. The manager mentioned that by August, they will be serving it with melon ice cream. All of Marina’s dishes are good for 3 to 4 person except for Efuven which is good for 2-3 person. So you get good value for your money while indulging with your seafood craving.

Vincentmst96

4.0

A couple of weeks ago, we had a wonderful feast at Marina Seafood Restaurant along Mother Ignacia Ave. cor. Scout Reyes.BUKO CALDO SPECIALSThe highlight of the meal was their new Buko Caldo Specials – 3 kinds of soup served in buko. They are priced at P199 each, but get your hands on one of their flyers so you can get P100 OFF, and get the soups at only P99!The Buko Caldo Specials are the following:- Buko Batchoy (the best! my favorite!)- Buko Binakol Manok- Buko MoloThey are perfect for the rainy days, and our visit was so timely because it started raining and the soups came in handy! My favorite of the buko caldos was the Buko Batchoy (P199). This is the reason I am taking friends to Marina and having them try it! I feel like it is my duty to let my friends try this Buko Batchoy, as in! I can’t stop talking about it to my friends, haha.The Buko Batchoy is served on a buko shell with malauhog meat, with the hot soup served separately. You pour the soup over your buko batchoy when you’re ready to eat! It has noodles, meat, strips of coconut (nope, that’s not squid! it’s coconut!), fried garlic, spring onions, etc… The soup is very, very good. Instead of salt, they use an Iloilo guinamos (their version of bagoong) to flavor it. It is not fishy, but provides a very nice soup flavor base that’s more complex than plain salt. FYI, they also use the coconut water (buko juice) for the soup! It’s really good and perfect for rainy weather. *Slurp slurp slurp*I was able to get some P100 OFF flyers so we’ll be getting it for P99, so sulit! I love it for afternoon merienda. But even at the regular price of P199, it would still be okay.We also tried the Buko Binakol Manok (P199), some of our table companions liked this best. It is similar in flavor to the Buko Batchoy soup-wise, but has chicken and bell peppers. The soup also uses buko juice. This is lighter in flavor compared to the Buko Batchoy.We also had the Buko Molo (P199). It’s okay, but not my favorite. I recommend going for the Buko Batchoy or the Buko Binakol Manok, although in my personal opinion, the Buko Batchoy is the best! The Buko Caldo is available for dine-in only for a limited time. It is available at Marina Seafood branches at the Mall of Asia, Metrowalk, SM North and Mother Ignacia.ABOUT MARINA SEAFOOD RESTAURANTMarina Seafood Restaurant started in October, 1987, when Ross Gorriceta put up a seafood restaurant for his wife, Marina Luz. It was a native seafood restaurant on the breezy banks of the Iloilo River where they shared their love for fresh seafood and Ilonggo cuisine. Isn’t that just romantic?In May, 2002, their son brought the concept to Manila, and they now have several branches all over Metro Manila. The official name is Ross&Marina Iloilo Oysters Seafood.MARINA SEAFOOD RESTAURANT MOTHER IGNACIAThe Mother Ignacia branch of Marina Seafood Restaurant is nice. There’s free parking. They also have an open area where you can host parties, etc… The feel of the place is very laid back, almost provincial, if you’re there on a weekday. It’s my favorite Marina branch that I’ve seen.One of the items we had that I also want to talk about is their Halo-Halo (P79). It’s a typical halo-halo with a lot of sahog, except, the shaved ice is a strawberry-flavored shaved ice! I think that is unique and worth mentioning. I think they change the flavor of the ice every month though. The oysters that we had were also extremely fresh!  I also thought the sticks of chicken wings and cuttlefish were delicious! They are called the Marina Inasal. The cuttlefish was big, like, it was cut into 1-inch cubes – but still tender. It’s P125 per stick, but they have an ongoing promo where it’s only P99!If you love the crispiness of lechon kawali or crispy pata, try the Muks Kawali (P350). It’s pig face (mukha) fried until crispy! Ooo, it’s sooooo goooood, yet sooooo baaad, but totally worth it if you love crunchy pork skin. Live to eat, not eat to live! Hahaha.SUMMARYMarina Seafood Restaurant in Mother Ignacia Ave. is a nice place to go and hide from the world while enjoying delicious Buko Batchoy and fresh seafood, at prices that are value-for-money. I totally felt like I was “away” from the hustle and bustle of the city while the entire time I was there. The food is also very good compared to other native cuisine restaurants at this price range. I will definitely be going back to Marina soon!

Arbel Brizuela Bulaong

4.0

A couple of weeks ago, we had a wonderful feast at Marina Seafood Restaurant along Mother Ignacia Ave. cor. Scout Reyes. BUKO CALDO SPECIALS. The highlight of the meal was their new Buko Caldo Specials – 3 kinds of soup served in buko. They are priced at P199 each, but get your hands on one of their flyers so you can get P100 OFF, and get the soups at only P99!