When I first arrived in the Philippines, I was having huge cravings for fresh seafood. I went with a group one night to a wet market near Manila Bay. They told me that it was locally famous for specializing in cooked-as-you-like fresh seafood. My memories of that experience are quite funny because I was still very unaccustomed to the culture here in the Philippines at that time.
I recall being a bit taken aback by the sights, sounds, and smells of the market. Seaside Dampa is a huge area with privately owned booths lining lane after lane with each booth offering a selection of seafood. It is a very competitive business for the neighboring vendors, who basically turn into hawkers upon spying a new customer. One booth may sell fish, while another will only be selling a specific type of crab.
Even though it gets loud and energetic, everyone is always very friendly. It is quite an experience. Not only can you buy a great selection of fresh seafood, but there are multitudes of restaurants that specialize in preparing the things you just purchased.
Some operate on a theme or cuisine, such as Chinese-style, Singaporean, Japanese and of course, traditional Filipino. You literally pick a restaurant, hand them the bag of your raw food, and tell them how you want it cooked. It is fantastic. I remember the first time I ate there.
I was really, really full. I had feasted on salmon sashimi , sinigang a sour, Tamarind-based traditional Filipino stew , giant mud crab claws, and enormous tempura fried prawns. Everyone had finished eating, but I decided to try a bite of one of the blue crabs cooked in sweet chili sauce.
