Seafood Paradise: Seascape Village

Fresh seafood is one of the things the Philippines is known for. As an archipelago composed of 7107 islands, we never run out of mouthwatering fish, shrimps, crabs, lobsters and what-have-yous. But just when we thought we're fine with good ol' dampa, Seascape Village put seafood feast on a whole different level. 

Hello, Seascape Village.

Sandwiched between Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel and Manila Film Center, this huge compound is divided into four phases. To date, the first Phase is open to the public but there are still a few establishments that are yet to open. The other three areas (that are yet to open) are dedicated to lifestyle and wellness, events and entertainment, and hotel + retail complex.

I was invited to a gastronomic seafood experience a few weeks back and we visited a handful of restaurants and were able to sample its bestsellers.

First stop was Mazu Seafood Goddess Restaurant, an Asian restaurant with two-storey dining area perfect for big gatherings. 

We sampled its French Beans with Salted Egg, Sake Tunaloin and Adobong Pusit. 

Who would have thought that French beans and salted egg would go well together? We all couldn't get over the combination that as much as we wanted to control ourselves from overeating from the first stop, we finished this dish in record time. 

The Sake Tunaloin and Adobong Pusit were good too but were your usual seafood fare. 

Next stop was Rainne's Cafe where it was a Battle Royale among the guests to get hold of its Mango and Blueberry Cheesecake. I wasn't able to try any of the cakes but I was told that both were light and perhaps perfect for those who are not into sweet cakes. I guess I'll check it out with my mom one of these days. 

The place is very small so maybe it would be best to have your sweets to go.

 

We were also toured around the wet market where we saw fresh fish, crabs and a pile of gorgeous lobsters. 

There were not a lot of seafood during our visit as most were wiped out during the Mother's Day weekend. 

There's also a fruit stand.

The unbearable heat was making everyone cranky and it was timely that we stopped at The Big One where we were all treated to a humongous glass of milk tea. 

I went with Wintermelon Twist which was your usual refreshing wintermelon with a citrus touch. It was pretty good and bang for the buck as one order costs less than PHP100! And note that it's one liter.

Darwin Cafe Hong Kong Special was up next and its space was not enough for the number of media guests present. However, servers were quick on their toes and made sure that each one got a sampler of its Hong Kong style Milk Tea (which was quite strong) and deep-fried dumplings which was pretty flavorful and great with its sweet and sour sauce. 

We weren't able to try its adorable steamed Hello Kitty buns though.

 

We also had a quick visit to Golden China to check out its impressive interiors. 

It's a great venue for families who prefer to have their meal in private rooms. Too bad I wasn't able to try its dishes anymore as its menu sampling was scheduled at dinner time and I had another engagement that day. 

Yatai Asian Cuisine is Golden China's next door neighbor and it was our sixth stop of the day. We were treated to some Japchae, Baked Oysters with Cheese, Beef Wagyu Cubes and various maki rolls.

Though Japchae had that sweet yet savory flavor spot on, I found the staple Korean noodle dish a bit too oily for my liking. The ingredients should have also been made smaller as it somehow looked more like pancit than japchae.

The Beef Wagyu Cubes weren't that special too but pretty good as an afternoon snack. Same goes with the maki rolls. 

My favorite would be the oysters as it was generously topped with cheese. Yum!

 

One of my favorite stops during the food crawl was at Wowcow Fresh Beef Hotpot. 

It had various meats to choose from and its dipping sauce was great too with the delectable mix of spices. I'd definitely go back for more!

 

I have reached my peak at Wowcow that I wasn't able to try Lhong E Seafood Restaurant's spread anymore. But here are photos of the dishes they prepared for us.

Lola Ina's was our third to the last stop and I noticed that it has less intimidating interiors. Here, media guests were served Clam Chowder, Deep Fried Squid with Salt and Pepper and Deep Fried Squid with Salted Egg. 

The dishes served here are nothing special but I think the selling point of this place is having your seafood prepare in anyway you want as Lola Ina's is also a paluto restaurant.

 

My last stop was Blue Post Boiling Crab and Shrimp and despite being full, I couldn't resist grabbing one of its garlicky crabs and shrimps paired with one of its spiced vinegar dips. 

This two-storey branch also has a private dining area perfect for family gatherings or intimate events. 

The rest of the guests continued their Seascape Village journey at Asian Taste Seafood Restaurant and I had to cut mine short. But I'll definitely try this last stop one of these days. 

Overall, it was a rather tiring but fun experience with some of my favorite foodies. I can't wait for the whole village to be complete! Just imagining enjoying fresh seafood dishes with the Manila Bay sunset as your view makes me giddy and excited for this beautiful project!

Seascape Village is located at Atang Dela Rama St. corner Zoilo Hilario Street, CCP Complex, Pasay City.