Wifely Steps

Fresh seafood, reasonable prices, an atmosphere where you can eat with much gusto, good service, a menu of how you want your food cooked, a little shopping while you wait for your food… you do know that I’m talking about Dampa sa Libis, right? This has become one of H and my favorite places to eat in. In one word: SULIT!

The whole Dampa is divided into three areas. The first part is the wet market, the second part is the eating area, and the last part is the bazaar.

Stop by the wet market first to pick out your seafood. I suggest going around the stalls first before zoning in on one. The seafood is fresh and you can haggle if you want. I’m not good with that (marketing AND haggling) so my mother-in-law usually takes care of this part of the Dampa experience. As you walk through the stalls, watch out for the puddles! And if you’re not into seafood, there are also stalls selling meat for inihaw, etc.

I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

After you pick out your ingredients, pay the market stall vendor. Then proceed to the weighing station. On your way to the station you’ll see a huge sign with the different ways you can have your ingredients cooked and their corresponding prices. Get ideas if you’d like your shrimp cooked in garlic and butter, as part of a sinigang, as halabos, with chili… you make the choice! When you arrive at the weighing station, have your ingredients, uh, weighed, and let the lady in the Dampa sa Libis t-shirt know how you’d like your food cooked.

Also tell the lady which cooking station you’d like to have your dishes prepared in. Some swear by Manang’s, others by Lola’s. They’re all the same to me, really. We usually pick the one with the shortest line so we get our food right away! Do ask the lady for a recommendation.

The lady will then give you a number. Go pick a table — you can sit in the air-conditioned room or the wide-open space. While waiting, you can go around the bazaar. There are reasonably-priced clothes, toys and other stuff. You can even shop for cars!

Order your drinks, extra rice, and don’t forget to ask for the usual calamansi and toyo, patis, vinegar. What’s a Pinoy dinner without those condiments? At the time this pic was taken, we ordered softdrinks, crispy tilapia, adobong pusit, halaan soup, rice, and the lato salad. There are lots of other dishes you can also try. Shrimp in garlic butter is heavenly. Steamed crab is deliciously juicy. Sinigang na Hipon is a winner! Calamares is also good! The Salt and Pepper Spare Ribs are divine.

Dampa sa Libis is near Eastwood. You’ll see a huge sign so you won’t get lost as long as you know where Eastwood is, hehehe.

I think I just heard my tummy grumble.

Tara. Kain tayo!