Even Crabs can Be Gay

How do you like your seafood? I like mine fresh and grilled, from market to table. Every chance I see fresh Lapu-Lapu fillet in the market it is immediately steamed Chinese style, one of the few dishes I have become adept at cooking (haha- how hard can it get to steam fish anyway?!).

One weekend I had a sudden craving for crabs, preferably drowning in butter and garlic. That, plus grilled panga ng Tuna. And so despite hubby’s protests (he was heavily engrossed playing Resident Evil 4), we were off to the Seaside Market for lunch.



“Seaside” is a misnomer, for the market is right smack in the middle of the Ortigas Town Center. There ain’t no sea in sight, honey. Like its predecessor dampa markets in Roxas Boulevard, Sucat and Libis, the cooking style is Palengke at Paluto. Where you plunk yourself down on a table, ask the waitress to buy you fresh seafood from the nearby market and the restaurant cooks it for a fee.

The waitress asked me if I wanted my crab babae (female) or bakla (gay). Goodness, the gays are really overtaking us ladies on everything – even in one’s choice of crabs! The babae crab possesses aligue (crab fat) while the bakla crab has plumper flesh. Being an acknowledged fag hag, I decided to throw my lot with the badings. It was presented to me fresh and still wriggling, ready for the boiling cauldron.



We also ordered the panga and ofcourse, the old reliable grill standby of liempo. With the mixture of vinegar and chili (otherwise known as Christian’s indispensable suka/sili combo),we were ready for our grilled feast!



I normally like grilled food by the beach, laid out in a picnic table amongst banana leaves and eaten with bare hands. But the Seaside Market will do just fine. After all, it’s just fifteen minutes away from our place.

Seaside Market Palengke and Paluto is beside the Ortigas Home depot. It’s also right next to the Metrowalk Shopping Complex where you can have the latest Season 2 Desperate Housewives vcds for dessert.