Carlo’s girlfriend has pretty much won my heart too.  Shiela is really a sweet girl.  Don’t be fooled with her small frame because she is one tough cookie, having to travel all the time for her previous work. 

7 years later, I finally got to try it out.  I’ve been bugging Bubba since the start of the year about trying out Dampa.  It was going to be his first time too.  He suggested that we bring Sabi friends along since I haven’t had a food trip with them for such a long time.  Sabiclub equals to non-stop eating at the office cooked by Jane, Marlboro team, food trips sponsored by Jonard or Sir Dong, condo potluck dinners and charades.  Yssah agreed with Bubba that it’s going to fun to have a Dampa lunch with our friends.  I scheduled it a month later on what looked like a simple Saturday.

July 19.  It started early at 9am with a 2-hour dental visit in Greenhills.  Ugh, I can’t believe simple light cure pasta can cost PHP 1,800 nowadays.  Of course, long gone are the days where your parents pay for your dental.  Bubba picked me up at 1130 from the clinic and we headed straight to Roxas Boulevard. 

Mon suggested the Dampa in Macapagal, the one where there is a huge Claire de la Fuenta Signage.  Upon arrival, restaurant ushers rushed to us like bees to flowers, urging us to have the seafood cooked in their restaurant.  Everyone yapped about discounts, promos, no VAT, videokes… while the market vendors close in to sell their products.  My claustrophobia started to kick in.  I frantically looked around for Bubba.  I spotted him a few feet away and immediately walked towards him and grabbed his hand.  We walked towards the fruit stand where it was more peaceful.

Yssah and Reggie with nephew and nieces arrived a few minutes later.  I relayed to Yssah my earlier experience.  She suggested the Aling Tonya’s restaurant over the others.  We wanted to wait for others before we ordered food so we can get everybody’s input but since there were kids around and cooking will take a while, Yssah and I went ahead and bought the seafood from the market.  The wet market was fairly clean and simple.  The floor was nearly dry so it was easy to go around.  We got 2 kilos of mussels for PHP 100, 1 kilo of shrimp for PHP 250, 1 kilo of Tilapia for PHP 130, 5 pieces of crab (a little over 2 kilos) for PHP 580.

On the Table: 

1 kilo of Mussel Soup PHP 85

1 kilo of Buttered Shrimps PHP 140

Crispy Garlic Fried Tilapia PHP 140

Oyster Crab PHP 180

2 Bottles of 1.5 liters Softdrink PHP 200 

I didn’t realize that the cooking charge can be a bit expensive and sometimes more expensive than the food.  There is also a different cooking charge for 1 kilo v. 2 kilos.  1 bottle of 1.5 liter Coke cost PHP 100!!!  I didn’t mind since all the food that Aling Tonya’s cooked were yummy!!!  I think I had 3 cups of rice and ate 4 rounds of food.  Everyone, especially Mon, kept teasing me that I was really enjoying the food.  According to Mon, the authentic dampa experience is really in Paranaque where the wet market is huge and dining is al fresco.  Aling Tonya’s had an AC.   

Too bad Carlo and Shiela got lost twice and didnt make it to lunch.  Camille came late, 2 hours later and I was the only one left eating when she arrived.  Martin arrived 30 minutes after Camille and I had to resist the urge to eat some more.  I think my appetite was summed from all the times I wanted to eat seafood but couldn’t since Bubba is not a fan.  I miss the Seafood Club, King Crab, etc.  Since I know Bubba doesn’t like seafood, I rarely (almost never) invite to a seafood place.  I guess that day I unleashed all my hidden desire for seafood.  Our total bill came to about PHP 2,300, including food, which was PHP 270 sharing per head.  Our entire meal fed 7 adults and 3 kids.  Boy, that’s cheap.   I wanted to go back the next day and have my family try the Dampa experience.  Too bad my schedule was tight.  9 days later, I’m still craving for another Dampa experience.