If you love seafood paluto joints but want a fancy and comfortable environment, it’s best that you check the newest dampa-inspired restaurant in River Park Festival Mall, Alabang, Muntinlupa. This place that boasts a classy approach to your usual seafood paluto joint is called Market Basket – an air-conditioned restaurant with pretty and sparkling interiors and nice ambiance that aims to provide customers with the best dining experience.
In Market Basket, you can pick your own choice of seafood from an iced, open display case and getting them cooked your way. Unlike dampa, you don’t have to go through the smelly, slippery, and dimly-lit wet market. Pots of herbs being used in cooking are also lined-up on the glass windows of the open kitchen so you will be assured that all ingredients used are fresh.
Market Basket is part of the Chef’s Quarter Group of Restaurants; others are Uncle Cheffy Brick Oven Global Cuisine, Kuse, Old Vine Grille, Bossing’s Grill, and Larry & Mau Diner.
THE FOOD
Market Basket menu offers a variety of selections from ready-to-order dishes to paluto menu list which includes suggested cooking methods and different sauce choices. Allow us to give you an idea on what they have on their rack.
Assorted Fresh Fruit Salad with Asian Vinaigrette
Assorted Fresh Fruit Salad with Asian Vinaigrette (PHP 195)
A mixture of lettuce, pomelo, and mango with light vinaigrette. Perfect for fruit lovers and health-conscious individuals.
Mushroom Salad
Mushroom Salad (PHP 285)
This salad has a combination of different types of mushrooms and lettuce mixed with creamy balsamic dressing providing a nice contrast in flavor.
Seafood Bouillabaisse
Seafood Bouillabaisse (PHP 295)
This hearty soup of assorted seafood with potatoes, fennel, and white wine is a sure win! You gotta try it.
Lechon Kawali Sisig
Lechon Kawali Sisig (PHP 295 pesos)
A sisig made up of crispy lechon kawali, onion, and chilis provides exact amount of crunchiness for a perfect bite.
Stuffed Crab with Shrimp Aligue
Stuffed Crab with Shrimp Aligue (PHP 350)
Shrimps and crab meat with melted cheese on top is a bomb! Missy called this dish the star of the night. The taste of it she brought even on her sleep.
Beef Salpicao Pasta
Beef Salpicao Pasta (PHP 395)
This tasty spaghetti is sautéed in olive oil and has been flavoured with beef salpicao. It also has a sauce mixed with crab fat.
MAIN DISH
Tanigue Creamy ala Pobre
Tanigue Creamy ala Pobre (PHP 125 per 100g)
Grilled tanigue with olive oil and garlic that has a good level of moistness blended perfectly with pobre sauce.
Grilled Pusit
Grilled Pusit (PHP 80 per 100g)
Grilled squid stuffed with tomatoes, ginger, and onions can be a usual fare but never tiring.
Fried Maya-Maya
Fried Maya-Maya (PHP 110 per 100g)
Very succulent fish dish smothered in oriental sauce which has a sweet-salty flavour.
Ribeye with Tiger Prawn aka Surf and Turf
Ribeye with Tiger Prawn aka Surf and Turf (PHP 295 per 100g)
The meat was cooked perfectly and its accompanied prawns are huge – and with huge I meant, gigantic! Jim thinks the two (meat and prawns) are definitely a perfect combo being juicy and tasty.
Salmon Belly Sinigang
Salmon Belly Sinigang
The salmon belly is cooked perfectly making the salty and sharp taste of sinigang soup forgivable.
Lamb Spareribs with Oriental Sauce
Lamb Spareribs with Oriental Sauce (PHP280 per 100g)
The meat with mild oriental sauce was very tender that it literally falls off the bone. Pick and chew. No need to struggle with your knife and fork.
DESSERT
Nilupak with Caramel Sauce
Nilupak with Caramel Sauce (PHP 95)
This soft kakanin is something traditional but served extra special showered with caramel.
Sapin-Sapin Creme Brulee
Sapin-Sapin Creme Brulee (PHP 185)
This best-selling dessert is also available in Market Basket’s sister restaurant, Kuse. It has a great torched crust top made of caramelized sugar and offers a right level of sweetness all throughout. I highly recommend this!
Sizzling Ube Macapuno
Sizzling Ube Macapuno
This one took us by surprise. An ube ice cream with macapuno balls served on a sizzling plate! Each piece of balls oozes its sauce as you bite it. So nice. So yummy. So one-of-a-kind dessert!
Blueberry Cheesecake
Blueberry Cheesecake (PHP 165)
A cheesecake that seems like a no-bake cheesecake to me because of the smooth texture it has! A hint of blue cheese made this cheesecake your not-so-usual-cheesecake. Creamy and rich, this cheesecake is a top choice for those who prefer a less sweet end to their meals, even if it’s placed atop drizzled caramel and loaded with blueberry compote.
Nutella Macaroons
Nutella Macaroons
A chewy macaroon sandwiched on a hazelnut filling dappled with salted caramel syrup. While Missy dig on the sizzling ube macapuno and JimBry on sapin-sapin crème brulee, many enjoyed the Nutella macaroons as they are of perfect sweetness and got that distinct Nutella flavor.
THE PRICE
Surprisingly, Market Basket can be cheaper than the traditional paluto like dampa as they do not charge customers with “paluto fee.”
OUR PLATE OF THOUGHTS
Missy: They really have a wide array of options that some of their dishes have names I can’t pronounce. One sure thing I know is that their Stuffed Crab with Shrimp Aligue is something to die for! Market Basket is way way better than any seafood paluto joints I know.
JimBry: The Stuffed Crab with Shrimp Aligue is the runaway favorite of mine. Never forget to get this when you dine in Market Basket.
THE PLACE/BRANCHES
Market Basket
Unit C3 River Park Festival
Supermall Alabang, Muntinlupa City
For inquiries, call: (02) 845-1073
Click here for Market Basket food gallery.
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