A couple of weeks ago, we had a wonderful feast at Marina Seafood Restaurant along Mother Ignacia Ave. cor. Scout Reyes.
BUKO CALDO SPECIALS
The highlight of the meal was their new Buko Caldo Specials – 3 kinds of soup served in buko. They are priced at P199 each, but get your hands on one of their flyers so you can get P100 OFF, and get the soups at only P99!
The Buko Caldo Specials are the following:
- Buko Batchoy (the best! my favorite!)
- Buko Binakol Manok
- Buko Molo
They are perfect for the rainy days, and our visit was so timely because it started raining and the soups came in handy! 
My favorite of the buko caldos was the Buko Batchoy (P199). This is the reason I am taking friends to Marina and having them try it! I feel like it is my duty to let my friends try this Buko Batchoy, as in! I can’t stop talking about it to my friends, haha.
The Buko Batchoy is served on a buko shell with malauhog meat, with the hot soup served separately. You pour the soup over your buko batchoy when you’re ready to eat! It has noodles, meat, strips of coconut (nope, that’s not squid! it’s coconut!), fried garlic, spring onions, etc… The soup is very, very good. Instead of salt, they use an Iloilo guinamos (their version of bagoong) to flavor it. It is not fishy, but provides a very nice soup flavor base that’s more complex than plain salt. FYI, they also use the coconut water (buko juice) for the soup! It’s really good and perfect for rainy weather. *Slurp slurp slurp*
I was able to get some P100 OFF flyers so we’ll be getting it for P99, so sulit! I love it for afternoon merienda. But even at the regular price of P199, it would still be okay.
This is the Buko Binakol Manok (P199), some of our table companions liked this best. It is similar in flavor to the Buko Batchoy soup-wise, but has chicken and bell peppers. The soup also uses buko juice. This is lighter in flavor compared to the Buko Batchoy.
This is the Buko Molo (P199). It’s okay, but not my favorite. I recommend going for the Buko Batchoy or the Buko Binakol Manok, although in my personal opinion, the Buko Batchoy is the best! 
The Buko Caldo is available for dine-in only, from June 15 – Sept. 15, 2016. It is available at Marina Seafood branches at the Mall of Asia, Metrowalk, SM North and Mother Ignacia.
ABOUT MARINA SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
Marina Seafood Restaurant started in October, 1987, when Ross Gorriceta put up a seafood restaurant for his wife, Marina Luz. It was a native seafood restaurant on the breezy banks of the Iloilo River where they shared their love for fresh seafood and Ilonggo cuisine. Isn’t that just romantic?
In May, 2002, their son brought the concept to Manila, and they now have several branches all over Metro Manila. The official name is Ross&Marina Iloilo Oysters Seafood.
MARINA SEAFOOD RESTAURANT MOTHER IGNACIA
The Mother Ignacia branch of Marina Seafood Restaurant is nice. There’s free parking. They also have an open area where you can host parties, etc… The feel of the place is very laid back, almost provincial, if you’re there on a weekday. It’s my favorite Marina branch that I’ve seen.
One of the items we had that I also want to talk about is their Halo-Halo (P79). It’s a typical halo-halo with a lot of sahog, except, the shaved ice is a strawberry-flavored shaved ice! I think that is unique and worth mentioning. I think they change the flavor of the ice every month though.
These oysters that we had were also extremely fresh! 
Baked oysters that Marina is famous for (these were part of the Marina Platter (P999) which includes a big slice of grilled blue marlin steak):
I also thought these sticks of chicken wings and cuttlefish were delicious! They are called the Marina Inasal. The cuttlefish was big, like, it was cut into 1-inch cubes – but still tender. It’s P125 per stick, but they have an ongoing promo from July 15 – October 15, 2016, when it’s only P99!
If you love the crispiness of lechon kawali or crispy pata, try the Muks Kawali (P350). It’s pig face (mukha) fried until crispy! Ooo, it’s sooooo goooood, yet sooooo baaad, but totally worth it if you love crunchy pork skin. Live to eat, not eat to live! Hahaha.
Here’s their menu:
SUMMARY
Marina Seafood Restaurant in Mother Ignacia Ave. is a nice place to go and hide from the world while enjoying delicious Buko Batchoy and fresh seafood, at prices that are value-for-money. I totally felt like I was “away” from the hustle and bustle of the city while the entire time I was there. The food is also very good compared to other native cuisine restaurants at this price range. I will definitely be going back to Marina soon!
Marina Seafood Restaurant
Scout Reyes corner Mother Ignacia Avenue, Paligsahan, Quezon City
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marinaoysters/
Call (02) 985-8139 or (0932) 856-4686 for inquiries and reservations
