Oyster from a Pearl

Finding a pearl in an oyster is one of nature’s astonishing everyday miracles. But I found something more precious–big luscious oysters from a Pearl. Tucked in the deep recesses of Pearl Drive’s Amethyst Lane in Ortigas Center is Marina Seafood Restaurant. The discovery of the small hole in the wall jewel of a restaurant came via a tip from my dad’s tennis buddy. This retired Professor of Entrepreneurship is a seasoned traveler and an oyster connoisseur who loves the mollusk so much, he grabs any opportunity to eat it. He has even had the most memorable experience of eating oysters for breakfast at the prestigious Windows of the World at the late World Trade Center in New York several years ago.

While my oyster eating expeditions pale in comparison with the wise professor’s, I’ve had my share of unforgettable indulgences of the aphrodisiac in Perth, Australia; Mystic, Connecticut and Cape May, New Jersey. In its freshest state, the experience of the cool delicate texture of oysters gently touching one’s mouth can best be described as exquisite pleasure. But as in all good things, one must practice caution and moderation. My father, a gastroenterologist, constantly emphasizes how less-then-fresh oysters can cause stomach problems.

With my dad and two brothers as willing accomplices, we searched for Marina after Sunday mass. We went around in circles, only to find it a stone’s throw away from a university, a few steps from the scent of flame-broiled burgers and right behind a Chinese fast food stall. Marina Seafood Restaurant is easily dwarfed by tall neighboring buildings at daytime, but at night it stands out with a waiting time of up to 40 minutes for a table on some evenings. Sitting on a slotted bench and a matching slotted table surrounded by bamboo on the wall and sawali on the ceiling, one can almost feel the breeze, as in seaside restaurants in the province.

In the sweet melodic intonation of a genuine Ilonggo, our waiter Willie brought me back to reality by fussing over our order. Anxious for the taste of the famous oysters, we chose sizzling and steamed versions of the mollusk. The spicy flavor of the oysters on the sizzling plate pleased my father. But my brother and I were almost overwhelmed by the quantity of steamed oysters–fat and succulent–served in their massive shells. For a reasonable price of P150, we consumed more than our fill.

We were equally impressed with the delicious taste of managat, a fish flown in daily from Iloilo. Its head was made into sinigang served piping hot, its broth almost a milky consistency, cooked the traditional Ilonggo way using the batwan fruit instead of sampaloc. The other half of the fish was grilled to an orangey sheen, the way Ilonggos do it. Cooked malasado to almost medium rare, the grilled fish surprisingly was not dry and remained very tasty.

The famous Chicken Inasal is also remarkable. Perhaps it is the marinade or the authentic native chicken flown in from Iloilo. RP Gorriceta, Marina’s owner, explained that they had tried other poultry, but remains only satisfied with the quality of the native chickens grown by their kababayans. Aside from chicken, Marina flies in oysters, scallops, nylon shell clams, bulgan (seabass), a variety of seafood from the Visayan Sea and other ingredients.

On Thursdays and Sundays, Litson Bisaya flown in from Iloilo greets guests by the front door of the restaurant. Made with backyard grown native pigs, the flavor of this litson differs from those of La Loma or Cebu. Even the condiments are shipped in. The sinamak vinegar comes from coconut trees in the family property on Sen. Benigno Aquino Avenue in Iloilo, at the junction of Iloilo River and a creek. The guinamos, a special sweetish Ilonggo bagoong usually served with green mango, makes its trip from the South, too.

Almost every food craving of an Ilonggo can be satisfied with Marina’s extensive menu. Dinuguan at puto, pancit molo and special batchoy can be eaten for a filling snack. Even those distinct red and white canisters of Panaderia de Molo biscuits are for sale. Pretty soon even the chewy butter-scotch bars will be available.

As I happily feasted on the plate of baked oysters, I wondered about the origins of this seven-month old restaurant. RP Gorriceta gladly filled me in with the details.

In search of a steady source of income to augment their rice business in Iloilo in 1987, RP’s father, Ross Gorriceta, came up with the brilliant idea of putting up a restaurant right in their one-hectare property in the city. As lovers of seafood, the family enjoyed spending their Sundays eating by Villa Beach. The family matriarch, Marina, was a good cook, hence the seafood restaurant was named after her. Ross Gorriceta explained to his two sons that if the business fails, they would have at least built a house right in the middle of the city (15 minutes away from their San Miguel home).

To this day, the Gorricetas still have no house in the city; instead they have several successful restaurants: the original 15-year-old branch comfortably seating as many as 2,000 people; a seven-year-old tourist haunt in Lahug, Cebu; several outlets in food courts in Iloilo and Cebu; the Ortigas branch and a one-month-old branch in Jupiter, Makati.