Sophia’s Villa Seafood Dampa Palutuan

When we say “Dampa,” what comes to mind are the seafood restaurants in Baclaran where customers can buy fresh seafood at the wet market and have the restaurants cook it for a fee. To date, there are a number of Dampa-style restaurants in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. The latest we have discovered is Sophia’s Villa in Pasig City.

We came to discover Sophia’s Villa back in December last year since this is where my department held its Christmas get together. I was impressed with the food and most especially how inexpensive the meals were even with the cooking fee. So I promised Mami and Rap that we’d come back.

We finally had the chance to visit the place on our own one quiet Sunday night. Since most of its clients are those working in Pasig and nearby Ortigas, Sophia’s Villa can be crowded on weekday lunches and Friday nights.

That Sunday, we almost had the place to our own save for a few tables and nipa huts with families also having a quiet dinner like us.  We did not stay in a hut (where there’s an extra charge of Php 100) but instead settled in the main dining area.

We bought crabs and talakitok at the restaurant’s market. While waiting for the dishes to be cooked, we took time to have some photos taken by the small pond.

Here are the dishes we ordered:

We “demolished” everything in no time. As expected, the Butter Garlic Crabs were a hit. The server said that it’s their bestselling dish. Meanwhile, the Sinigang na Talakitok was a practical choice because it provided us with soup and veggies. Nothing spectacular about the taste, though. My wife can whip up a meaner sinigang. :p

We also ordered a bowl of  plain rice (Php 100) which was already good for the four of us (the three of us plus my aunt) and a 1.5 liter of Sprite (Php 100).

Sophia’s Villa is a good place to dine if you love seafood and would love to dine in a homey atmosphere where you can just eat with your bare hands. It’s perfect for large groups because the cooking fee is the same regardless of how many kilos of seafood or meat you ask them to cook. It would be better, though, to go there for lunch when the seafood is still sold fresh in their market.

Sophia’s Villa Seafood Dampa Palutuan is located at Capt. Javier St., Oranbo, Pasig City (beside Crisanta Towers and in front of Nipa Hut). For inquiries and reservations, you can call 477-5519, 4000-900, or 0917-5756914. They also have a branch in Pasay City.

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