Karlo Pacana
Ocean Garden Seafood Restaurant Review
Looking for one of the best seafood restaurants in Cebu? On a budget yet craving for fresh crabs and lobsters cooked to perfection? Interested to try out the ‘sutukil’ culinary experience?
The King of Sinulog is off to Ocean Garden Seafood Restaurant in A.S. Fortuna Street in Mandaue, known for serving the freshest seafood from glass tanks directly to the iron pan and also one of the pioneers of the ‘turo-turo’ concept. This popular restaurant once located in Lahug is now on its new location near J Centre Mall. Read on why this restaurant was worth visiting during the #CebuFoodCrawl.
Getting there
From Mactan Cebu International Airport, tell the taxi driver to take you to Bakilid in Mandaue. The restaurant is located a few meters after J Centre Mall on a side street on your right beside Nonki Restaurant. The location has an ample parking space that could accommodate about 15 vehicles.
Ambiance
The restaurant has a modern look with a classic touch perfect for family gatherings and corporate events. There’s an outdoor deck by the parking lot that could accommodate 30 people in one setting. Before entering, you’ll see an iconic marble fountain erected by the entrance. Once inside, you’ll see the fresh display of meat and seafood where you have the option to request how a certain dish is to be prepared. The restaurant has three dining areas inside capable of accommodating more than 80 people divided by white brick walls with varying design patterns and populated with hardwood chairs and shiny marble tables. Shell artworks are plastered on the walls as well.
Food
Upon sitting, we were offered their garden refresher, a concoction of lemon, cucumber and mint which really cleansed our palate.
By the way, Ocean Garden serves Filipino and International Cuisine with mostly seafood options on their menu. Under Bounties of the Sea, we tried one dish per category.
For our starters, we had Baked Scallops at PHP150 with which you can really savor the garlic with melted cheese.
We had the Spanish-style Milkfish at PHP155 which is by far the best home-made sardines in oil I’ve tasted in comparison with those sold in supermarkets. The flavor and spiciness was just right without the fish smell.
We then had the Sinanglay na Isda at PHP185 which was a sure hit. Cream dory wrapped in pechay leaves in rich creamy coconut milk sauce. No dish could go wrong with this combination.
We also had the Calamares at PHP110 /100g and Shrimp Tempura at PHP130 /100 g. Deep-fried dishes perfectly paired with tartare and teriyaki sauce.
The last seafood dish was the Chili Crabs at PHP120/100g cooked in sweet chili sauce which was a winner with my food buddies but was too sweet for my palate.
Under the Pork category, we tried out their Pork BBQ at PHP50/stick, which was good with the sauce but a bit expensive for me.
Under the Chicken category, we had the Golden Honey Chicken at PHP220 which was tender and sweet with corns and carrots on the sides.
For our greens, we tried out their Mixed Vegetables with Scallops at PHP225, a combination of carrots, baby corn, button mushroom, broccoli, cauliflower and scallops sautéed in rich oyster sauce which was a bit expensive for me.
For our sweet endings, we had their Cinnamon Pudding at PHP45 and it was heavenly.
Before heading home, we also tried out their Guyabano shake made from sour sop concentrate which was full of antioxidants.
Price
A typical meal for two would cost around PHP400, not bad for a seafood restaurant. If you’d ask me price to value wise, I’d gladly dine here with a big group since they have generous servings as well.
Service
By the time we were there, the staffs were very accommodating. Our food was served hot and on time. The manager was also very hands-on as well.
Overall, if you’re looking for a seafood experience that you’ll never forget, try Ocean Garden. One bite, and you’ll get hooked. Later!
