Restaurant Review: Marina Oysters Seafood Grill

My husband and I were definitely wrong when we thought that we had already tried all the restaurants in Robinsons Manila. The mall is undergoing renovation and a major revamp as some of the stores and restaurants have been getting a new home. If I remember it correctly, Marina was initially located at the second level of Midtown Wing. That part is currently under construction so they moved to the fifth level instead. I am not sure what took us so long to try it. But as the saying goes, “Better late than never.”

Hubby and I first tried Marina one Friday afternoon after watching Guardians of the Galaxy. And because we loved the food, we decided to come back the following Sunday to let the Kolokoy Household try it, too!

Hubby opted to have the Sizzling Bangus. I was just as surprised as he was when we saw how big the serving is. Hubby thought that it would just be small chunks of bangus served on a sizzling plate. He probably got this idea since anything sizzling is synonymous to our local sisig! Haha!


They used boneless bangus for this dish, which is a plus factor because I’m too lazy to take out the fishbones while eating. No matter how the milkfish is cooked, the belly is my favorite part. I make sure to eat this on the latter part of the meal so I can savor its richness. I know a lot of people who shy away from eating this saying that the taste is overpowering, probably because of the fat. So imagine my delight when this was served to us. This is one tasty bangus! The meat is very tender and juicy too. It’s topped with lots of garlic which added a different depth of flavor.

I picked Lola Marina’s Chicken & Ribs. This meal comes with soup, unlimited rice and unlimited iced tea. Don’t you agree that it’s already a steal for PHP299? It’s already good for two people. Just get an extra serving of rice and a glass of iced tea, and you’ll have a meal for two for PHP300+ only! (You can share the unlimited rice and iced tea, but that is considered cheating! Haha!)


The fried chicken may look so ordinary, but it becomes an entirely different kind of dish when dipped in the gravy. The gravy does not taste like the usual gravies that we get from fast food restaurants.

The meat of the ribs is very tender. It’s sweet and tangy. And just like the sizzling bangus, it was also served with the special Marina sauce! Ohhhemgeeee! It’s the best-tasting sauce ever. I initially thought that it was just a simple soy sauce and vinegar combination, but there were a lot of things going on in my palates when I got to taste it. Hubby guessed that there must be ginger in it. It has a hint of sweetness, so I’m thinking that it has sugar too.

And as I mentioned earlier, we went back two days after with the entire family. My husband and my brother took charge of ordering. They just picked those with the tags “Must Try” and “Bestseller” on the menu. Haha!

We started our dinner with this giant serving of Marina Seafood Soup.


This soup with rich and creamy broth is infused with so much flavors coming from the different kinds of seafood. It has shellfish, fish, shrimps and crabs! It was the perfect way to jumpstart our dinner slash seafood fest!

Next on the list is the Marina Marlin Sisig. I’m not really a big fish-eater. And I’m not really a fan of marlin because I find it bland. But for the first time, I got to eat it without whining! I’m thinking it’s probably because this one is spicy. Hihi!

And since we are all lovers of spicy food, we also tried Lola Marina’s Sizzling Spicy Squid. Whether it’s fried or served on a sizzling plate, we make it a point to get spicy squid when it’s present on the menu. Pardon the space on the sizzling plate. They started to dig in even before I could take a photo of it! Haha!


The squid is very tender. And yes, it’s very, very, very spicy. This was actually wiped off. Even the vegetables were gone in no time.

To put a break to our seafood madness, my brother suggested we get one of their bestsellers - The Marina Lechon Kawali. This crispy pork belly is paired with tasty gravy on the side. If I’m not mistaken, it’s also the same gravy that was used for the fried chicken. I won’t be boring you with words describing how good this is. I mean, can something go wrong with lechon kawali?! :p

Hubby and I shared this glass of sago’t gulaman, which according to the menu is another bestseller. It’s not too sweet, and it was the perfect way to clean my palates after all the spicy food I ingested. Haha! (Don’t mind my husband at the background. He wanted to cover his face, and the plate was the first thing his hands could grab. Haha!)

Aside from the delicious food at Marina Oysters Seafood Grill, their service is impeccable too. All the staff members are very efficient and accommodating. They also know their products very well. Marina Oysters Seafood Grill is a perfect place to bring your family for a gastronomic treat. And if you’re in the mood for a bucket (or buckets) of beer, this is the place for you too.


Marina Oysters Seafood Grill
Level 5 Midtown Wing
Robinsons Place Manila