A friendly reminder to dampa-goers...

A post was made by alfred1311 of tipidpc.com complaining about over-charging at a paluto restaurant at the Baywalk of Mall of Asia. The said establishment is called Aling Marsha's. Paluto restaurants are very popular nowadays where you get to pick and choose for yourself the ingredients for the dish you want cooked direct from the market or talipapa. This way you are sure that the fish and/or meat used in the dish is very fresh, including other ingredients. Usual rates are 150-200 pesos of cooking charge for every kilo of meat/fish.

Here's the link of the tipidpc.com thread: click me

We are also victims of this same modus on two separate accounts. One was at a popular paluto at Macapagal and the other one at a paluto at MOA. On some of these restos the waiters offer to buy the ingredients for you. A big no-no because the waiter may add 10-20 bucks per kilo on the actual cost of the ingredient or this same waiter may be a suki and ask the tindera to alter the receipt. I also heard that once in the kitchen they switch the ingredients you bought with their own stock. One funny thing I read sometime ago is that one time a group went there and bought a kilo of chicken wings and asked it to be cooked, once served they noticed there is this one piece of leg. Chili legs! Haha.

Personally, we shy away from these kind of establishments. Yes the ingredients may be fresh and is hand picked by you yet the premium is too high a price. 150 pesos per kilo is plainly not justified in my book. Yes I'm cheap, yet in this instance I don't consider myself to be cheap but practical. I'd rather go to Gerry's or Dencio's. Dishes from these restos can down you 150-200 bucks an order.

Here's a few reminders to make your experience in these restos worthwile:

1. Buy ingredients yourself. Don't let the waiter do this for you.
2. Before entering the establishment, ask how much is the rate for having your food cooked. Also ask for discounts, they usually give 10-20% discount on the cooking charge.
3. Once cooked and served, check the amount of meat you have on the dishes. If you're OC count the number of shrimp's in that sinigang or tempura.
4. Check the bill thoroughly. Add up everything yourself and check for additional charges like service charge and tax. Don't hesitate to bring out your calculator or phone when you have to.