In Manila, Mike Shanin visits a local fresh seafood market where he selects various seafood items and takes them to a restaurant to be cooked to his preference. He experiences the local culture, meets friendly locals who invite him to their home for a meal, and enjoys a variety of freshly cooked seafood dishes at the market's restaurant. The day is filled with new friendships, delicious food, and cultural immersion.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Mike Shanin is in Manila.
2. He visits a fresh seafood market where seafood is caught locally.
3. Customers pick out seafood and take it to a restaurant of their choice for cooking.
4. The market sells live seafood, vegetables, and toys.
5. The seafood available includes cuttlefish, shrimp, lobster, and more.
6. The market does not have a strong fishy smell.
7. Mike encounters a fish that looks like a rainbow fish, possibly mahi-mahi.
8. He meets someone from Saudi Arabia at the market.
9. The Saudi individual invites Mike to his house for a meal.
10. They cook salmon with tomato, garlic, chili, shallots, and tomato paste.
11. Pine nuts are added to rice for flavor.
12. The meal includes a dish called tapsa, a traditional Saudi Arabian dish.
13. Mike describes the rice as fluffy and aromatic with raisins.
14. He expresses gratitude for the hospitality received at the Saudi individual's home.
15. Back at the seafood market, Mike selects various seafood including clams and crab.
16. He negotiates the price for a jumbo crab from 1250 to 850.
17. At Hong Kong master cook restaurant, he brings his selected seafood for cooking.
18. The restaurant is busy, indicating popularity.
19. Mike orders his seafood to be cooked in different styles including citron style and salt egg yolk style.
20. He describes the crab as the freshest he's ever had and mentions it being tender and spicy.
21. Sea grapes are served as an ocean salad with onions and tomatoes.
22. Clams are cooked in black bean sauce which Mike enjoys with rice.
23. Prawns are described as sweet and bouncy, indicating freshness.
24. A fish is cooked citron style surrounded by spices and garlic.
25. The last dish is a salted egg giant crab which Mike enhances with a salty duck egg.
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