Food, Restaurants

More Than Just Crab at Bob’s Crab Shack

For a long time now, I’ve wanted to try Bob’s Crab Shack along Aguirre Avenue, and only one has thing stopped me: I am allergic to crab. Oh, alright… I’m not even that sure I’m actually allergic to it—I may have tried it once or twice before and started to get itchy and all—the truth of the matter is, I don’t like the way it tastes, and an allergy is a convenient excuse as any not to have to eat it. So why bother eating at a restaurant that specializes in the stuff? Well, they had to serve something that wasn’t crab, so this weekend I dragged my sister and her husband along (my sister also claims an allergy and her husband really doesn’t have a strong preference either way) to try it.

Thankfully, our idea of lunch was much later than anybody else’s, so we arrived at the restaurant around 3PM to find it free of crab-eating patrons (I don’t particularly like the way crab smells, either, and I can smell things from across a room, so it was nice that we were the only ones there). Despite my lack of enthusiasm for the specialty of the house, I enjoyed the concept and the fun interiors, which featured crab shells signed by diners strung out all over the place. The restaurant had a homey, beachy, pub-like feel to it, complete with various laid back details, like fish nets strung across the tables and benches, tables resting on stacked softdrink cases, and a cheeky sign in the bathroom that proclaimed, “stains are part of the restaurant’s concept.” It was all very reminiscent of The Krusty Krab, minus the cranky owner and the yellow fry cook.

I imagine this would be a good place for a round of drinks, especially for people avoiding the usual beerhouse crowds (with great BF-low prices too, with drinks from P25 (SMB) to P28 (SML)). Sit next to the display of calling cards hooked to a swathe of fish net and you can spend hours entertaining yourself searching the lot for someone familiar. Plus, there’s a dart board in the corner, so I guess there will always be something to do. The place has the sort of atmosphere that encourages boisterous conversation with friends and family.

Apparently they used to have a large tank where diners could choose the star of their meal, but when we visited all that was left was a smallish tank with fish (that were there mostly for decoration and not for eating, I think). No pointing at the tank for us, in any case… we just planned to use the menu, which was promising—they had Mexican items and hearty meat and veggie dishes in addition to crab and seafood.

We got O-Rings (P99) to start with, my sister had the Sizzling Special BB Pork Ribs (P199), I opted for Bob’s Fish & Chips (P149), and my brother in law gamely got the Crab Torta (P269), so at least we had a representative crab sample on the table. We also had their bottomless iced tea, which had a blend of lemon and raspberry flavors—well worth it at only 45 bucks.

We made quick work of the onion rings—they hadn’t been on the table for more than a few minutes before they disappeared. The batter was smooth—none of the usual breadcrumbs—and the mayo dip was excellent and unique, with a bit of paprika and what tasted like cumin and crushed chili peppers mixed in. Perfect for pulutan, to strengthen my inuman theory.

The pork ribs were a bit gamey and not consistent in quality—one rib was better than the other. By the time it got to our table, it was no longer sizzling, so maybe it may have tasted better piping hot. One of the articles on the wall described this as being among their best dishes, and while it was alright, it wasn’t exactly mind-blowing, either.

The fish and chips came with the same mayo sauce as the onion rings, so that was a huge plus for me. The chips tasted home-cooked, the way we used to make them, with lots of black pepper, crisp on the outside and slightly soggy inside (I even thought they were camote chips at first, which brought forth a wave of even more nostalgia). The fish itself was not as tender as I was used to for fish and chips, but then the grain was thick, and it had the texture of tuna (though I’m not really sure what kind of fish they used), so that was understandable.

As for the crab torta, I’ll keep my ignorant mouth shut on this one… except to say that it tasted like crab, hahaha. I do plan to come back soon with someone who does like crab in tow, so we can post an informed opinion about their crab, which has gotten rave reviews from the dailies and their diners, if the crab shells on the wall were any indication. I’m also looking forward to trying their Mexican dishes, which they claim is “real authentic Mexican food.”

All in all, I guess I shouldn’t have waited this long to try out Bob’s… the food is reasonably priced and hearty, and the ambiance is comfortingly barok and ties in perfectly with their concept (you’ve got to love these people’s sense of humor… outside the restaurant there’s a sign that says “At Bob’s, it’s OK to have crabs,” or something to that effect). There’s obviously a lot to be had for crab lovers, but there’s a lot for the crab-averse as well.

Bob’s Crab Shack
75 Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes Parañaque
807-6955, (0917) 880-9479
Restaurant hours: 11AM – 11PM

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