Part two of the BAHAY Buffet experience: a visit to BAGA at Lakefront, Paranaque City

BAGA (Barbecuers' and Grillers' Association) Manila was a well-known fixture in Makati City. It's the ingenious brainchild of Miss Dawn Mawis. It has seen commercial success in Makati for a while. For a number of years, they have been regularly serving up a night food market in the area. However, unforeseen circumstances have prompted them to transfer to Paranaque to continue the business. As a blogger, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit their new site in the area. After our July 18, 2015, Bahay Buffet experience in MoCa Farm, our group went straight to the BAGA Night Food market located at Lakefront, a Vista Land residential development located in front of the scenic Laguna de Bay.

Our agenda this time was to experience the culinary specialties prepared by BAGA's concessionaires. They are mostly eateries and entrepreneurs within the Paranaque area who are willing to showcase their dishes. There are about 18 food and drink stalls in the area. About 4-6 of these stalls offer grilled specialties in line with the spirit of BAGA Manila as a barbecuer's haven. Some of these include Donna's grill and Sogah grill.

Other stalls offter a pinch of variety, though. There's one that sells juice drinks. Another concessionaire, Liquid Mobile Bar is the sole proprietor of alcoholic drinks in the area. There's also a unique stall that cooks teppanyaki fresh on the spot. For Chinese food lovers, a Hainanese chicken stall serves the palate. The obligatory shawarma stall is also there, along with chicken wings. For burger lovers, a stall serves Jamaican burger patties complete with a load of spices. Those craving for light snacks can find some in a nachos stall beside them.

The venue, though, is in sharp contrast to the hustle and bustle of Makati. The area expresses a very laid back and chill atmosphere, together with the occasional cool breeze. The venue wasn't complete without a wide space compete with a huge, grassy field and a residential subdivision in front of the venue. To shield the customers from the harsh elements, BAGA has placed a good number of white tents together with the wooden dining tables and chairs. Apart from a semi indoor dining area, the place also boasts of outdoor tables complete with lanterns to illuminate the venue during the night.

After observing the place, BAGA showed us its generosity by offering us the ubiquitous specialties, namely: barbecue and isaw. These were provided by Donna's grill and Sogah Grill. We had a helping of these together with fruit juices from one of the concessionaires. The taste was truly excellent. Top class grilled meat was really given to us. This was in sharp contrast to Manila based grillhouses with highly commercialized and subpar barbecues. Donna's grill, for one, served us meat grilled to perfection. There wasn't a lot of burned areas, and the meat didn't not have a rubbery texture. On the contrary, it was firm and tender. The taste was just right. The sauce wasn't sweet enough to overpower the taste of meat. On the other hand, these two elements combined together to produce a really good mix of grilled flavors. Sogah grill, on the other hand, produced a barbecue with softer texture and a sweeter sauce. It was easier to bite due to the smaller cuts of meat. Both of these barbecues were good with spiced vinegar. I didn't try the isaw due to my dietary preferences, though. Overall, the food lives up to the establishment's reputation as one of the South's rising informal dining bazaars.

I do thank Miss Gigi Mawis and the BAGA team for their dedication and commitment in planning this event. I do appreciate the fact that they invited me and generously gave me an experience that I won't forget.

The city of Paranaque has a lot of hole-in-the wall eateries that are becoming popular; and BAGA Manila is fast becoming one of them. I do urge you to visit and support it when you're in the South.

You can visit BAGA Manila at their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BAGAManila?fref=ts

The establishment is open from 4pm -12 mn , Thursdays to Sundays. It is located at Lakefront Sucat. To get there, one can take the Sucat Exit at the SLEX. The venue is at the back of the Lakefront Restaurant complex.

The story in pictures: