San Jose Market, Tacloban

It's a small wet market by the southern edge of Cancabato Bay. On 'google maps', it is the Talipapa behind the St. Joseph Church in Brgy 85, San Jose, Tacloban City. There is (now) a breakwater, considered a promenade by the locals, because of a wonderful sunset view.

Many folks call this place Talipapa - that Tagalog term is starting to get "nationalized" haha! But today I found out, this place is a good alternative source of fresh sea produce!

Not that I particularly needed to buy fish nor anything food. I just tagged along with one of our drivers in Tacloban, who incidentally is a very good cook. He was on the prowl for the freshest fish and other seafoods. I said "let me go with you" (to catch some sunset)!

Cloudy day. The sky did not show much of its usual golden hues (see pics above)...

But some of the fish I saw were gold! Wow! They must look fantastic under the sea!

I learned, that most of the produce sold here, arrive late afternoons to early evenings. And, our driver-chef started whispering things like... "you see that man over there? he is the chef at bla bla blah hotel", "the man behind you is owner of bla bla blah restaurant", "the lady looking for 'pasayan' (shrimps) is a judge", "this is my kumpare, cook at bla bla blah parish"! Oh ha, and aha! So this is where most of the big shots buy their fish! Shhh!

I don't know about fishy things, I just know how to eat them!

But I liked it that vendors here allowed me, even helped me take photos of their fish!

These ones, they told me, are good as "tinola" or "sinugba". Yum yum yummy yum yum!

That red thing, I know, is Lapu-lapu! {drool drool} Oh my laway!

I also like the small fish at right (bolinaw?) - either fried as patties or "kinilaw"!

I was dumbfounded, speechless, and all the juices in my mouth started flowing... Squid!

Some of them were still alive and kept changing hues from white to pink to red! Hey, I did not even know squid can also do that! I thought only octopus can change colors!

I did notice that everything sold here seemed a bit more expensive that those at the city public market. My diver-chef told me indeed it is, but there is a technique - let somebody else (a local preferably) do the buying - not us the visitors! So my friends from the development world who are not Taclobanons (especially the foreigners), take heed hehe!

That is how I discovered the San Jose Market. Let's go elsewhere next!

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