Alabang favorite reopens in new home
When restaurant owner Raymund Magdaluyo and his business partners opened Cangrejos Locos in Alabang in early 2020, they instantly knew they had a hit on their hands. The menu featured Spanish fare that was heavy on the seafood, a long-time business of the Magdaluyo clan.
Their chef de cuisine was Robby Goco, executive chef at both Cyma and Souvi by Cyma, two popular restaurants serving Greek food. “We knew it would be good, and it was. In fact, we sold a record 270 paellas in just one day,” Goco told Lifestyle recently.
But then the pandemic hit, halting dine-in operations altogether. The restaurant shifted to delivery only, and at one point, was able to sell 230 paellas in one day. But this wasn’t enough to sustain the fledgling business, and they eventually had to close down the original branch in Molito.
Earlier this month, Cangrejos Locos reopened, but this time in Alabang West Parade. The menu, according to Goco, has been condensed, although the paellas and tapas are still there.
“It’s still about bringing friends and families together where they can drink sangria and share a paella or two. We’re able to keep prices reasonable because we’re very efficient. We don’t scrimp, but we also make sure that we get the most out of our ingredients,” the chef said.
Made fresh daily
He then pointed out how their sofrito—the flavorful base of many dishes that consists of sautéed aromatics like garlic, onions, and peppers—is made fresh daily, ensuring freshness. Right now, there are four to choose from, namely Mariscos, saffron paella or fideua with red fish fillet, shrimps, clams, and mussels; Negra, squid ink paella with squid, shrimps, clams, mussels and flat beans; Valenciana, the classic chicken paella with flat beans and green beans; and Carne Asada con Medulla, slow-roasted beef short plate paella with broiled bone marrow.
Magdaluyo said that four more options will be added to the mix. He has his hands full with more restaurant openings planned in the next few months, including one crustacean-heavy concept named Sipit Central that will offer Austronesian seafood options.
Goco also has a lot on his plate as chef de cuisine for some of these dining concepts. As Magdaluyo pointed out, “90 percent of the recipes” at Cangrejos Locos are all Goco’s.
During a sneak preview held on the eve of the Alabang West Parade opening, we sampled some of the dishes, including a deliciously garlicky Gambas al Ajillo, sizzling shrimps sautéed in garlic, olive oil, paprika, and chili; Panza de Res al Horno, slow-roasted USDA beef short plate served over crispy patatas bravas; and Pollo Frito Loco, fried chicken confit served with costillas sauce. The hands-down favorite that night was the gambas. Someone quipped that all this Spanish appetizer needed was a side order of steaming white rice—the better to sop up all that garlic-infused oil.
We also got to try two paellas, Valenciana and Negra. Both were good, but the paellera (flat-bottomed pan) in which the Valenciana was cooked and placed at our table was scraped clean.
One item that needed a bit of tweaking, however, was the churros served with a small bowl of chocolate sauce. The fritters were a bit undercooked and soggy in the center—but nothing that can’t be remedied with Magdaluyo and Goco at the helm of Alabang’s returning fave.
