MANILA -- Red Crab’s Alimango House brings your crab favorites to your home!

Filled with bestsellers and dishes from the vault, Alimango House’s limited crab tray menu has something for everyone craving for crustacean comfort at home.

“Napansin rin namin that crabs are top of mind for simple Sunday gatherings, or special occasions. Recently, we've been trying to focus on more local flavors. We used Alimango House to distinguish it from the usual Asian or American [crab boil type] experience,” explained Raymond Magdaluyo, the restaurateur behind Red Crab’s Alimango House.

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Locals will have choices in spades in the menu. There’s the Crab Talipapa Tray, an umami-rich crabby romp flavored with copious amounts of garlic, dried and smoked fish, some cherry tomatoes for sweetness, acidity, and even more umami! The dish is finished with some dark rum, which brings the slightest bit of inconspicuous bitterness to the sauce that makes the dish irresistible with heaps of rice, and its accompanying salted egg ensalada.

“Throughout the 20-plus years, we’ve had so many dishes removed from the menu. For example, the Chavacano Crab. It's so funny because the original recipe was different. It was an accidental recipe, but what came out was much better. [Recently] I brought some to my mom and gustong gusto niya, and the Chavacano Crab is really inspired by my mom’s travels to Zamboanga,” said Magdaluyo.

Alimango House’s Chavacano Curry Crab Tray has crabs bathed in a rich turmeric coconut sauce. While reminiscent of the famous crab in Mindanao, the Alimango House’s version is its own thing — less sweet, more savory with the distinct taste of healthy turmeric.

Through the years, Magdaluyo has named and included favorite crab dishes requested by their family friends and regular customers in the menu. Crab Maritess, their signature dish is one of those dishes.

“A few months into being open, Maritess Revilla-Araneta, who was a regular customer, told the kitchen how she wanted her crabs done, and so we included it in the menu,” narrated Magdaluyo.

Crab Maritess is crabs cooked in olive oil, garlic, and white wine. The wine allows the natural sweetness of the crab to shine, tempering it with just the right amount of acidity. The garlic and the olive oil meld beautifully with the crab and makes you less guilty when you eat it with rice. While not as saucy as the other dishes, it’s still a rich decadent dish that remains a favorite of many for its simple and direct flavors.

Another "resurrected" dish named after someone is Ms. Bea’s Crab Beehoon Tray. The original recipe was created for the Red Crab branch in Palawan and named after the matriarch of the resort in El Nido.

“It’s a crab dish designed for the islands,” said Magdaluyo.

Bringing the island vibes into our landlocked homes, Ms. Bea’s Crab Beehon has crabs simmered in creamy stock enriched by milk, vegetables, and chorizo sausage. The bihon cooks in the stock and absorbs the milky crab flavor. It was a mad scramble to get as much bihon as one could when we had this dish. This is yhe author’s household’s favorite Alimango House tray and a must-try.

“We had to find the best sizes for our crab. We use 500 grammer crabs — 400 to 500 to 600 grammer crabs. I think this is the sweet spot. It’s value price – sulit siya!” said Magdaluyo.

Their trays start at 2 crabs per tray or 1 kilo of crabs at P1,850, but as per Magdaluyo, their bestselling trays are those at 1.5 kilos that start at P2,599.

Other dishes in the limited 10-dish Alimango House menu also include Red Crab’s versions of Asian favorites like Raymund’s Salt and Pepper Crab, Typhoon Shelter Crab, Malaysian Chili Kangkong Tray, and Szechuan Crab.

“Alimango House is about shaping the experience outside the restaurant. This pandemic forced us to pivot, all we can do is adapt. What I always do is go back to the menu. For me, the menu is where everybody meets. We only have 10 dishes in Alimango House, and while people are asking for more, we want to concentrate on these because they’re solid dishes… We want to concentrate on the things that people remember us by — which is crabs,” shared Magdaluyo.

Crab trays arrive hot, sealed, and labeled with reheating instructions. Order online through the Red Crab Group’s delivery website under Alimango House Trays.

The trays are also available for delivery or pickup from Red Crab’s branches in Tomas Morato, Quezon City and Greenbelt, Makati, their Instagram page, as well as via online food delivery apps like Foodpanda, Fooddala, and Pick.a.roo.