Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue in Terminal 8, Marikina - WTF Food Review

Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue in Terminal 8, Marikina - WTF Review
Authentic smoked ribs and bucket-full of seafood, this is madness!
Disclaimer: This review is sponsored by Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are our own and not influenced by the restaurant, owner(s) and/or its affiliates, in any way.

We are not a fan of food parks, my wife and I, mainly because it's crowded and loud but most people love them and it's turning into a craze as we see parks booming left and right. I realized that food parks are great if you want to discover unique foods/dishes because most of the food joints that you can find there are start-ups. That's where we came across Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue in Terminal 8, Marikina. Terminal 8 Food Park & Lifestyle Hub is one of the newest-ish food parks in town, it's an open-air, two-story food wonderland and located in this haven is one of the best seafood and barbecue joint we've ever been.

Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue in Terminal 8, Marikina - WTF Review
Terminal 8 Food Park & Lifestyle Hub
Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue's story is filled with hardships and inspiration, it started when Chef Wacky was influenced by an American guy who cooked smoked fish with Cajun using coconut shell. Thinking about the unique way of cooking, he joined a competition bringing his take on that Cajun dish he saw, he was able to win the first prize. Fast forwards a couple of years later, it was 2008 when her daughter, Hailey was born and ever since then his motivation was higher than ever and named this restaurant after his daughter.
Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue in Terminal 8, Marikina - WTF Review
Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue in Terminal 8, Marikina
When WTF received an invite from Mr. Romar Cumlat (one of the owners), we did not hesitate and accepted their invitation. It was one fine Sunday evening when we arrived in Terminal 8 which is not crowded at that time, probably because it was the day after Typhoon Ompong struck Luzon and everyone is still patching things up.

Since Romar is based abroad, the restaurant is managed by Chef Marvin Acebuche and Angela "Gelai" Capili. They've welcomed us with a smile and Chef Marvin quickly gave me a rundown on what's going to happen. I'm with my wife, daughter and for today's guest critic, my brother Ulysses II who has a passion for eating as well.
Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue in Terminal 8, Marikina - WTF Review
Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue's Menu
We settled on the second floor to get a better view of the entirety of the park while we are waiting for our food and yep, after a couple minutes of waiting, this gorgeous Gelai came with a bucket full of seafood goodness.
Mixed Seafood Cajun Bucket in Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue in Terminal 8, Marikina - WTF Review
Mixed Seafood Cajun Bucket (PHP399)
My wife and I are seafood lovers and this dish is a quintessential sight for our eyes. The presentation was just phenomenal and the way those mud crabs hang in the side will surely make you drool. The Cajun sauce provides that vibrant color that makes the presentation more fantastic. The Mixed Seafood Cajun Bucket (PHP399) for me is good for 3 to 4 persons and can be an entree or just a great beer partner.
Mixed Seafood Cajun Bucket and Tiger beer in Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue
Mixed Seafood Cajun Bucket and Tiger beer, what a perfect night.
The bucket is not full though, they've placed a foil just enough to give the dish a grandiose facade though it will be better if they put boiling water on the bottom to make it warm for a longer period. The mussels are amazingly fresh so as the shrimps, but what stands out are the baby octopus and their mud crabs. They are cooked perfectly, the crab has that seafood taste when you're sipping its juices and the octopus has that soft and bold taste. All of these are bound together with their Cajun sauce and I must say, it's spicy, it's savory and it's so damn good! Their homemade Cajun seasoning is way beyond perfection as it gave the dish that subtle flavor. You know what's the best part though? It's when you remove everything only to find this oasis of Cajun goodness laying in the bottom.  Scoop it out, put it on your rice, I don't care it's just damn good.
Sizzling Bulalo (PHP180) in Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue in Terminal 8, Marikina - WTF Review
Sizzling Bulalo (PHP180)
From one all-star dish to another crowd favorite, Sizzling Bulalo (PHP180). We are all familiar with your typical but yummy bulalo and I must admit, it's hard to compete with the traditional way of cooking it. Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue really made a bold move on this dish as one mistake and this dish will end up being just "some other sizzling makeover". Instead of having a bowl of hot soup, you'll have this rich and savory gravy. The unique taste of it comes from the actual beef stock itself that gives the gravy that piquant quality on it. The beef is shredded for presentation and they are very tender and juicy.
Mixed Seafood Cajun Bucket and Sizzling Bulalo in Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue in Terminal 8, Marikina - WTF Review
Mixed Seafood Cajun Bucket and Sizzling Bulalo.
The bone marrow is the pièce de résistance of the dish, it's crisp on the outside but grainy and savory on the inside. The crispiness of the marrows exterior due to the addition of butter as a finishing touch added that fried-ish look on its exterior and added a layer of crust to it.
Sizzling Suso (PHP145) in Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue in Terminal 8, Marikina - WTF Review
Sizzling Suso (PHP145)
If there's one thing that my brother hates, it's escargot or suso in Tagalog. He can't just stand the fishy and icky taste of it especially when cooked traditionally (Ginataang Suso) but I must thank Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue as I watch my brother, who does not like suso, just devoured the Sizzling Suso (PHP145) like nothing. He also can't believe that he is eating suso as the butter and seasoning just masked the pungent earthy taste on it (which I like by the way). The dish is perfectly seasoned but I find it incomplete because as you go through the dish you'll feel that you need something acidic to counteract the oiliness of the dish, albeit they've provided one calamansi, I think it's not enough, there should be at least a vinegar or a squeeze of lemon just to finish the dish to give it a little tangy kick on it.
Smoked Baby Back Ribs (PHP220) in Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue in Terminal 8, Marikina - WTF Review
Smoked Baby Back Ribs (PHP220)
Their crowning glory, Smoked Baby Back Ribs (PHP220). I'm not a fan of baby back ribs but I've tried dozens of them from the different restaurant and I just can't seem to find love for it, it's very sweet and feels like a dry piece of meat after a couple of minutes of being served. And some restaurants priced their ribs like freaking high - like "what the hell?", I am aware that it's a "rib" and it should be expensive but the quality does not equate to the price they're asking.

Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue's very own Smoked Baby Back Ribs is a game-changer, firstly, this dish looks expensive, grand and just straight-up gorgeous. It's freakishly large compared to other restaurants, that's just the aesthetic part of it though, the taste is just phenomenal.
Mrs. WTF with our little princess in Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue
Mrs. WTF with our little princess, look at the size of that rib.
Looks can be deceiving though? It may look beautiful at first but when you actually tried a dish, it's game over. But their Smoked Baby Back Ribs is exceptional, it's full of flavor, juicy, smokey and tender. Chef Marvin told us that they did not boil the ribs, they just smoke the thing for full 6-8 hours which is amazing as few restaurants who claim that they have the "top ribs" in the Philippines just to find out that the ribs are commercially made. Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue stepped up and showed the big boys in the market that they are doing it wrong, smoking the ribs is the way to go.
Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue in Terminal 8, Marikina - WTF Review
Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue's Smoked Baby Back Ribs comes with corn and their homemade sauce.
The ribs are just bursting with flavors on every bite, it's just a party in your mouth. The smokey and charred flavor of the ribs just gives authenticity to it and the earthy-woody aftertaste just makes me feel like I'm outside, chilling under the sun while eating these ribs, it's just wonderfully relaxing. The sauce provided is the same sauce they use for basting to lock that juices inside the meat and to give it a nice subtlety on the exterior.

They are using their in-house smoker on the back of the park (thanks Chef for showing it to me!) and I was amazed at how dedicated Chef Marvin is when it comes to making every dish he's serving full of flavor and passion. I commend Gelai, as well as I've seen her running back and forth (since it's only her and Chef Marvin who runs the place) but she still manages to keep her gorgeous smile on the fly.

I've recommended to Chef Marvin that since they are using regular coals for smoking, it will be a game-changer if they use specialty woods, that will make this dish "DA BOMB". Their Smoked Baby Back Ribs is just wonderful, straight out of paradise and will just give you euphoria after eating.
Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue in Terminal 8, Marikina - WTF Review
Seafood bucket goodness, a new take on the old school, unique way of eating escargot and just dying with happiness by their smoked ribs, just epic.
It was a fantastic experience dining in with Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue. I can see them having their own restaurant in the future although we must admit that the competition in the food industry is very stiff and you need to have something that you can proudly represent your brand. Their smoked baby back ribs are exceptional and perfect, the mixed seafood Cajun bucket is top-notch and can compete with the big players out there. Given more time and exposure, these guys will be owning the game. The food is great, the service is awesome and just the sheer passion that they are showing on the work they do is just moving.
Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue in Terminal 8, Marikina - WTF Review
Team Hailey's: Gelai and Chef Marvin with Team WTF: Mr. WTF, Mrs. WTF, baby WTF, and our guest critic, Ulysses II
  • Place 
    • The place is outdoors so it's good and maybe a bad thing because if it rains, the first floor of the park will be unusable and for sure the second floor will be packed.
    • There is parking outside the park and there is also an attendant that will secure and look for your car.
    • If you are looking for a place on the second floor, make sure to avoid sitting on top of the burger/steak joints as most of their grills are located at the back of their respective stalls, the smoke from the grill can go up and blow on your seats. We've seen it happened.
  • Service 
    • It's just outstanding. Gelai is really attentive and keeps a keen smile every time she'll service someone. Chef Marvin, even if he's busy he'll attend to your every question.
  • Price 
    • The price is what sets them different, the serving size is a bang for your buck already and the quality of the food and the outstanding service, it's worth every penny.
    • Try their Seafood Bucket, Barkada Promo, and their Smoked Ribs, order a beer, enjoy your night!
Let's rate them, shall we?
Food: 5/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Value for money: 5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5

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Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
Hailey's Seafood and Barbecue in Terminal 8, Marikina - WTF Review
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Location: Terminal 8 Food Park and Lifestyle Hub, Marikina City, Philippines
Operating Hours: 4:00 PM - 12:00 MN
Contact Number: +632 9550475192

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