Manila: Corner Tree Cafe, best vegetarian restaurant in Makati

Corner Tree Cafe in Jupiter Street was an eye-opener for me to the world of vegetarian food. I've always thought vegetarian food was mostly composed of vegetables and everything bland. But that's changed going through their selection of vegetarian dishes.

For starters, I got the Corner Tree Starter Plate (1) which is basically dukka and white bean hummus, a personal favorite of mine. It's the first time I tried dukka, an Egyptian snack made of spices and ground nuts and served with extra virgin olive oil and chunks of whole wheat bread.

On their soup menu was something new, Spinach and Pechay Chowder (3) which is basically pureed leafy greens and potatoes with a dollop of organic yogurt on top. This was really good if I may say.

For my main course, I got two dishes. The first was North African Vegetable Stew (2) which is stew infused with saffron and Moroccan spices served over couscous topped with almonds and fresh coriander. On the side, they also serve some spicy harissa (the Moroccan version of hot sauce) and greens.

But my personal favorite is the Baked Tofu Walnut Burger, simply unbelievable! It's a burger patty made of baked tofu and walnuts of course, served in a whole wheat bun with mint yogurt sauce, with sweet potato fries and mayo on the side.

Although I wasn't able to try it, another best seller is the Kare-kareng Gulay which is served with organic red rice and you guessed it, vegetarian bagoong! Another must try is the Spaghettini with Brocolli and Pine Nuts. Vegans can omit parmesan cheese.

Corner Tree Café
150 Jupiter Street, Bel-Air Village, Makati
(02) 8970295 / (0917) 8481004

Top vegetarian restaurants in the Philippines

The top 10 vegetarian restaurants in the Philippines were named by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Four of the restaurants in the list are in Metro Manila, two in Baguio, and one each in Batangas, Boracay, and Palawan. Vegetarian food and restaurants will be another series in my blog. So watch out for it. Anyway, here's the list:

Corner Tree Café
150 Jupiter Street, Bel-Air Village, Makati
(02) 8970295 / (0917) 8481004

Greens Café and Restaurant
92 Scout Castor St., Quezon City
(02) 4154796 / 3762781

Daily Veggie N' Café
540 Banawe Street, Quezon City
(02) 7118209 / 7113214

Bodhi (also known as Evegreen)
SM Cubao, SM North EDSA, SM Megamall
SM South Mall, SM City Manila, SM Makati

Outside Metro Manila

Bliss Café
Hotel Elizabeth, Gibraltar Street corner J Felipe, Baguio City
(074) 6190367 / 09178464729

Azotea Greens
Second Floor, La Azotea Building, Session R, Baguio City

Hapilife Healthy Food Corner
8 Corpuz St., West Tapinac, Olongapo City
(0921) 8720258 / (047) 6110249

Ima's Gulay Bar
46 Fernandez Street, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
(0920) 5333210

Mandala Spa
Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan
(036) 2885858

The Farm
119 Barangay Tipakan, San Benito, Batangas
(02) 696-3795

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Corner Tree Cafe, best vegetarian restaurant in Makati

Tagaytay: Loumars, Ilog Maria, Bawai's Vietnamese, Chateau Hestia, Yoki's and Antonio's

Tagaytay is a favorite tourist destination because of its cool climate. It's a food haven, with its many restaurants, cafes and farms, plus a wonderful view of Taal Volcano. But it still keeps many secrets, some tucked deep in the outskirts of the city. Ultimate Philippines organizes regular food tours to Tagaytay.

The first stop in the morning is Loumars, best known for their buko pie tarts and mango crumble. And it's best freshly-baked and served hot from the oven. This is our pick for the best buko pie tarts in Tagaytay.

After Loumars, the group proceeded to Ilog Maria Bee Farm in Silang, Cavite, said to be the best bee farm in Luzon with a cult following. And their honey products such as soaps, shampoo, bath gel and the like are the main reason why people come back for more. Sad to say, they no longer have honey for consumption since global warming has taken its toll on the bees.

For lunch, we proceeded to Bawai's Vietnamese Kitchen, also in Silang, Cavite to sample authentic Vietnamese cuisine prepared by Bawai herself, a Vietnamese lady married to a local. We got to try out goi cuon (fresh Vietnamese rolls), and chao tom (pounded shrimps on sugar cane skewers) among others. It's open only on weekends and remember that it's strictly reservations if you want to eat at this place.

From there, we walked to nearby Chateau Hestia for dessert and to sample their limoncello, the best local wine made in Tagaytay.

Another afternoon stop was Yoki's Farm. It's quite a drive from Tagaytay. But this hydroponic farm is more popular for its collection of antiques, cultural items and other oddities, literally anything under the sun. Don't forget to take a lucky picture with what looks like the biggest Buddha in the country!

Of course, the farm produces a lot of vegetables with the use of hydroponics. If fact, you can also purchase some, fresh from the farm!

For dinner, we all trooped to Antonio's Fine Dining, arguably the best restaurant in Tagaytay! In fact, it's so good, it's been named one of the Top 10 restaurants in Asia by the Miele Guide! Chef Tony Boy Escalante is also such a gracious host, moving around the restaurant when he can to greet his guests.

For dinner, we had Steamed & Nori Wrapped Tempura Scallop, Mesclun Salad w/ Coriander Viaigrette; Beef Fillet on Plancha w/ Black Pepper Sauce, Pappardelle, Toss Baby Arugula w/ Honey Lemon Truffle Vinaigrette with soup and guava sorbet in between; and Felchlin Maracaibo Chocolate Terrine w/ Double Cream & Roasted Pistachio for dessert. Such long names and the sound of it makes it difficult to choose from their large menu. But one thing is certain: the food and ambiance is heavenly perfect!

Bawai's Vietnamese Kitchen
+639209722924

Antonio's
+639188992866

Pre-war travel films on Manila

Those were the days when romantic Manila was a favorite stop of cruise ships. It's so sad the city was totally destroyed during the Second World War. Which is why we should endeavor to protect the architectural heritage that still stands in the city. Let us not waste the tourism potential of our heritage by allowing the continuous destruction of our old buildings that have defined and continue to define the character of our capital city.

Because of the strong economic potential of our heritage, there should be a real effort from our national government and the City of Manila to restore our old buildings and landmarks. Maybe in the future, we could even slowly rebuild some important landmarks of Manila. In fact, in Intramuros, the reconstruction of the Ayuntamiento de Manila and the Casa Mision of the San Ignacio Church are already underway. And it's also about time we transform Manila into the garden city that it once was! It's not too late.

Batanes: Valugan Beach, Vayang, Nakamaya Burial Grounds, Diura Fishing Village and Naidi Hill

Valugan Beach in Batanes is best viewed during sunrise. So for our last full day in Batanes, we woke up at dawn to watch the sunrise from the Valugan (or Chanpan) Boulder Beach, a beach characterized by boulders and large round stones weathered by the strong Batanes tides.

A sumptuous breakfast picnic followed after viewing the sunrise. We then proceeded back to Fundacion Pacita, our home in Batanes to freshen up before more exploration in the morning.

We were going to visit the Nakamaya Burial Grounds. But before that, we made sure to pass by Vayang which is most known for its rolling hills and cows grazing. On a clear day like today, one is afforded a spectacular view of the South China Sea, the western part of Basco, and even the northern islands of Batanes, including Itbayat which I hope to visit soon when the airport there is reopened.

After taking our photos in Vayang, we proceeded to the jump-off point for the short hike to the Nakamaya Burial Grounds. The trek was about a 30 minutes and relatively manageable since we had senior citizens in the group. But they had to be assisted by the guides in steep areas.

At the site, a wooden sign board explains the significance of the place: "The stone boat-shaped burial grounds shaped in the traditional wooden boat of Batanes called tataya are testimonies to the values of the prehistoric Ivatans who believed in life after death. The general direction of the boat-shaped burial grounds face the sea which, according to an old Ivatan folktale, is the final resting place of man.

"Radiocarbon testing on the human skeletons discovered inboat-shaped markers in Chuhangin show a date of practice of these burials between 355-70 B.P. (before present) or approximately A.D. 1600s."

After the trek, we proceeded back to Fundacion Pacita again to freshen up before proceeding to the Diura Fishing Village and the Fountain of Youth in Racuh a-Idi where a picnic lunch was going to be served.

Diura is a tiny village of Mahatao facing the Pacific Ocean. It's around three kilometers east of the town proper. Diura is most known as a fishing area for mahi-mahi or dolphin fish which is called dorado in Batanes. To signify the start of the fishing season, the fishermen perform the Kapayvanuvanua ritual.

I was not able to join the rest of the group in Racuh a-Idi since I had to accompany some of our guests to the airport who were leaving by private plane.

After lunch, the group proceeded to Basco to do some shopping. During my last trip, I got explore Basco town. So I decided to rest first since I was going to judge an art competition later in the afternoon. So you can check out Batanes, undiscovered paradise up north for more on Basco.

In the evening, we had sunset cocktails and dinner at the Naidi Hill Lighthouse. And even more lobster! The view was spectacular, a the activity was a great way to end a sunrise to sunset itinerary in Basco. Naidi is said to be the best spot to take a Basco sunset photo.

The next day, we flew back to Manila. Anyway, I'm looking forward to my next SEAIR flight back to Batanes!

Part 1: Batanes adventure: Mahatao, Ivana and Uyugan
Part 2: Batanes adventure: Chavayan, Savidug, Nakabuang Beach and more from Sabtang

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