AGICO Vegetarian Cafe

Found this really good vegetarian resto in San Juan, named AGICO. I'm not vegan, but I'm real happy when I find a good vegetarian resto; a real healthy alternative :) I found out about this place when a friend posted some photos, raving about how good the food was, considering that it was faux meat. 

Interiors were pretty nice, a cut above the usual vegan restos I've tried. They have this interesting anime wall; and it was a pretty clean, spic-and-span place.

They also offer a lot of beverage options, from juices to milk tea to creamy/ frothy concoctions. The price may be a bit high, but the glasses are really huge.

Lemongrass Juice (P100), Wintermelon Milk Tea (P90), Apple Juice (P110)

Creamy Cocoa, P100

We first ordered Takoyaki Balls, California Maki, and Gyoza for appetizers. I was really surprised with the consistency and taste of the Takoyaki; tastes even better than those being sold at stalls :) The Cali Maki was huge, each order had 8 pcs. I was just glad I could eat faux raw maki even while pregnant, so that's a plus. Gyoza was just OK, I still find regular pork more savoury.

Crispy California Maki, P238

Takoyaki, P158

Gyoza Dumpling, P158

For mains, my surefire winner for this meal was the Pinoy Best Burger, which is actually a sisig burger.  I really like the texture and taste of the sisig, they were able to capture the crunch and the flavour you'd expect from a regular sisig dish. The Bacon Mushroom Burger was also good, but I think the bacon slab could have been more well done, which would certainly add to its visual appeal. Pork BBQ was so-so. I think they failed to get the texture we all like in BBQ. Both the Shoyu and Spicy Karaage Ramen were good. Noodles were firm and the soup itself was light, but quite tasty.

Pork BBQ, P128

Pinoy Best Burger, P266

Bacon Mushroom Burger, P276

Spicy Karaage Ramen, P258

Shoyu Ramen, P236

Agico proves to be great, healthy resto, especially for those who watch their diet and figure. Meat-lovers will also enjoy a a tasty feast of faux meat, and may be quite surprised that vegetarian dishes may  actually be as good as the real deal. 

AGICO

83 Araullo St., San Juan

(02) 705 1997

http://www.facebook.com/AgicoVegetarianCafe

Chimara

Every time I'm in Greenbelt 3, just before a movie, I always like to grab dinner at CHIMARA. I love the food and the healthy proposition! I really don't know why I haven't posted anything about Chimara, but it sure does deserve some space in my blog :)

My absolute favorite (and my usual order) is their Tofu Pesto Pita and those Tofu Chips -- Yummy! Their Pesto is a bit on the oily side but I love its tangy taste with the bland tofu. Nuts and tomatoes complete this ensemble :D  I just love it!

You shuold definitely try some Chimara, even if only for those tofu chips - a heathy and tasty alternative to other movie snacks :) Good company for a good movie :)

Corner Tree Cafe

I've tried several vegan retaurants, from the smaller, shanty-like Latasia Fusion at U.P., to the larger Kong Tiak Temple at Banawe, to the cozy Greens in Tomas Morato and Likha Diwa at U.P.

However, it's only now that I've encountered a semi-fine dining vegan place with a very charming facade, named Corner Tree Cafe, at JP Rizal Makati. Corner Tree Cafe seems to be a 'more formal' vegetarian restaurant, a welcome change from the usual vegan spots. The interiors are quite simple and straightforward, but they try to make up for it with their service, the food they serve, and the ambiance.

Corner Tree Cafe has been open for about 5 weeks already, still on dry run, and only accepts cash transactions as of the moment. Their menu is still subject to change, and they are still introducing a couple of new dishes since their opening.

We tried their Lemongrass Iced Tea and Mango Lassi, with a dish named Dukka for appetizer.
Dukka is an Egyptian blend of spices, this serves as a dip for crusty, lightly toasted bread. The dish was certainly an interesting, new taste. The Iced Tea seemed home-made, but was a little bit too sweet for my taste. The Mango Lassi, on the other hand, was great (I always love lassi), and this one particularly tasted like Yakult :)

Lemongrass Iced Tea (P70) and Mango Lassi (P110)

Dukka (P110)

We then had the Tofu Burger and Spaghettini Broccoli for our main dish. The pasta dish was olive-oil based, with a generous serving of broccoli and nuts. Definitely very flavorful, the Broccoli Pasta proved to be a good choice. But note that you have to balance the oil taste with something a bit more bland, and here's where the Tofu Burger came in. It's being bland somewhat made it a good complement to the pasta. But don't get me wrong, it wasn't that bad, I just think I've tasted better vegan burgers (try Latasia Fusion) which was more flavorful. Still, our meal was generally good :)

Broccoli Spaghetti (P320)

Tofu Burger (P240)

And for dessert, we tried the Chocolate Mousse with Toblerone. A small, but very rich serving to cap our meal! You got to love this sweet, melts-in-your-mouth concoction, but I'm sure you'd want to get some exercise afterwards.

Choco Mousse (P160)

I'm looking forward to trying other Corner Tree Cafe's dishes, planning on taking Rob's sisters to the restaurant next week :) Already eyeing their Mousakka. Will keep you posted.