Many years ago, I had lunch with a friend that forever changed my life.
She was Linda Nietes, who wanted to tell me the story of her boutique bookstore, hoping I could share it with readers of the Daily Express, where I worked then with its Sunday magazine.
I noticed Linda ordered only meatless dishes for herself, and when I asked why, she explained the health benefits of going meatless.
That evening, upon reaching home, I couldn’t touch the meat on our dinner table. For a year, I vowed to stay away from pork and beef. I still ate Kentucky Fried Chicken which was my favorite, and occasionally cheated by munching on the crunchy skin of Peking duck.
Today, I eat only the vegetables in the lumpia wrapper with the hoisin sauce meant for Peking duck. And I eat mostly seafood because the hard-headed gourmand in me likes these despite their cholesterol content. But I still eat eggs, heeding the advice of 101-year-old Angelita “Nanay” Cruz who says she goes for simple meals of eggs and fish. And I like cheesy K-dramas, as well as raclette, boursin and manchego cheese.
I do believe in the ahimsa principle of not causing harm to animals, and being mindful of the environment.
As a pescatarian—or one whose diet is mostly seafood and veggies—I respect other people’s food preferences and do not preach or pretend to be self-righteous.
As for Linda Nietes who now runs a bookstore in the US, I read that she was conferred the Banaag Award as a cultural activist and gatekeeper of Philippine culture who has helped improve the lives of Filipinos in the diaspora. She changed my life as well.
Here are some recommendations for fellow pescatarians and meatless eaters:
Marugame udon
There are two must-eat snacks for me while in Tokyo. One is the famous Egg Sandwich of Family Mart. The other is the Tuna Omusubi of Marugame Udon, which fortunately Ben Chan has brought to the Philippines. Known also as onigiri, this triangular-shaped food wrapped in seaweed (nori) dates back to the 1st century A.D., during which it was originally prepared for soldiers and travelers. Available at Marugame Udon branches in major malls like Ayala, SM, Rockwell’s Power Plant, and at BGC, it costs only P50 each. Other fillings include Spam, salmon and ebi tempura.
Saladstop!
Ever since this fast food resto opened in Manila in 2014, I have been a fan who is always bewildered by its many delicious salad choices. My current fave is Go Geisha, P320 per bowl, which has tofu, edamame, sweet corn, soba noodles, carrots, cucumbers, sesame seeds, baked mushrooms, romaine, red and white cabbage in Japanese miso. I like SaladStop! because it has a mind of its own. Its slogan, “Eat Wide Awake,” reminds you to take control of nutritional values and make eco-friendly decisions.
Mesa
Reinventing Filipino dishes in a very creative way is the specialty of Mesa. One of my faves, Tinapa Roll, P195, is made of smoked fish, tomatoes, onions and salted eggs wrapped and fried like lumpia. Another is Tofu Sisig, P215, which is good for sharing like all their other dishes. Laing and Crispchon (for lechon lovers) are exceptional and so is their Sinigang sa Bayabas. Mesa’s phenomenal appeal has led to its 85 branches nationwide in major shopping malls (going on 100, says Foodee COO Cheeno Dee).
Banana leaf
This restaurant is popular for its Singaporean, Thai, Vietnamese and Malaysian dishes—at very good prices. Take Banana Leaf’s Roti Canal, P88; Sago Pudding in Thai Pandan Leaf, P90; and Deep Fried Basil Tofu, P238.
But my all-time favorite is the Stir-fried Chinese Turnip Cake with Beansprout and Chives, P288. All their dishes come in generous servings, good for sharing. Service is good in this restaurant where you can request for a milder version of their spicy dishes.
Shake shack
It was madness when Anton Huang brought Shake Shack to the Philippines in 2019 at Central Square in BGC. The queues were endlessly long, because obviously, Manila was hungry for more exciting burger options. And there I found the unforgettable Mushroom Burger which I tasted years earlier in New York. It has crisp fried portobello mushroom fillet with melted muenster cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato, P510–a fair price to pay for such delicious goodness. Did you know that Shake Shack (I did Google) was started as a hot dog cart by now-acclaimed restaurateur Danny Meyer in 2001 inside Madison Square Park to raise money to improve the park?
Lusso
Lusso is one restaurant that whets my appetite and stirs my emotions. It was here that I last sat on a table with chef Margarita Fores before she passed away. So now, I think of her with every bite of my favorite River Prawn Roll. Made with plump poached river prawn dressed in maionese and fresh tarragon, tucked inside a warm, toasted Dutch bread, all its ingredients are made in-house to ensure quality and freshness, says Ching Dee of Amado Fores’ AF Hospitality. It’s P1,150 per roll, good for sharing, at Lusso Greenbelt 5 and Lusso Balmori Suites in Rockwell.
Kai
While its salads—such as Pako (Fern) Salad and its Portobello Mushroom Salad—are so enticing, there is one appetizer I cannot resist at Kai in Greenbelt 5. The Oyster Wasabi Tempura with balsamic dynamite sauce is such a wow, leaving an explosion on my tastebuds. Good for sharing at P855. Other Japanese creations by chef Gilbert Pangilinan—from the sushi and sashimi to the hamachi and steaks—make Kai perhaps the caterer most favored for excellent Japanese meals.
Cerveseria
Ihave been searching for the best paella in town, and I finally found it at Cerveseria in Forbestown, BGC. The Spanish restaurant’s Soft Shell Crab Paella with clams, shrimp and squid and, of course, soft shell crabs is perfecto for seafood lovers. It’s P1,100 per dish, good for four persons. Another dish unique to Cerveseria is its Shimeji Mushroom Fritos, P260. Its Gambas a la Plancha and Clams a la Plancha, P340 each, are tops, too. Restaurateur Maritel Nievera certainly has gone beyond Kapampangan, basking in the success of her Thai, Japanese and Spanish restaurants.
Mangiamo
It’s called Lobster Spaghetti but, for me, it tastes like a delicious cross between Lobster Thermidor and Tomato Spaghetti. This dish was specially ordered by Ramon “RJ” Jacinto for the birthday dinner of Frannie Jacinto, along with the best Italian dishes at Mangiamo, located at the second floor of 88 Corporate Center along Valerio corner Sedeno in Salcedo Village. Mangiamo rocks with a wall lit up with a guitar donated by RJ himself, along with vintage radios atop its bar. The resto counts multinationals, especially Italians, among its regulars.
Tsukiji
Every time I ask people about their favorite fine-dining Japanese restaurants, Tsukiji is among the top of their lists. The resto’s dishes have remained consistently good, and one of these is their Kani Salad which cost only P400 plus maybe 10 years ago. Inflation and the rising cost of imported Japanese ingredients, including crab, have made the price soar. But then, it’s good for sharing, says co-owner Malu Gamboa-Lindo who happened to be there the day we lunched. “Tsukiji,” adds Malu, “is 35 years old. And its iconic chef, Toshiro Okajima, who passed away recently, spent 25 years with us.” Enough time to bestow on a restaurant the virtue of consistency.
Blackbird
Recently, I attended a dinner hosted by Yiouri Augousti in honor of Tina Cuevas at Blackbird. And there was a particular dish that stayed in my memory and on my lips: Roasted Pumpkin and Pecorino, Onion and Sage Soubise. This agnolotti wasn’t on the restaurant’s menu, as man of design and tastemaker Yiouri must have discussed with chef Colin Mackay about creating a unique dish for that evening. In this edifice, which once was Manila’s first airport, the divine dish landed well on our plates—and palates.
