Perhaps one of the vegetarian’s most common challenges (here
in Davao City, at least) is finding a place to eat out in. Since I first
decided to become a vegetarian almost seven years ago, eating out has rarely
been an option for me. When I do eat out, it’s usually Chowking for their plain
fried tofu or one of the pizza places for vegetarian (not vegan) pizza. There
are other places, of course, but they all mean the same thing to me: scouring
the entire menu for that one dish that doesn’t have animal products in it and
long interviews with the waiter about what the food’s made of or if I could
have the chicken taken out of my chop suey or the shrimps from my salad,
usually ending with me settling for a huge pile of plain lettuce and dressing I
wouldn’t have to pay big bucks for if I just ate at home. Sometimes, even the
lettuce isn’t available.
So yes, I do resent the fact that restaurant menus on this
part of the planet don’t allow vegetarians like me to plan simple lunch
get-togethers with friends without having to engage in a lengthy discussion
about whether I will have to starve or not.
Did I sound too bitter there?
There’s actually a happy part in this blog post. I was recently told of a small restaurant in
JP Laurel Avenue that started business December of last year. The thing about
this restaurant is that they serve all-vegan food. In fact, the very name of
the restaurant is Vegan Hygienic Foodhaus.
I could definitely give them a list of suggestions regarding the name,
but hey. A vegan place, finally.
The restaurant really is small and the menu options limited.
The food isn’t exceptional, but at least they’re reasonably priced. They offer
a value meal of a serving of rice along with two other dishes for Php50.00. You’d
wish they included a drink with that meal, but you’ll have to order one of
their fresh fruit juices priced at Php80.00 each glass. The must-try is the
vegan pizza priced at Php250.00, good for two to four people. Instead of
cheese, they use a nut-based (probably cashew) sauce poured over tomatoes,
onions, peppers, olives, veggie meat, and a whole wheat crust. Our pizza had more
sauce than the one in their picture so it was a bit messy to eat, but the pizza
was generally good.
Aside from VHF, there are a few other go-to places in Davao
City for the hungry vegetarian. The ambiance isn’t quite as nice, but they do
serve good and affordable veg food.
There’s Kong Ai Vegetarian Centrum along Gempesaw Street,
which serves a fair selection of dishes from veggies to faux meat. You can also
buy faux meat for home-cooking. The products range from seafood to chicken to
meat, all vegetarian. And they taste unbelievably like real animal products,
too!
Within walking distance from Kong Ai is Vegelicious at Monteverde Street, which
is smaller yet very similar to Kong Ai. I used to go there a lot more than I do
now, but I plan to visit again soon.
Then there’s Winward, an annex of the Grand Men Seng Hotel
in Pichon Street. They serve chop suey and variations of noodles. The
food is actually quite good, but you’ll have to be very specific when ordering
because the waitresses tend to forget you want everything meatless.
Lastly, for a really affordable vegetarian lunch, you can go
to the Davao Adventist Hospital canteen. You can have a full meal for two at
Php90.00, complete with a dessert of banana cue. The hospital’s a bit far from
the city proper, but if you’re somewhere near, it’s just in Bangkal.
I wish there were more options for me and my people in this
city. More than that, I wish people become more aware of the benefits of
vegetarianism and that there’d be many, many restaurants to make things easier
for them. But for now, I’m happy that I have one more place to add to my
slowly growing list. It just feels good to know that in this age of Facebook timelines filled with instagrammed food, we vegetarians have not been completely
forgotten.
For a listing of Vegetarian, Vegan, or Veg-friendly places near you, pay
the Happy Cow a visit.
