Tikim 54: Choose Healthy at Agico Vegetarian Cafe (Araullo Street, San Juan)

Not a big fan of vegetables? Are you the type of person who removes your peas in your fried rice and pizza? Do you associate greens with a negative taste? Fear those things NOT! Not all heathy things tastes as bad as you think they are! Head for Agico and discover why!

Agico Vegetarian Cafe

You see, my meals consists of about 60% meat/seafood and 40% vegetables. I like the taste of chicken, steak, and shrimp and when I saw a friend's photo of a veggy sushi from Agico, I got surprised that it isn't green and really looks like your normal sushi! At that point, I told myself that I want to try out this newly opened vegetarian cafe.

Cute wall murals will lighten up the mood if you are anxious about eating vegetables! 

Because of this curiosity, me and my friends decided to give Agico a visit during it's soft opening. We met Andrew Co, one of the owners of Agico, and I got to ask questions about this veggy cuisine and his recommendations for a frist time all-veggy meal! Ü

Andrew Co at the leftmost

Choose from their vast menu of a Japanese themed Veggy Cafe. They have sushi, yakitori's, ricebowls, ramen, and guilt-meat-free BURGERS! If you are a practicing vegetarian, this is your chance to eat on some "burgers".  Andrew's mom is the head chef and she invited these recipes!

Food menu

A cafe isn't complete with unique drink concoctions

For starters, the group ordered some sushi! We ordered a lot since this really intrigued everyone!

Kani Kama (2pcs) P126.00

Ebi sushi (2pcs) P98.00

This Aburi Salmon sushi is one of the cafe's specialty sushi. It's torched on your table and best eaten when hot!

Aburi salmon sushi (2pcs) P126.00

Butayaki Maki (6 pcs) P248.00

Mix mushroom sushi (3pcs) P156.00

For the group's main meal, these are what we ordered. You'll see later that we ordered from different sections of Agico's menu to showcase a piece from each section.

Hanna went for a plateful of Yakiudon. Even the yakiudon has "fake meat" in it so you wont miss meat  much! You can add some Japanese chili flakes/chili oil to add up some heat if you like it spicy!

Yakiudon P248.00

Lance went for the barbeque sticks!

Pork BBQ (3 sticks) P128.00

These is my favorite! A must try!!!

Enoki bacon (3 sticks) P188.00

Evan went for the ramen. It's spicy hot and I love it! The kaarage reminds of chicken nuggets. They might need to have spice-levels cause some might want their ramen mild, spicy, or hot!

Spicy karaage ramen P258.00

I ordered beef yakiniku since this is my usual order in Japanese restaurants. I got curious how it will look like and how it will taste like.

Beef yakiniku Rice bowl P268.00

A cafe isn't complete without a bar of hot and cold drinks. The boys ordered some flavored latte's!

Raspbery & Hazelnut Flavored Latte P120.00 each

Do check this cafe out for an experience! Add some vegetables in your diet and discover the world of meat-looking veggies! 

Taste: 4/5

Quality: 4/5

Ambiance: 4/5

Agico Vegatarian Cafe
Address: #83 Araullo Street, San Juan
Contact Number: 7051997
Website: https://www.facebook.com/AgicoVegetarianCafe

Tikim37: Seaweed Snack Tao Kei Noi

I've been munching on seaweed snacks lately. I like eating this Tao Kei Noi seaweed snack brand because its a healthy alternative to chips and they specialize on seaweed snacks --- lots of variety and flavors.

Original Flavor of Seaweed Sheet

Garlic Flavor os Seaweed Sheet

I bought these giant sheets at Subic freeport Grocery and it's a good buy! Each pack has 8 giant sheets in a resealable pack so when you can't finish it; the seaweed stays crunchy! Tastes great for snack! I also tried their crispy and tempura seaweeds and they taste great. The availability of flavors and seaweed variety (sheets/crispy/extra crispy/tempura) is an innovative way of introducing seaweed in a new light--- that is seaweed as the healthier alternative to junk food. 

Taste: 4/5

Quality: 3.5/5

Website: http://www.taokaenoi.co.th/product_en.php?page=30&lang=en

Tikim33: Good Vibes at Van Gogh is Bipolar (Maginhawa, Quezon City)

I heard a lot about this feel good restaurant in Maginhawa Street; and so curiosity led me to try out Van Gogh is Bipolar on a special day. Indeed it was, the place was food-gasm and I was picture-happy to document this experience!

I got a bit lost going to the restaurant since there were no big signage. The restaurant is located inside a yellow building and when you enter inside, and you'll quickly notice the door entrance with many shoes and a garden area that reminded me of Alice and Wonderland.

Van Gogh entrance

A little sign that I am in the right place

At first, I was hesitant to enter the restaurant, I guess I got used to having guards and waiters invite or welcome me in their stores. The place is actual the quirky home of the bi-polar chef, Jetro.  He cooks happy inducing food and you get the food from the counter (self service). Sometimes he has a friend who helps out in guiding people how to order--- one can get a bit confused with the ordering process since everything is unconventional---self service from making your own tea to paying your bill!

The quirky interiors and what not toys you see inside are great for conversation starters

Self-service: Order and Check-out.
 See the board for the set menu

Honesty system in paying, just put money in the red box

Choose your teapot then...

choose a tea that suits the mood you want to achieve, their tea tastes well with honey

Got their famous Avocado Tea, my first time to try! 

For the special day that I am celebrating with Evan; we decided to order the 5 course meal (P999). Definitely "busog" and full-feeling after dessert, This set includes the following:

Courtney love drink

The Courtney love drink was like a four-seasons fruit shake, just this time I think different fruit combination was used ~ definitely green apple and a citrus taste was reminiscent. It is also a healthier version of fruit shakes because natural sugar, honey, is used as the sweetener! 

Wild Turkey Soup

This soup has an unexplainable "sopas" creamy citrus taste! Surprisingly, there's even a fried banana that complements everything!I don't know what is in the soup but I like it! 

This is how it was served.

Egg submer

This is the axel rose eggshot. You eat it by pouring the organic egg yolk in the fruit sauce that has blueberry. It was another first time for me to gulp a raw egg yolk with fruit sauce; Jetro helped me prepare this eggshot and he even gave a trivia (Egg is a stress reliever)! Evan and I toasted our eggshots!

Garden Salad

"Wow!!!" Cashew nuts, tomatoes, fried banana chips (my favorite topping!), Sun-dried fish, salted duck egg, sweet mango, pickles, basil, and a hot steamed 1 whole cabbage to wrap these toppings is just WOW! It was overwelhming at first because of the big plate but me and Evan ended up finishing this dish! You use your hands to do the wrapping and you have the option of putting the black vegetable sauce that has a spicy tangy taste. It was actually my favorite, why? I like salads, discovered that fried banana chips + mango + sun-dried fish goes very well with hot cabbage and tangy sauce, and that cabbage is said to be the best vegetable to beat depression!

Turkey with Black Mountain Rice

Fish with Mash Potato

Come main meal, Evan and I were already full but still it didn't stop us from eating the yummy black mountain rice from the turkey meal. The rice has a grape flavor that I eat it alone like Chinese fried rice. The black mountain rice is the rarest native rice in the Philippines that is rich in fiber and folic acid. After tasting the black rice, Evan bought a bag of it from Rustan's and it's the rice he eats now while I occasionally eat it at home too!

The fish (emperor) meal served with small potatoes mango green apple, basil, red beefs also tastes good. The banana chip, mango, and green apple added sweetness to the dark (blueberry?) sauce.

Mel Gibson's Dark Sin

Marilyn Monro's Ice Lolly

For dessert, Evan chose the Mel gibson dark sin; a chocolate dessert while I chose the other option: Marilyn Monroe's Ice Lolly. Evan had a wild and sinful dessert, as the picture shows, the dark chocolate was submerged in vodka. You first spoon out the chocolate from the vodka, then drink the vodka, and use the chocolate as a chaser. This is why it is sinful = vodka + chocolate! Evan got surprised with how good a combination it was and he felt the kick from the vodka...it makes me wonder if I can survive this shot without getting dizzy. As for my wholesome dessert, it was refreshing like halo-halo! I love how the "Carabao"/Water buffalo's milk complements the fruits.

Photo-op with the chef!

Reserve now!

The dishes speak for themselves! I can't further explain how good the set meal is but from ordering to eating the  is an EXPERIENCE TO TRY. The food trivia that I learned plus the personal touch and done by Jetro was heartwarming and sincere in getting to know his guests/visitors/diners :) It is very nice to meet a chef in person that is very humble :)! The  Unconventional space and the positive atmosphere created in Van gogh is a celebration of life itself! It is something to try out. Don't forget to make reservations because the restaurant only serves 12 diners per night! :)

Taste: 5/5
Quality: 5/5
Ambiance: 5/5
***My first PERFECT rating restaurant!

Van Gogh is Bipolar
154 H Maginhawa Street,
Sikatuna Village, Quezon City 1103
Contact: 0922-8243015 for reservations. [Note:12 diners per night only!]
Website: http://www.facebook.com/vgibipolar