Yeah, I know the drill. Eat your veggies. Eat more of 'em. And eat 'em more often. Well, I'm no veggie hater; it's just that pork, chicken and beef are just too commonplace and admittedly, too good to pass up come mealtime. Vegemeat dishes are okay but there aren't a lot of places that serve them, and honestly, the dishes fall short on taste. Call it serendipity or luck but your Happyfoodies are just too happy to have stumbled upon a really nice veggie place -- Wabi-Sabi Noodle House & Vegetarian Grocery at The Collective in Makati. We're just too glad to find somewhere we can seek penance for all those trips to the nearby 8065 Bagnet.
Lagal[og] says: Maybe it was the name that caught my eye; that and the inviting interior with the warm lighting . Wabi-Sabi sounds Filipino but the name has a rather sublime meaning -- the Japanese concept of aesthetic or beauty with acceptance of transcience or impermance. Whew, heavy stuff but there's nothing too heavy to comprehend as far as the menu is concerned. I ordered the Pho which arrived redolent of basil. This one is laced with chunks of vegemeat which I think is an interesting twist, making it filling yet not that burdensome to the tummy. It was also nice to have the fragrant Lemongrass Iced Tea as a complement -- light, cool and refreshing to the palate.
Ironwulf says: I missed Banh Mi (baguette with grilled meat and slices of vegetable toppings) very much from my Indochina travels in Vietnam and Laos. Boy I used to have Banh Mi as breakfast everyday when I was in Luang Prabang. It's a rare treat to find here in Manila so I was glad to find one at Wabi-sabi. It's Banh Mi with a twist as it uses veggie meat as substitute to beef. And oh it was savory and juicy that I thought it was the real thing. The dressing was also flavorful and I like the kick of lemongrass.
Lagal[og] says: As side dish, we ordered the vegetarian Gyoza Pot Stickers. One dip into the yummy sauce was all it took to make me order another batch. The gyoza was lightly seared instead of deep-fried and the sauce was really something. Definitely worth coming back for.
Ironwulf says: Another side dish to nibble on was the Vegetable Cracklings which were deep fried bits of veggie meat that resemble bits of regular fish crackers. It was light and good. Dipping it into the Vinegar Cane that comes with it heightens the flavor.
Wabi-Sabi
The Collective
7274 Malugay St., San Antonio Village,
Makati City • Mobile: 0918.4501714
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