When I found out we would be making a side trip to Liwliwa Beach before heading home from Lake Mapanuepe, I had to check if we could stop by Kwentong Dagat. It's a lovely beachside resort with rustic and charming A-type cabins serving 100% plant-based meals. So after enjoying the expansive shoreline and playful waves of Liwliwa Beach, my companions and I decided to have lunch there.
San Felipe, Liwliwa
We decided to take a 500-meter walk to Kwentong Dagat, where we briefly stayed on the beach. I enjoyed the boho and laid-back vibe of San Felipe, Zambales. It has some interesting establishments but still retains that provincial feel.
Kwentong Dagat
We finally reached Kwentong Dagat and were warmly welcomed inside the resort after logging in at the reception. It's great that they allow outsiders to dine at their restaurant.
I'm not sure how Kwentong Dagat started, but I remember it only had a few cabins before. I didn't expect it to be this big already. The pathway is pretty straightforward. We had to pass by the accommodations, and a pavilion for yoga and movement activities at the center to reach the restaurant, which is near the beach.
Beach Breeze and Vegan Meals
I liked the breezy atmosphere and the view of the beach. The menu is well-organized and prices are quite reasonable. I'm guessing the menu changes since they don’t have a fixed menu board or printed menu. The staff will also inform you beforehand that meals here are all plant-based or vegan. A good initiative to inform diners beforehand about what to expect.
Our group tried the combo meals, the meaks included the calamansi juice and soup. We ordered the Kare-Kare, Crispy Shiitake, Caldereta, and Tapa. As with any plant-based vegan meals, the flavor is what I am looking for as they recreate some of the original meat-based meals.
The kare-kare serving was hefty and by far the best value for me. The peanut sauce was good and made use of vegetables with mushrooms as a meat replacement. The bagoong is probably mushroom-based as well. The Caldereta and tapa use mock meat, but based on our companions' impressions, they seemed to have enjoyed them.
I had the Crispy Shiitake, which is shiitake mushroom with a savory sauce and strips of crunchy tofu skin if I'm not mistaken. It was quite good and had a nice texture, but I' lean more toward the kare-kare.
For dessert, we had the halo-halo. It has all the basic ingredients of halo-halo without the dairy, of course. They might have used soy or almond milk, so it wasn't as creamy as expected. It wasn’t overly sweet, which I liked, and filling. Perfect for the time and place.
For vegans, vegetarians, and even flexitarians, it's always challenging to find a place to eat when we start traveling outside of Manila. I appreciate establishments like Kwentong Dagat, which offer plant-based meals and serve them well. I'll come back here not just for the beach but also for their food.
Kwentong Dagat
Sitio Liwliwa, Baranggay Sto. Nino, San Felipe, 2204, San Felipe, Zambales
Email: kwentongdagatinfo@gmail.com
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