Pipino puts veggies in the spotlight

It's not easy being green. Thanks to unfriendly menus of many restaurants, vegetarians have learned to survive on side dishes. Lately though, most restaurants have expanded their minds and their menus to become more considerate of vegetarians. Some have gone as far as offering an entirely vegetarian selection of food, like Pipino Vegetarian Restaurant in Teachers Village, Quezon City. The concept isn't new, with places like Likha Diwa that's been around for years, but being vegetarian myself, I was nothing but excited to hear about Pipino. The second-floor space opened on October 10, above its mother restaurant Pino. Pino, (Filipino for fine) and Pipino (Filipino for cucumber) share the same chef, but not food. Though Chef Edward Bugia is the creative mind responsible for the dishes in both kitchens, there is a rule that keeps food from crossing over.

Pino co-owner PJ Lanot explains that his girlfriend, designer Alessandra Libongco didn't get along with Pino's menu, and it was because of this that they decided to put up Pipino. Vegetarians usually have to make do with whatever they can eat, but at Pipino, it's the other way around. Pipino shines the spotlight on vegetables. Their philosophy is written on the walls in colorful chalk, and it proclaims that "veggies are served as the main event." Which they are. Every single item on the menu is vegetarian-friendly, with some vegan items as well. The dishes on their daily menu are spread in large containers, carinderia style. Handwritten cards identify each dish and list everything in it - perfect for paranoid vegetarians. The prices are affordable, too. Eighty pesos can get you a generous serving of tofu eggplant or gising-gising, which you would be well-advised to believe is really spicy. An order of mashed kamote for 60 pesos is surprisingly filling, and if you think root crops are boring, this dish will convince you otherwise. Their bestseller is the Vegan Lasagna (120 pesos), which is pretty tasty, despite not having any cheese. Despite being served cold, the servings were all generous and the presentation impressive, considering the carinderia layout, although the place, designed by Gin P. Samson, is not something to scoff at. The place is softly lit by simple lamps hanging from the high ceiling. Wood slat panels make the place seem larger than its seven-table capacity, and the colors are all light and airy, pastel green and various shades of cream. Posters advertising community events are tacked to a wide cork board set against a brick wall, opposite the wall-sized blackboard where the Pipino philosophy is written. In one corner, dessert trays are displayed on a small table, piled with whole wheat vegan chocolate chip cookies (40 pesos) and banana muffins (20 pesos). The whole wheat vegan chocolate cake (80 pesos) is supposedly their bestseller, but I found myself wishing I hadn't tried it. It tasted a bit too much like raw cacao balls, and could be better with some moisture. Maybe it would have been better ala mode. Pipino serves their desserts with a scoop of dairy-free coconut ice cream for 35 pesos. If you'd rather not take risks, stick to the main entrees. They've recently added more items to their menu, like Portobello Inasal with red beet puree, ensaladang talong and brown rice (260 pesos) and Stuffed Demi-dried Tomatoes with brown rice, mushroom salpicao and orange-leek salad (225 pesos). If you aren't too hungry, they have appetizers like taro chips (60 pesos) and veggie tempura (80 pesos). They also serve brown rice (30 pesos) and whole wheat tortillas (10 pesos each). Diners below at Pino can order from the Pipino menu, and diners at Pipino can order from Pino's vegetarian fare. But meat dishes from Pino can't be brought upstairs to Pino. This time, it's the carnivores that have to adjust to vegetarians, but with dishes as yummy as these, they won't even notice there's no meat. - GMANews.TV Pipino Vegetarian Restaurant is at 2F 39 Malingap Street, Teachers Village, QC. It is open daily from 11am to 9pm. For inquiries, call 02 - 4411773.