It’s taken me a while to finally eat at Corner Tree Café. It’s one of those places that’s forever been on my list of restaurants to try, but I’ve never quite made it to their Jupiter street branch. Most of the time it was because there was no parking or because the people I was with at the time were meat eaters. So when they opened a second branch at Rockwell Powerplant Mall I went over to check it out with Jericho.
It took a while for me to find the new spot – they aren’t located in the usual food spots in the mall, but up on the top floor near The Spa, near the cinemas. It’s a nice, cozy spot, away from the crowd, and the perfect spot for when you want to get a good meal in and hide at the same time. I’ve been wanting to making healthier choices when I eat out, which is why I appreciate spots like this, which uses a lot of whole foods and none of the ‘fake meat’ stuff that’s high in gluten.
I’m the type to judge a restaurant by its salads. I know, weird, right? If you charge an arm and a leg for butter lettuce with tomatoes, I’m calling the cops. Corner Tree, being a place that caters to vegetarians, does it right, with their unassuming Caramelized Apple and Feta Salad (₱260/ solo, ₱480/sharing). First off, it’s affordable. The organic greens are topped with sweet, caramelized apple slices, lightly toasted sunflower seeds, and garlic croutons, sprinkled with feta cheese and the apple cider vinegar and coco nectar dressing brings everything together.
Jericho’s favorite was the Spinach Feta Croquettes (₱220/ 3 pieces, ₱390 6 pieces) – he ended up ordering extra and taking it home. Made up of spinach, feta cheese, red rice, and herbs, they’re rolled into a ball and flattened to look like mini flying saucers before being fried and served with mint, yogurt, and harissa on the side. The harissa is made in house and was my favorite part of this dish. So spicy!
My personal favorite appetizer were the Indian Cauliflower Fritters (₱295) aka pakoras with a salty, minty chutney. I could eat these like popcorn! If they sold this as take out in a French fry container, this is what I’ll be taking to snack on in the movie theater. They’re crisp on the outside, soft in the middle, nicely spiced, with the mint chutney bringing the whole thing to life and dampening the cloying taste you get from anything that’s been battered and tossed in the fryer.
I really wasn’t expecting much from the Vegetable Dumplings (₱205). They looked like soggy kuchay, but what a surprise! Filled with spinach, shiitake and jicama, the texture was a lot more firm than I expected, and there was a bit of umami there that I really liked.
I’ve been back to Corner Tree a few more times after this visit (and finally went to the one on Jupiter street, too!) and I keep finding myself going back to these two mains. First off is the Tofu Teriyaki Bowl (₱340). I make a version of this at home, but I love the crisp strips of fried tofu, sauteed eggplant and shiitake mushrooms, crunchy asparagus, and the light, sweet teriyaki glaze over everything, with the red rice to help fill you up.
One of the crowd faves (and I can see why) is their Arroz ala Cubana (₱270). At first glance (and taste!), you’d never think it was meatless. The minced tofu is marinated and browned to look like ground pork, with diced tomatoes, raisins, and green olives thrown in. Of course, the arroz wouldn’t be complete without the fried saba, and I really appreciate how they don’t skimp on that. This is served with nutty red rice and the sunny side up egg is optional.
Another best-seller is the Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna (₱550). I can imagine this goes over well with the kids, since it’s something that looks very familiar, plus it’s good for you! Layers of spinach, roasted bell pepper, and mushrooms make up this pasta dish, topped with three kinds of cheese. Admittedly, it does lack the bite and body of a traditional lasagna, but then again, you can only do so much with it being a vegetarian dish. You still get the sweetness and saltiness of the marriage of cheese and tomato sauce, just with a bit of a pesto center. Italians, avert your eyes!
I appreciate how this café incorporates comfort food from all over the world… and make it vegetarian! For someone like me who appreciates a Sunday Roast, their Vegan Nut Roast (₱360) is a guiltless way of enjoying a heavy meal. Two slices of “meat loaf” are served with creamy mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, grilled beans, and a vegan gravy. Each vegetable is prepared differently, which creates more interesting meal, rather than blanching everything and sprinkling a bit of salt and pepper. You can see and taste the care that goes into putting each plate of food together.
Another winner is the Veg Bibimbap (₱410). Corner Tree’s version of the Korean one-pot dish with red rice, this is chock full of spinach, bean sprouts, carrots, zucchini, and shiitake mushrooms, served with a dollop of goachujang and their homemade kimchi. The egg is optional, of course. While I definitely liked how generous they are with the vegetable toppings, I find myself going back to the vegan nut roast, simply because after a while I got bored that everything tasted the same once you mixed it all up.
Another best seller is their Baked Tofu Walnut Burger (₱375) which is served with a side of kamote fries. I’ll be honest, I probably wouldn’t order this because I find that there are more interesting things on the menu, but if I were dining with a child or someone who isn’t as adventurous as me when it comes to food, then this would be a safe choice. The patty is firm and “meaty”, especially while it’s still hot, but can become a little crumbly throughout the meal. And while it taste like a lightweight burger, you know what you’re eating isn’t meat. Which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on where you are on the spectrum. I’m just glad that they put in the extra effort to take a bunch of ingredients that are vegetarian and turn it into a burger patty instead of buying faux meat that may have the texture of a burger, but then you lose out on the nutrients, which is supposed to be the whole point of why we consume food to begin with.
I was definitely chuffed to know that there’s a place in Rockwell that I could go to for nutritious, whole, vegetarian fare that has flavor and isn’t just a bunch of salads. The price isn’t heavy on the wallet, considering where you’re at and the amount of vegetables that go into your meal, and you can see the thoughtfulness that went into curating the menu. Plus, they also have some amazing desserts on there, so if the vegetarian fare doesn’t appeal to you, the cakes and pies definitely will!
I also got the pleasure of meeting the owner, Chiqui Mabanta, and geeked out over her well-loved Filofax. It looks like a mix between a Finsbury and a Malden – I couldn’t help but ask if I could take a photo of it. Only fellow analog planners know the joy and awe of seeing a well-loved, battered organizer.
