I am a carnivore. I get excited when the words “pound” and “burger” are used in a sentence. My favorite spot in a buffet is the grill. I thought the name of the pig in “Babe” was “pork.” Yup, I love my meat. So imagine my excitement (eyes rolling) when I heard about Corner Tree Cafe.

Corner Tree Cafe Exterior | Manila Reviews

Corner Tree Cafe Exterior

The place was a really nice quiant little restaurant for about 25 people. Directly in front of it was a beautiful sprawling tree that gave it its name. Parking was easy for Saturday lunch (you park outside). It was well maintained and pretty clean.

We ordered the Dukka (P110) for our appetizer. It’s a dry blend of sesame seeds, powdered spices, and ground nuts. It came with warm cubes of whole wheat bread and a little bowl of extra virgin olive oil. To eat it, you dip the bread in the olive oil and then you dip it in the dukka. The taste was pretty interesting – much like the buchi but without the bean paste and much dryer.

Corner Tree Cafe Dukka | Manila Reviews

Corner Tree Cafe Dukka

I ordered the closest thing to meat there was: Baked Tofu Burger (P260) with Gruyere Cheese (P35) and Fried Onions (P25). It came with camote fries. I was pleasantly surprised — it was really good. It wasn’t tofu pretending to be meat. It revelled in being a vegetable and tasted not at all like a beefy burger, but like really well made vegetable patty. I didn’t feel cheated at all that I was eating basically a big burger made of extender because it was flavorful, fresh, and didn’t have that oily aftertaste you get after eating a burger. It tasted healthy.

Corner Tree Cafe Baked Tofu Burger | Manila Reviews

Corner Tree Cafe Baked Tofu Burger

My wife ordered the North African Vegetable Stew with red rice (P240). As per the menu, it was stew infused with saffron and Moroccan spices over red rice, topped with toasted almonds & fresh coriander. Again, I was floored by how delicious a vegetarian dish could be. The red rice was perfectly cooked – not dry and yet not undercooked – a hard thing to do with red rice. The vegetables complemented each other very well, creating a delicious blend of flavors and textures that made me asking for more. In other words, ang sarap!

Corner Tree Cafe North African Vegetable Stew | Manila Reviews

Corner Tree Cafe North African Vegetable Stew

The meal was so good I actually thought of becoming a vegetarian. We had a taste of that lifestyle when we went on our honeymoon and I really felt a lot healthier then, more energy and less migraines. I thought it would be hard though coming back to Manila with all the choices it gives us, but Corner Street Cafe changed my mind. If this is the vegetarian choice I have, I’m converting.

Details:
150, Jupiter St., Bel-Air, Makati, Metro Manila
Phone Number: (63 2) 897-0295, (63 917) 848-1004, (63 916) 614-9927

Here’s a clickable zoomable moveable map courtesy of Google Maps:

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6 Responses

  1. Saceif

    this will be added to my list of places to visit. the nearest one i know near our office in paseo is located in bautista. thanks for the info

    Reply

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