Chimara's Meatless Taco Salad with Green Tea

Over the weekend, I got a lot of solo time in my hands while I was doing the Writer's Block workshop. And the sinful Sentro 1771 Garlicky Adobo treat made me just want to gobble up something healthier for Sunday brunch.

So I trooped over to Chimara at Greenbelt 3 to get some greens into my system…

Healthy Eats right here!

I've been eating at Chimara for years. And what's so funny is that I do order the exact same thing at every visit! Hehehe! It's such a filling and, of course, super duper healthy dish.

Yum!

I super love the Meatless Taco Salad (Php 175) which has crisp lettuce, soya beans, tomatoes, onions, corn, white cheese, mango cubes, mock beef and tofu chips on the side. Oh yeah, you have the choice of garden salsa or the mango dressing. But I do love the mango dressing! That's why the salad is all yellow-orangey.

The Green Tea (Php 35) is not your sweet kind, but it has the real tea after taste. So you may want to think if this is the tea for you.

Chimara is actually located near the Greenbelt 3 cinemas. So they serve a healthy dose of cinema snacks like gourmet olive popcorn, neovegan nachos, tofu chips and fruit chips (like bananas and apples). Not bad eh?

I guess mornings and early afternoons would be a nice time for you to munch on the greens and spend some solo time reflecting on life since there are not much movie goers just yet. At least for that Sunday.

Have you tried eating solo at Chimara?

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

Table for One, please

Ever since I had the Lenten Season Rice fast, I vowed to eat the Garlicky Adobo at Sentro 1771 with a cup of brown rice (O hayan kunwari healthy pa din kc brown rice! Hehehe!) after the grueling ordeal because it is just SOOOOOOO YUMMEEEEEEEHHHHH!

Luckily, yesterday, I attended the Writer's Block Philippines' How to Jumpstart Your Freelance Writing Career workshop at Powerbooks, Greenbelt 4. It was just a stone's throw away from Sentro 1771! Yey! And since I went through a jam-packed, insightful day of learning about myself, the proper mindsets and the vast opportunities on freelance writing; I decided that I MUST reward myself with a nice garlicky adobo dinner at Sentro 1771…

I know it was a Saturday night, one of Dodong and I's date nights (aside from the other weekdays we get to see each other) and, of course, all the other sanmadlang couples' date night. But I am actually one of those people, who could actually eat all alone. It is a joy to eat alone! As I entered the restaurant, I did not have any qualms of cheerfully telling the maitre'd: "Table for one, please."

Wala akong hiya. Because I was just so ready to meet (or rather meat) face to face with this:

Sentro 1771's Garlicky Adobo

Ohhhh I've waited one month (and MORE!) for you, my Garlicky Adobo: tender, juicy pork cubes topped with slivers of green mangoes (to cut the fattiness of the dish…which I do not mind at all!), tomato cubes (?) and toasted garlic bits. Swoon! The only sad part was: there was NO BROWN RICE. Boo. But no matter, I still ordered a cup of white rice.

Nomnomnom...Adobo with RICE!

In times like these, in the presence of good delicious pork, in a situation which I could very well enjoy on my own…I still miss Dodong's presence. The garlicky adobo could have been yummier with you seated across me.

I even took a picture of your empty plate, my love:

Dodong's reserved HERE.

Next time, that plate would be brimming with yummy Sentro 1771 Garlicky adobo too…

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

It's been crazy busy the past couple of days as I have been preparing for a talk tomorrow!!! OMG! Tomorrow na pala ang iBlog6: The 6th Philippine Blogging Summit! Panic mode!!!! Again, still in a state of disbelief that I was chosen to be a part of the iBlog6. Hehehe. You can check our more about iBlog here.

Dodong is also quite excited and wishes he was here to catch me on video. Uh maybe to catch a blooper moment? Or maybe he is just a proud boyfriend? I hope its the latter. Hehehe!

Hope to bump into you guys there!

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

My first movie ticket to my Alone Date

After my bank errands in Robinson's Galleria yesterday and finishing my "work" (On a side note: I actually have an aversion to the word since it really makes me shiver with disgust. I just don't want work because you're just paid to do it. I need to feel the passion! But anyways….I will just call it making my dreams come true), I still had time to kill before my 730PM meeting in Makati. I needed some inspiration to make my dreams come true And I also wanted to celebrate our 7 years and 4 months of being together

I was already in the mall and had a few options:

1. Eat or have dessert and coffee / tea. Unfortunately, I was full and just had tea.
2. Shop. Ummm, I think this is way out of the question. Also, shopping is no fun if you're lugging around your laptop.
3. Watch a movie.Hmmmm BUT I don't watch movies alone

Then again, why not watch a movie alone as an ALONE DATE?!? And so I did. I went on my very 1st alone date by watching a movie alone….

I went through the movie list and contemplated which movie to watch. The Echo? Nah. Too scary to watch alone. G-Force? Nah. Best watched with my little sisters. The Ugly Truth? Not really. Watching a romantic comedy alone is a joke. Fame? I am loyal to the original one so I think I'll pass on this one.

I was working on a food and dining related project and what perfect way to get the creative juices flowing by watching Julie & Julia.

After buying my solo ticket, I then texted some good friends on my brave move and that I will miss the warm hug of Dodong in the cold movie house. I do thank them for the wonderful support and words of encouragement. I wanted to share with you the text message of LTD contributor, Ms Jones, which made me realize how much I am blessed even if I was on an alone date

7++ years of Happiness is indeed very very very good

How was the alone date you ask? It was SUPER! It was indeed a Happy 7 years and 4 months celebration of love for me Though, as predicted, I did feel the cold (it really was cold!); I enjoyed the movie immensely. I'd say this is MY inspiration movie which I would watch again and again and again when I am in need of a creative jolt. The movie even made me want to take my 1st alone date a notch further because I suddenly did feel gastronomically challenge and in need of French cuisine satisfaction

But I guess I can reserve the French dinner for my next alone date. Any more alone date suggestions you can share?

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay