Aside from Hayward, another unexpected Bay Area city that has pockets of vegan goodness is Alameda. In here, you can find, “Central Vegetarian Cuisine“, an Asian restaurant that offers wide selection of vegan dishes.
 
 
For appetizer, we ordered Lotus Salad. I loved the crunch, the refreshing sweetness and the slight tang, not to mention the spicy kick in the end. This dish became my instant favorite.
 

 
For entree, we ordered Jalapeno Tofu with rice on the side. I had no idea it also came with vegetables, definitely a nice surprise. Another instant favorite.

 
We also got Tamarind “Beef”, which I found a little too tangy even with some rice. I should have known better, it’s called Tamarind for a reason (duh!). But the bland crunchy pita bread on the side gave good balance in taste and texture.

 
Aside from the delicious food, the server was prompt and friendly. She made sure we were having a good time. In fact,  after our meal, she served us a vegan chocolate mocha cake-on the house!

 
While Chris and I were enjoying our dessert, we couldn’t help but notice the Tagalog conversation next to us. We weren’t trying to eavesdrop. We were just in awe to find out there were other Filipinos in the restaurant (spotting a Filipino in a vegan restaurant is like spotting a shark that eats only vegetables-which also does exist!).

I mustered up some courage and went up to them. I politely introduced myself and Chris. Thankfully, they were just as glad to meet us. One of the two, Tuesday (yup that’s her name!), said she was visiting the US for only few weeks. She said if we ever visit back Manila, she got some vegan recommendations for us.
 
So far, Tuesday recommended:

• Best Vegetarian Dishes in Manila and the restaurants that carry them
• Wabi-Sabi Noodle House and Vegetarian Grocery
• The Vegetarian Kitchen

 
She also tweeted: