This plant-based tasting menu will make you eat vegetables in a different light

Let's face it: Eating vegetables is not as exciting as having a tender slice of steak or getting a bite of a freshly-made pizza. But what if we tell you that today's plant-based dishes are just as satisfying and exciting?

Mimi Vergara Tupas, a certified raw vegan chef hailing from Davao, is collaborating with The Westin Manila for a one-night-only wine pairing dinner featuring nine 100% plant-based dishes on July 11 that will make you rethink about the exciting flavors vegetables have to offer.

Mimi is known for her vegetable-forward dining concepts in Davao, such as Made Simple and Clean Café. Her interest in plant-based dishes started when she visited Bali for a family vacation.

"It was in my stay in Bali that my dreams of a place like Clean Café were carved. I never felt so sure and as eager to put up a cafe, seat people, and explore my creativity over food made from 100% plant-based sources," Mimi said in a press release.

"A week after returning from a family vacation in Bali, I found myself flying back. I decided to stay for a month with a Balinese family, immersed myself in this new purpose, and earned my Raw Vegan Chef Certification," she added.

Mimi's food concepts are pretty straightforward: simple, beautiful, and vegetable-forward.

"Vegetables are always the star of my dishes. I am most inspired and creative when the best produce surrounds me, but I am also, surprisingly, just as inspired when I have limited resources," she said.

For her collaboration with The Westin Manila, guests can expect plant-based dishes presented in a different light.

It will start with a mushroom pate: mushrooms made into a rich and flavorful pate, topped with indulgent vegan butter.

It will be followed by a watercress soup, finished off with truffle oil and umami-rich enoki mushrooms. It will be served alongside a vibrant Panzanella salad, a simple mix of fresh arugula and crusty bread infused with olive oil and spices. Its tangy dressing is made out of tomato water, herbs, and premium olive oil.

For the small plate, the burnt tomatoes with plant-based ricotta will take your breath away. It's made with plump and sweet cherry tomatoes, charred to bring out its best flavors, and served on a bed of plant-based ricotta, fresh basil, and infused oils. This will be served with a side of chia seed crackers.

For the main plate, Mimi will prepare Mushroom Scallops, Forest Mushrooms, and Enoki Bouquet—an imaginative and out-of-this-world dish that celebrates the earthiness and diversity of mushrooms.

There's always room for dessert, and the Rosemary Olive Oil Cake is the perfect dish to finish a vegetable-forward tasting menu. It's a vegan cake infused with the aromatic flavors of rosemary and the rich, fruity notes of olive oil, made without eggs or any form of dairy.

The Westin Manila's four-course plant-based menu on July 11 is priced at P4,500 nett.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News