Hidden away in a very imposing, highly walled and gated buiding along P. Ocampo St. is this beautiful restaurant, Water Drop Tea House. My friends and I were recommended to have a bite there from Benilde and got a little confused, wondering if the building was part of the Vietnamese embassy beside it, and then a little intimidated when we had to leave an ID with the guard there. All our anxieties dissipated, however, as once we were inside we were greeted by Buddhist statues and calm, pristine interiors that lead to the tea house within.
Being friends with strict vegetarians makes looking for a place to eat a struggle sometimes, especially if said vegetarians are friends with dedicated meat-eaters. The Water Drop Tea House gives peace to this conflict by offering amazing, tasty Chinese food that are all vegetarian. If you've ever had vegemeat, you probably wouldn't feel like having it again, but their vegemeat is delicious. Their soup, tofu, mushrooms, and veggies are just as delectable, all enough to convert to vegetarianism.
What's really surprising is how cheap the food is--around a hundred fifty bucks for a great, sizable meal. Everything is also served on pretty flatwear, and even the silver and chopsticks don't look like they've been skimped on. And if your meal wasn't enough of a blessed experience, you could ask to take a tour of the Buddhist temple where the restaurant resides in, if the congregation isn't there, of course. We were lucky enough to be there on a weekday afternoon to get to appreciate the place.
The menu is sort of limited in variety and you have to self-bus your used dishes (bringing them to a nearby tray isn't a big deal anyhow), but for a generous dining and spiritual experience, the Water Drop Tea House is guaranteed to bring you to nirvana. read more