HERE?S the scenario: You have a friend, relative, significant other, movie idol, whoever, who is a vegetarian. And they strut about feeling high and mighty, as if their dietary choices were their supreme gift to humanity and to the planet, and sticking with these choices involves superhuman effort.

So now you want to get them crashing to the ground and prove them wrong by telling them, ?I can do what you do by eating what you eat for a day.?

Knowing you?re a certified omnivore and lover of meat, your vegetarian friend or kin doubts you can pull this off. To sweeten the deal, you place a bet: Within 24 hours, if you haven?t eaten a single animal cell (whether pork, beef, chicken, fish, or even seafood), your friend loses not only some hard-earned moolah, but also his or her mythical stature in your eyes. However, if you find yourself running for the nearest upsized burger before the day is done, you?d be forced to admit that being a vegetarian does involve superhuman sacrifice, and vow to give all the awe and reverence your friend think he or she deserves.

Fortunately for you, vegetarian restaurants have been sprouting all over the city, ready to help meat lovers make the right impression before their politically-correct friends.

How to find them? Start with a mouse. Check any of the 78 listed Philippine vegetarian restaurants, fastfoods and stores at http://www.happycow.net/asia/philippines/. Their contact numbers and addresses are listed. There are four in Angeles City, one in Antipolo City, three in Bacolod, four in Baguio City, one in Butuan City, one in Cavite, seven in Cebu, four in Davao, one in Iligan City, two in Lipa City, one in Lucban, 40 in Metro Manila, one in Naga City, three in Olongapo City, two in Puerto Princesa, one in San Fernando, and two in Sta Rosa City, Laguna.

The following restaurants are those I have personally visited and dined in. Thus far, my favorite vegetarian restaurants are:

1. Blissful Belly at Llanar Building along Xavierville Avenue, above Metrobank in Quezon City. Frequented by students and office workers in the Ateneo de Manila-Katipunan area, its bestsellers include menudo and afritada (vegemeat with potatoes and tomatoes); adobo, sisig (grilled tofu), paella and barbecue that almost pass off for the real deal. Blissful Belly is owned by integrative doctor and cancer specialist Omar Arabia. The combo meals are around P130, and fresh juices range from P35 to P85. Open Monday to Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., (632) 9203487.

2. Daily Veggies at 540 Banawe Street, Quezon City and in Binondo, Manila offer sweet-and-sour lemon nuggets, Crispy Tao Pao that mimics lechon sans the cholesterol, sizzling Tao Pao roll with mushroom and vegetable sauce, vegetarian ham, cabbage and carrots, and the house special: tofu with sotanghon. It also offers vegetarian products such as canned sausages and veggie-pork crispy seaweeds. Meals (rice with fare) start at P93. Store hours: 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Sundays. Call them at (632)-7118209, 7113214.
3. Bodhi may be familiar to mall-goers because of its satellite stalls in various SM Food Courts and other establishments such as Tutuban Centermall, Manila, and at Greenhills Shopping Center, Lifestyle Building in Ortigas Avenue. Bodhi is known for its tocinos, barbecues, and beef broccoli. Prices vary depending on the branch. The main office is along Banawe, with contact numbers (632) 7426297 or (632) 7119967.

4. Greens restaurant, at 92 Sct. Castor Street, Quezon City (near the corner of Tomas Morato) is owned by Wally and Maryann Duran (632-4154796). It serves, among other things, chicharon, beef broccoli in barbecue sauce and cashew nuts; sisig; veggie-fish relleno (made of crunchy bean curd skin, Japanese bread crumbs and seaweed stuffed with ground veggie meat, minced carrots, green peas, bell peppers and raisins) and embutido (a mix of tofu, veggie meat and sausage, minced carrots, black olives, bell peppers and cheese) steamed to perfection.

Greens also offers grilled mushroom and tofu kebabs, primavera (spaghetti in tomato sauce with mushrooms, olives, capers, leeks, celery, bell peppers and spices); food for the gods and suman with mangga. A typical meal costs from P75 (combo/budget meal barbecue), a combo platter is P105. The buffet style lunch on weekdays is P85 for one rice and two viands and P120 for three viands. Greens caters to both lacto-vegetarians and vegans. It?s open Mondays to Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and at Sundays from 12 noon to 9 p.m. There?s free WiFi for customers.

5. Country Vegefoods is a combination resto and vegetarian store, located at 161 Luna Mencias Street in San Juan (0906-2228898 and +632-7244379). Staffed by Seventh Day Adventists, it is open everyday (except Saturday) from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

6. Corner Tree Cafe favorites are their tofu-walnut burger, lasagna, dukka and organic wine. Located at the Miladay Building, 150 Jupiter Street in Makati, this vegan-friendly restaurant caters more to the fine dining crowd, so be prepared to shell out P1,000 or more for a complete meal for two. Reservations are required. It is open Tuesday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and closed on Mondays. Contact 632-8970295).

7. Wabi Sabi Noodle House and grocery store inside The Collective, 7274 Malugay Street, Barangay San Antonio, Makati City (0918-4501714) serves Vietnamese veggie dishes. Head on down there and ask for their Vietnamese-style Banh Mi sandwich with barbecue and noodles (Pho and Shoyu Ramen).

8. Chimara. The must-try dishes of this neo-vegan cafe at the cinema area of Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati include meatless taco salad, tofu pesto sandwiches, pita bread, soy ice cream, and wasabi popcorn. It also delivers within Makati City. Call them at (632) 7573051.

9. Oscar Ann?s at Leveriza Street, Pasay City (near the Caltex Buendia station) has masa-priced vegemeats that taste like real bacon, bopis, steak, braised beef, barbecue, and siopao fillings. Offering probably the lowest priced vegetarian meals in Metro Manila (combo meals start at P45, with drinks at P65), Oscar Ann?s is managed by nutritionist-dietician Blecenda Varona, who also holds cooking seminars in the store. Try the refreshing and cleansing kamote juice (P55 per liter). Contact numbers: (632) 5250389; 09165749223. Store hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Sunday to Thursday; 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. The store is closed on Saturdays.
10. If you?re up for noisy cafeteria-style dining at student-level prices, drop by the ground floor of the Manila Adventist Medical Center at 45 Donada Street in Pasay City (near the corner of Taft and Senator Gil Puyat Avenues). Various meals for various types of vegetarian diets (lacto- and ovo-) are available, as well as freshly baked breads and baked goodies.

11. Vegan and vegetarian-friendly Planet Gulay store is run by the husband-and-wife team of Atila and Cors on the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay road in Sta. Rosa, Laguna (0919-4913252). The quaint but friendly establishment offers Cottage Pie (on Wednesdays), and Baked Macaroni (on Fridays). Its daily food-to-go fare include tacos, black eyed peas burritos, baked empanada, vegetable pot pie, mock chicken sandwich, chicken burger, and barbecue. Made-to-order pastries include apple pie, espresso pie, chocolate cake, pineapple upside-down cake, pesto garland bread, sticky buns, chocolate chip cookies, and oatmeal walnut cookies. Its off-the-shelf items include revel bars, santol jelly bar cookies, and frozen veggie meats (local and imported). Its popular dairy-free creamy coconut ice cream is around P230 (half gallon), cheaper than Chimara?s soy ice cream. The store is open Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Upon request, they can open on a Sunday.

12. Recommended by a friend and may be worth a visit is Pipino: Vegetarian Food by Pino at 39 Malingap Street, Teachers Village, Quezon City (632) 4411773). The vegan-friendly restaurant is said to offer veggie-iterations of popular Filipino and Asian dishes: taro chips with wasabi dip; vegetable curry with rice; eggplant and tofu miso, and vegan chocolate cake. It offers al fresco dining, and accepts major credit cards. Open Mondays to Sundays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

While in Baguio?

The summer capital of the Philippines is also the source of much of the country?s vegetable stocks. So, it?s only natural that Baguio City offers its own vegetarian restaurants fit for the most skeptical of meat eaters. Try Oh My Gulay at the 5th floor of the La Azotea Building on busy Session Road. And at the second level of the same building is the vegetarian carinderia Azotea Greens. Both offer a unique dining experience at various price brackets. Oh My Gulay, in particular, provides a dining atmosphere not unlike that of an art gallery.

In Lucban, Quezon Province, along Quezon Avenue in front of the Southern Luzon State University, is the Green Earth Vegetarian Restaurant And Café. This restaurant, open from Mondays to Fridays from 12 noon to 6 p.m., offers tasty sisig, pakbet and barbecue dishes at around P30 per serving.

So, how about that bet? ?