Puerto Rico

1st Visit to Veggie Friendy St. Germain in Old San Juan

November 13, 2011 by Raul Colon

A Month Ago while I was at ISACA Latin CACS & ISRM Conference I had the opportunity to meet a neat group of people and reconnect with old acquaintances.

While I was happy that I got a neat upgrade at the Presidential Suite of the Caribe Hilton I was deciding where I could go and eat my friend and ISACA member Lymari invited me to try out St. Germain a restaurant in old San Juan.

Is it Vegetarian Friendly?

My first question when I get invited to eat at a new place is to ask if it is vegetarian friendly. The answer was yes and Lymary also indicated that it was probably one of the most vegetarian friendly places in Old San Juan.

We arrived at the restaurant to find a very cozy small restaurant setting with the staff smiling. When I asked my waitress what vegetarian options they had she was more than happy to go into the specifics of the many options they had she was nice enough to point out which one was her favorite entree. Most of them where sandwiches which sounded really attractive and all vegetarian.

I could Have Soup TOO

Thankfully the soup was made out of Vegetable Stock. One of the things that really won me over was the Soup that was made out of vegetable stock not sure what vegetables it had in it but the flavors where so rich and tasty I forgot to ask. Once the waitress indicated it was made out of pure vegetables I decided to trust her and after tasting the soup I sure did not regret it.

My entree came out being a delicious sandwich with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and a side salad that tasted so good I would have asked for the side salad as an entree and I have expressed how I feel about salads in the past. Something I do realize when creating this post is that I am recommending a restaurant without going into the details I was so enchanted by the staff, the flavors, and the good company I had I really did not get into the specifics of each plate which gives me another reason to go back and do a more formal review.

All Options Even the Drinks Where Amazing

I ended the night with the most delicious carrot cake I have tried in years. Being vegetarian it is very difficult for me to really enjoy each item of my complete meal as much as I did. All 4 items I ordered including the Ginger Margarita that I recommend to anyone who wants to have a refreshing cocktail where excellent.

I want to thank Daniel and Lymary for the recommendation and introducing me to these new place where I can go and have tasty and great vegetarian options in old San Juan.

We will be posting our second visit to St. Germain where they where able to offer a fully vegan option for me feel free to Subscribe to VegLatino by Email and get updates directly in your inbox.

Any other Latino/Hispanic inspired places that have excellent vegetarian options we should try out. Feel free to share in the comments area.

Vegetarian Creativity in the Pearl of the South

July 16, 2011 by Raul Colon

Last February I met a small restaurant owner and chef that operates and works in my hometown of Ponce.

One of the biggest issues you can have in Puerto Rico like I have expressed on past occasions is the lack of opportunities for vegetarians to eat out. Much less have a meal prepared by a chef that completely understands the definition of vegetarianism.

I visited Chef Creations in Ponce a place which has been in operation for over 10 years. I had never cared for visiting the place since it did not say welcome vegetarians. When chatting with my friend and also client Romy Baez , we made the decision to have lunch at Chef Creations. I had taken the invitation from the Chef many months ago and he had told me he was going to create a plate especially for me.

When I arrived I engaged in conversation with Chef Jorge (Owner of Chef Creations) on the opportunities that a restaurant on the Island has of having various vegetarian options on the menu. Before he prepared my meal, he ran me through all the important questions that re-assured me that he understood what a Vegetarian and Vegan could consume and not consume.

I felt very much at home. Most of Chef Creations clients are locals that know of the place by word of mouth.

I was very impressed on how cozy and inviting the inside looked. It was very different from the outside which does not say come in and enjoy a great meal.

We arrived when they where about to close and although they had stored everything they decided to take care of us. Chef Jorge decided to create a Vegetarian Pasta mixed with sauces and a creamy sauce.

For me it was something unique because I am not a big fan of Pasta but this Pasta was really delicious. Once I finished my plate he decided that I had not been fed enough and decided to create a salad and a mix of fruits which was something enjoyable that complemented the pasta very well. I was so enchanted by the meal I ended not leaving room for dessert.

After the meal Chef Jorge explained how he is planning to put a few vegetarian items on the menu and the only thing that was holding him back was that he wanted to offer the Vegetarian and Vegan community only the best options on the menu.

He did indicate that if you are Vegan or Vegetarian and have any special food needs you can feel free to let him and he will use his creativity, art, and culinary knowledge to create a unique plate that will go well with the experience of meeting such a talented guy. (But I would recommend calling ahead (787) 848-8384 to make sure they can meet all your diet needs).

Chef Jorge creates themes such as Hawaiian night that compliment the ambiance and food making the name of the restaurant a great fit.

When I was getting ready to leave, Chef Jorge indicated that the meal was on the house. I have planned my next visit to Chef Creations where we are planning to have a Vegetarian paella.

So if you are visiting and driving around Ponce or the southen part of Puerto Rico I can clearly say that this one of your only options of having a restaurant serving you a vegetarian meal with flavor and passion.

5 stars for Chef Creations and I will update you as soon as we experience the Vegetarian Paella stay tuned! Feel free so sign up for our Subscribe to VegLatino’s Newsletter via Email.

11 Puppies Need a home ASAP

March 27, 2011 by Lucymfel

Photo by Mark Hayward

UPDATE: From the Animal Welfare of Culebra > Two puppies adopted! 9 to go & many GREAT dogs available!
Let’s hope that the other nine puppies and dogs at the facility are rescued. 3-30-2011

Today we were notified by @Mark_Hayward via twitter that 11 puppies were abandoned and rescued by him and his wife Terrie. Here is what Mark stated to us,

“The pups were dumped on the road as you head towards Zoni Beach on Culebra. Terrie brought to the vet in Fajardo yesterday for de-worming and vaccines. There are tons of pics on Animal Welfare of Culebra Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Animal-Welfare-of-Culebra

If people want to adopt we do a very thorough screening process — check with their vet, etc. Also, Animal Welfare of Culebra is 100 percent support by donations so if people want to help out they can donate by following this link – http://animalwelfareculebra.org/support/

This picture touches our heart in a profound way because we have a black labrador at home. Please forward this post to all of those who may be interested.

Gardein Pinchos ala Beefless Home-Style Tips

March 22, 2011 by Lucymfel

It had been a long time since my partner had eaten a kebob aka known as food on a stick. Although the kebobs made in most countries look very different than the pinchos we are used to in Puerto Rico, the main ingredient is protein. We decided to do a kebob with vegetables and Gardein Home-Style Beefless Tips. The Gardein site has a kebob recipe but I decided to do my own.

I did not use the entire packet and decided to make about eight kebobs or pinchos with two beefless tips on each. Any vegetable goes with kebobs but we decided to use tomatoes, mushrooms, and onions. Depending on how big you buy the mushrooms, you can use a whole mushroom or half. I bought baby portabella mushrooms and used a whole mushroom. You can use grape tomatoes or campari tomatoes halved.

Ingredients

Wooden or Metal Skewers (If using wooden skewers pre-soak in water)
Any Vegetables you like but we used the following:
10 Baby Portabella Mushrooms whole
Tomatoes Grape or Campari
1 Large Onion cut into large pieces
Gardein Home-Style Beefless Tips
Adobo to taste
Pepper to taste
¼ cup of Olive Oil
¼ cup of Freshly squeezed Lime juice
Cooking Brush
BBQ (Whatever Kind you like)

Instructions:

Marinade the mushrooms and Gardein Beefless Tips for at least 20 minutes by mixing the olive oil, lime juice, adobo, pepper, and pouring it over the ingredients. I found that marinating these two absorbed full flavor of the beefless tips and mushrooms.

Start a assembling the items on your skewers but making sure you have room at the bottom to turn them over. Once they are assembled, line them up on a grill or on a baking sheet in your oven and set to broil.

I put these in my oven to broil and was constantly turning them. When you start seeing the vegetables cook, brush on the barbecue sauce of your choice. These won’t take too long to cook because there is not meet. Just wait for the vegetables to brown. Add a piece of bread at the end of the pinchos to soak up the excess barbecue sauce.

Disclosure: We where given products by Gardein in appreciation from one of our previous posts on their great products. Even though part of the ingredients (beefless tips) where provided by @Gardein we don’t feel that this influenced the writing of this post in any way.

New Vegetarian Friendly Indian Restaurant South Puerto Rico

March 20, 2011 by Raul Colon

Update: April 17, 2016

The Restaurant Bangkok & Bombay has moved and is now situated in Santurce, Ave. Fernandez Juncos. For directions on how to get there click here.

Original Post

Being vegetarian and living in the Southern Part of Puerto Rico, it is never easy finding a vegetarian friendly restaurant.

Even more difficult is finding one that serves authentic Thai and Indian food. The only restaurant on the Island that I really enjoyed eating their Indian Food was Bangkok & Bombay which use to be in Condado.

We had seen that they had put up a sign for one in Coamo, the town where I use to live and is right next to Santa Isabel where I live right now. In less than 10 minutes I get some of my favorite Indian dishes without having to drive for more than an hour and deal with traffic.

We arrived with a good friend more like family to tryout the food and were surprised to find out that the one in Condado no longer exists. I sat down and identified that the menu was the same.

After ordering some pakoras and samosas, I found the dishes to taste even better than when I tried them at Condado. We ordered some Malai Kofta Curry and another entree Mater Paneer. We were very happy with the authentic flavors of Indian Cuisine while providing us a great experience.

So for all of you that want to try out Indian Cuisine, tasteful vegetarian dishes, and in the southern part of the Island feel free to visit the new Bangkok Bombay.

I have to say that the decorations where unique and made it comforting for you to stay and want to return.

bangkokbombay.com

I Found the Fountain of Youth!

March 1, 2011 by Raul Colon

Talking about Veglatino with a possible client of My Company I was directed towards a Vegetarian Restaurant at La Ponce De Leon Avenue, in Santurce, Puerto Rico. Little did I know that I was going to find the possible Fountain of Youth.

After ordering my Hummus (homemade) on Pita, Avocado, Organic Greens, and Cheece (doesn’t that sound delicious) I was greeted by Nora who offered a shot of a in house made juice fill with nutrients, vitamin c, and cayenne pepper to boost the system. A different experience that what I usually get when I visit a restaurant. Once I say I am vegetarian I get a funny look. Entering Veggie Fruity was such a unique experience that automatically it made me stay longer and I did not want to leave.

I approached Nora so she could give us a bit of her insight on the reasons why she created Veggie Fruity and she quickly shared the following: I conducted the interview in a very informal way since I saw much value in spreading the word around about this great place.

Nora became part of the Ann Wigmore institute to improve her style of life. The Ann Wigmore Institute is located in Aguada Puerto Rico and focuses on helping vegetarians and people that want a change to achieve better quality of life.

Based on Nora’s explanations they create awareness and concentrate everything on making sure that you can improve your health by making key changes in your lifestyle. Teaching you the importance of proper chewing, detox cleansing, and exfoliating can make a positive difference. The importance of reducing your need for meat which are full of hormones.

Nora took a course at the AW institute for one month and felt like she had found how to stop the clock of aging. Her main reason was because just like me and many other fellow vegans and vegetarians would agree your body was not created to eat meat.

Veggie Fruity is open on Weekdays from 8am to 4pm serving breakfast and lunch. Menu options range from daily specials, entrees, variety of soups and the Veggie Deluxe Burger which I tried and highly recommend (below).

Nora recommends trying also her “Pastelon de Yuca” and during the holidays her vegetarian pasteles made with fresh ground spices. Nora is a a fan of using fresh spices such as cilantro, garlic, basil, and many others that can be easily found.

I had the opportunity to try many of the frozen smoothies and raw juices she creates once ordered. While I was waiting to pay for my food a customer ordered a drink containing ginger and the whole place was filled with its delicious smell. Acai is a brazilian grape with great nutritional value which she also includes in her drinks.

Nora also highlights that her shop is vegetarian with various vegan options. Even when she prepares the Quiche which is not vegan she only uses egg whites trying to maximize the nutritional value. She recommend the use of romaine lettuce and other nutritional leaves over Iceberg Lettuce.

Norah started her business with the purpose of providing better options for a public in need of good nutrition. By creating quality food and drink options at Veggie Fruity she is creating awareness of a better style of living. Nora is giving everyone in Santurce or willing to visit her a better option into eating.

So in Nora’s words