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| Red Planet, warm watermelon topped with cheese, arugula and crushed walnuts and/or peanuts, and drizzled with balsamic glaze |
From the outside, the bakery-café looks like any modern bungalow home,
cream-colored and almost nondescript you may miss it. Inside, prints of gray
and orange leaves and red roses run through the walls, a charming contrast to
the dark-vanished wooden plank benches that hold the wooden tables, accented
with potted plants, in place. Songs of the Beatles are played in the
background. Different kinds of bread fill the shelves near the entrance
including its popular breadsticks and Spanish bread. The counter is filled with
pastries and sweets—muffins, cookies,
pies, cakes, etc.
Many
residents of White Plains Subdivision in Quezon City still call the
neighborhood bakery by its original name, Monsee’s.
Since it opened in November 2010 along Katipunan Avenue, Monsee’s has been well-loved even by people
from other parts of Metro Manila. After three years, Monsee’s was renamed Harina Artisan Bakery
Café. The name
is the Filipino word for “flour,” and the owners, lawyer Marina
Demeterio and Sally Yunez, wanted a name that is closely associated with their
products. The name Monsee’s is still
retained though, although it now refers to their institutional businesses and
is the brand name the breads carry, while Harina is the retail arm, the café operations.
Despite the
change of name, the vision remains the same.
“Everything is a labor of love,” the owners emphasize. “The baking is done the traditional
way, without shortcuts and chemical additives. Since chemical additives are not
used, the flavors of each ingredient are fully developed. It wasn’t necessary to add chemicals to bread
for centuries and Harina believes that it still isn’t. Nothing less than premium
ingredients are used. The breads are hand rolled. We do not mass-produce the
breads; they are baked in small batches rather than on a vast assembly
line. An interesting corner is the open
baking area which allows customers to see how some of their products are made.”
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| Inside Harina Artisan Bakery Café |
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| Harina Artisan Bakery-Cafe is located along Katipunan Avenue in White Plains, Quezon City |
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| Arroz Cubana has potatoes, carrots and soy protein in a stew, and fried egg, plantains and steamed rice |
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| The bruschetta platter of baguette slices with three toppings: avocado, asparagus and arugula; herbed tomatoes; and sliced mushrooms and cheese |
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| Of the dishes in Harina Artisan Bakery Café’s Meatless Monday menu , the dinuguan stands out. This Filipino favorite stew is made without pig’s blood and innards but it tastes exactly like traditional dinuguan, which is served with puto (rice cake) or steamed rice. |
One other
thing that the change of name indicates is the growth. The bakery is now also a
restaurant popular for its breakfast offerings that include sandwiches;
pancakes; biscuits; different versions of the French Toast such as the
strawberry cheesecake and peanut butter bananas with chocolate; the unique
breakfast tart which is puff pastry shell filled with eggs, spinach, roasted tomatoes
and bacon; and the Bloomin’ Bread,
round Italian pull apart bread. The menu was expanded to include rice
combination meals and pasta dishes.
On ordinary
days, Harina Artisan Bakery Café serves
filling dishes such as pulled pork adobo with fried kesong puti, lettuce and tomato on baguette; linguini in a
marinara-based sauce with Spanish chorizo and roasted peppers; rib-eye steak
with two fried eggs, French fries, baked tomatoes and toast; and fried milkfish
belly with salty red eggs, tomatoes and garlic fried rice. But today is Monday,
and recently Harina introduced a special menu available only on the first day
of the working week.
Unsuspecting
customers are always caught by surprise but are almost always willing to try it
out despite the reputation of the food being bland and generally dislikable.
And almost always they are surprised that the dishes are very agreeable,
relates the owners.
“We are not serving meat at Harina Cafe
every Monday,” explains
Demeterio. “We have a
special vegetarian menu for the day and the items on our regular menu will not
be available. So diners will have to order from the vegetarian menu.”
They call
this practice Meatless Monday.
“There is an international Meatless
Monday campaign,” Yunez
says. “We are not
connected to the proponents of that, but since we have pretty much the same
aim, which is to encourage people to not eat meat at least once a week to
improve their health and help the environment, we decided to adapt the name.
They say that Monday is the best day for this because it is the start of the
week, and at this time of the week, people are usually enthusiastic and raring
to begin something new, something good.”
“Profits from Meatless Monday will go
to charity. We have not determined yet which charity though,” Demeterio adds.
Girlishly,
the two admits being Beatles fans, which not only explains the Beatles
background music but also the Meatless Monday practice, inspired by Beatles
member Paul McCartney’s Meatless
Monday movement launched on June 15, 2009, with his daughters Stella and Mary.
Of course,
the reasons are deeper than that. Both are professed vegetarians. For
Demeterio, her concern for her health prompted her to embark on a plant diet.
“And I am learning that it isn’t all so bad,” she admits. “I have recently learned to appreciate
the benefits of being vegetarian through my friends Henry and Sally Yunez and
Judy Lao. For years, they have been encouraging me to give vegetarianism a try,
sending me dishes every now and then. But it was only now that I decided to go
for it.”
She further
says: “I am
thinking that maybe if I started this earlier then maybe I wouldn’t have developed a health problem. So
far, I have been less irritable. I am more focused and more productive. Our
tagline is ‘Sharing
happiness with every bite,’ so this
is still in line with that. This is what makes us happy, so we’re sharing it with you. Hopefully, it
will also make you happy. So I want people to consider getting into it, even
for just one day a week, while they still have a choice.”
On the
other hand, Yunez, a vegetarian for four years now, reveals her family is
Buddhist, and “the main
motivators are compassion for animals and to do our share in saving the
environment.” Furthermore, she explains that “meat-eating causes a huge damage on
our ecological system.”
“Animals grown for food need space to
graze on so there’s
deforestation. Their emissions and waste poison the surroundings. The higher
the demand for meat, the bigger the stress on our environment,” Yunez says. “It is our personal advocacy to spread
vegetarianism. It will help the environment and it is good for our health. We
understand that it can be quite difficult to adjust to a new lifestyle
especially since vegetarian meals are not readily available. The sources are
still quite limited. We would like to help out in that department with Meatless
Monday. Being vegetarian for a day is a good start. And we would like people to
change their mindset on vegetarian food. It can be as delicious or even more
palatable than your regular food. This is also our way of sharing our knowledge
in preparing vegetarian food.”
It was
Yunez who developed the dishes for the Meatless Monday menu together with her
sister-in-law Judy Lao, who is famous for her fruitcakes and who has been a
vegetarian for 12 years now.
“We want dishes that are familiar yet
interesting enough,” Yunez
says. “We stayed
away from anything intimidating. The menu is not hardcore; it’s just for beginners. It is to entice,
not to scare.”
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| Healthy drinks: the Green Electrolyte, made with cucumber, lemon and lime; and the Red Electrolyte with apple and watermelon. |
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| The kimchi fried rice with barbecue consists of kimchi rice with barbecued bean curd skin and grilled bell peppers |
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| Judy Lao (left) helped develop the vegetarian menu together with Harina owners lawyer Marina Demeterio and Sally Yunez |
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| Pochero soup of chopped plantains, tomatoes and pechay (bokchoy) |
“We want to educate more people and let
them know that they have a choice, that there’s
more to vegetables than what we usually see,”
Demeterio explains. “It’s not just adobong kangkong (water
convolvulus stewed in soy sauce, garlic and vinegar) and nilagang kamote
(boiled sweet potato) all the time. When we were doing our research and
development and made people try the dishes. They were surprised at the flavors.”
Noteworthy
are the meat dishes they made vegetarian. Example is the famous Cebuano stew of
pork, tomato sauce, bananas and vegetables, the pochero. Though they have the usual lentil soup (P120), their pochero soup (P120) catches our
attention. The soup is surprisingly sweetish and tasty with only chopped
plantains, tomatoes and pechay (bokchoy). This is nicely paired with the
bruschetta platter (P310). The slices of baguette, arranged on a wooden
chopping board, come with three toppings: avocado, asparagus and arugula;
herbed tomatoes; and sliced mushrooms and cheese.
Unexpectedly, they offer one kind of salad, the melon celery
salad (P160), which consists of melon cubes and chopped celery with sour cream
and yogurt dressing. It is refreshing but too sweet to start a meal.
The biggest
surprise is their dinuguan (P230),
the Filipino favorite stew of pig’s
blood and innards. Lao explains that she substitutes the chewy innards with
chopped black mushrooms, banana blossoms and soy curd. To give the
characteristic black color of the dish, Lao uses black hair seaweed from China.
This is served with either steamed rice or puto
(rice cake), like the usual dinuguan,
and it tastes exactly like the usual dinuguan.
The contention is the name since dinuguan
means “with blood
put in” in
Filipino.
The main
dish selections are international in appeal: kimchi fried rice with barbecue
(P250), which is available in other days and consisting of kimchi rice with
barbecued bean curd skin and grilled bell peppers; Arroz Cubana (P230), which
is also available in other days and has potatoes, carrots and soy protein in a
stew, and fried egg, plantains and steamed rice; and porcini mushroom linguini
(P200), which is linguini aglio e olio
with porcini mushrooms and topped with parmesan cheese.
Serving as
their house steak dish is Red Planet (P180), which has a thick slab of warm
watermelon as main ingredient. Its sweetness is cut off by toppings of cheese,
arugula and crushed walnuts and/or peanuts, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze,
preventing it from becoming a dessert.
And for desserts, the Cocoro chocolate cake (P125 per slice)
is offered. The bittersweet chocolate cake is made from 72 percent courveture
dark chocolate and sweetened with coconut sugar, which is considered a
healthier sweetening choice. One can also opt for the apple crumble (P375 per
small tray), which uses Fuji and Granny Smith apples with cinnamon and its
crust topped with streusel and chopped walnuts.
These are
downed with refreshing and healthy juice blend drinks: the Green Electrolyte
(P150) with cucumber, lemon and lime, and the Red Electrolyte (P150) with apple
and watermelon.
Yunez says
the menu will change. “As much as
possible, I wanted to work with local products that are readily available. We
also want to incorporate what’s in
season. We want to offer a wide variety so we’re
still developing more dishes. Expect the menu to grow. We also want to hear the
preferences of the market so we can work with ingredients they like. If they
don’t like
okra and you insist that they try okra, it really won’t work. I want them to enjoy
vegetarianism—grains,
legumes, vegetables and fruits. Vegetarianism isn’t
all vegetables!”
“We’re
working on a lot more dishes. We will be rolling them out slowly to keep the
clients excited. Watch out for more vegetarian dishes from different cuisines
next month,” Demeterio
promises.
“Picture yourself in a boat on a
river/With tangerine trees and marmalade skies,”
the song from somewhere suddenly enters the consciousness. The Beatles is still
being played. As our watermelon sweetly bleeds for us and the lemon-yellow
sunlight streams through the window, we know some people are making a
difference by just innovating with food.
Harina Artisan Bakery Café
is at 118 Katipunan Avenue, White Plains Subdivision, Quezon City, with
telephone number (02) 352-6721. It is open Monday to Sunday, from 6 a.m. to 9
p.m.
Regular Menu
Pancakes
3 pieces fluffy pancakes served with
whipped butter & syrup.
Php165.00
Muesli
with Fruit
Homemade
muesli topped with assorted fruits. Php270.00
Strawberry Cheesecake-Stuffed French Toast
Cheesecake-filled
brioche topped with whipped cream & strawberry preserves. Php290.00
PBB Chocolate Stuffed French Toast
Wheat honey walnut French toast
stuffed with creamy peanut
butter, sliced bananas
&choco-hazalnut
spread.
Php290.00
Biscuits
Freshly baked Southern-style biscuits.Served with butter and jam.
Php165.00
Harina’sBloomin’ Bread(for sharing)
Crusty
pull-apart Italian loaf filled with basil puree and an assortment of melted
cheese. Served with a dip of balsamic vinegar &extra-virgin olive oil. Php320.00
Add Php130.00 for sausage & garlic OR pepperoni & pimiento bloomin’
bread
Breakfast Tart
Puff pastry shell filled with
cream cheese, spinach, baked tomatoes, bacon and eggs.
Php290.00
Quiche Lorraine
Flaky pastry crust with a savoury
filling, served with
salad greens tossed in balsamic vinaigrette.
Php290.00
Steak and Eggs
Rib-eye steak served with two fried
eggs, French Fries, baked tomatoes
& toast. Php450.00
The Big
Breakfast
Create your own breakfast with a vegetable
and cheese omelet, choice of Canadian
ham, bacon OR breakfast sausage and roasted pineapple. Served with
toast. Php290.00
Biscuit and
Gravy
Fried chicken fillet, bacon, baked tomatoes & biscuit
topped with white
gravy. Php225.00
Vegetable and
Cheese Omelet
Omelet filled with sautéed vegetables and cheese. Served with toast & fruit
slices. Php225.00
Pork Adobo
&KesongPutiOmelet
Omelet filled with pork adobo, kesongputi, tomatoes &
onions. Served with
toast & fruit slices.Php 225.00
Eggs Benedict
Ciabatta topped with
Gruyere, Canadian ham,
poached egg and
hollandaise sauce. Php225.00
Homemade Corned
Beef
Sliced homemade corned beef served with
fried eggs and garlic
fried rice. Php285.00
LukbanLonganisa
Fried native sausages of Lucban,
Quezonserved with
fried eggs and garlic
fried rice. Php220.00
Bangus Belly
Fried bangus belly served with
salted eggs & tomatoes and garlic
fried rice. Php220.00
Boscaiola
Penne cooked al dente in tomato
cream sauce with porcini
mushrooms and bacon. Php200.00
Arabiatta
Spaghetti in spicy
red tomato sauce, roasted garlic and red chili peppers. Php200.00
Spanish Chorizo
& Peppers
Linguini in a marinara-based sauce with cooked withspanish
chorizo and roasted peppers. Php250.00
Creamy Bacon
& Asparagus
Fettucine in a creamy sauce with bacon and
asparagus, topped with
poached egg. Php250.00
Pesto Pasta with
Grilled Cajun Chicken
Linguini with
pesto, served with grilled cajun chicken. Php250.00
Hot Ham and
Cheese
Flaky pastry filled with Canadian ham,
Gruyere and pickles topped with béchamel
sauce. Php220.00
Adobo Pulled
Pork
Pulled pork adobo with fried kesongputi,
lettuce
and tomatoon baguette.
Php265.00
Chicken Caesar
Sandwich
Grilled Cajun chicken & lettuce in Caesar dressing topped
with poached egg,
bacon and parmesan
cheese on baguette. Php220.00
Waldorf Salad
Sandwich
Flaky pastry with filling of chicken, red and green apples,
celery and chopped walnuts in mayonnaise.
Php220.00
Crispy Chicken
& Cheese
Crispy breaded chicken with cheese, pimiento and jalapeno
aioli spread. Php220.00
Overloaded Tuna
Cheese Melt
Tuna and Various Cheeses on lightly toasted baguette. Php220.00
List of Baked Goods
| Loaves of Bread • Baguette P65.00 • Spanish Bread (pack of 8) P100.00 • Wheat Honey Walnut P145.00 • Rustico P65.00 • Italian Loaf P65.00 • Pandesal P30.00 • Apple Cinnamon P145.00 • Brioche P145.00 Breadsticks • Onion & Sour Cream P100.00 • Bacon & Cheese P100.00 • Almond P120.00 • Garlic P100.00 • Milk & Butter P100.00 • Parmesan P120.00 • Plain Cheese P100.00 Pastries • Cinnamon Swirls P45.00 • Double Chocolate Muffin P90.00 • Choco-Banana Muffin P90.00 • Blueberry Muffin P120.00 • Strawberry Muffin P120.00 • Cappuccino Muffin P120.00 • Carrot Bran Muffin P90.00 • Mixed Berries P90.00 • Cheese Roll with Buttercream P45.00 • Danish P45.00 Cakes • Premium Dark Chocolate Cake P850.00 • Chocolate Fudge Cake P450.00 • New York-Style Cheesecake P850.00 • White Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bundt Cake P850.00 • Peaches & Cream Bundt Cake P850.00 • Serious Rhum Cake P180.00 • Strawberry Cloud Cake P850.00 • Chocolate Almond Smores P450.00 Savoury Pot Pies • Spinach & Mushroom Pot Pie • Tomato & Fontina Pot Pie | |
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