Chimara

Ha Ac

4.0

If you're looking for a restaurant that serves healthy food, you're definitely on the right page. So got an invite to try delicious healthy meals from Chimara Feel Good Kitchen located at UP Town Center in Katipunan.Chimara Neo Vegan Cafe which is pronounced at Kye-ma-ra, first opened its flagship branch in Greenbelt 3 Makati in 2002. In 2016, they reinvented itself as a "feel good kitchen" as they opened its branch in UP Town Center Katipunan. They aim to promote the feel good lifestyle through their healthy and tasty foods. Place is very spacious, greeny and cozy. Some foods are featured on their counter though they also have a separate menu. Btw, staffs and even the manager were very accommodating and friendly to us. We we're still a bit full when we came here for a dinner so here's what we ordered:Faux Beef Salpicao Panini (Php170)"Our specialty-marinated faux beef sauteed in garlic aioli sauce, topped with generous helping of garlic to give you all the taste without the guilt."- Very very tasty.. it is indeed! The garlic flavor to the faux beef was soooo good! I think this is the best one we had here. Definitely a must try! Sweet Chili Beef Salad (Php210)"Our concoction of our special faux beef chili, corn, carrots, beetroot, cherry tomatoes, onions, tofu chips and lettuce. Served with our light mango vinaigrette."- I'm such a big fan of lettuce salad and I definitely like this one. The sweet chili beef along with the corn, carrots, beetroot, cherry tomatoes, etc gives off a balanced flavor which I really liked. Creme de Cacao Cupcake (Php95)- The cupcake was very tasty and sweet. I like the cacao icing as I can really taste the bittersweet cacao taste. Yum for me :)I am WISE (For clarity) (Php80/500ml)"A memory-enhancing mix of mango, apple and tomato to invigorate your mind"- I love the taste of mango and apple though I really can't taste the tomato at al. Very refreshing and healthy indeed.I am SUPER (For vitality) (Php80/500ml)"An all-in-one super drink with romaine and apple to give that complete vitamin kick"- Honestly, we didn't liked this much as it taste like "gulay" juice :( Alkaline Lemonade (Php50)"Our house blend sugar-free lemonade with a zing of fresh cucumber and celery"- According go the staff, this alkaline lemonade is the base for all of their juice drinks so I got so curious and ordered this one. Not bad for a base drinks, it was very refreshing too.I also ordered for my Mom and sister: (forgot to take photo)Tofu Cheese Pesto Pasta (Php180)"Our protein-loaded take on the herby favorite. We use our original pesto recipe with quezo blanco-topped tofu for that much needed protein boost."- Got this one for my sister and she enjoyed this one. The pasta was cooked very well, a bit heavy for a meal and tasty according to her.Asian Sesame Tofu Salad (Php210)"Our rich classic with an attitude. Comes with fresh sesame tofu slices, carrots, beetroot, snow peas, apple, tofu chips and lettuce. Served with our creamy sesame dressing."- I got this one for my mom as she's a vegan. She totally love this healthy salad a lot! It was so good and tasty according to her.Overall, I had a great time dining here and felt like I was detoxifying which is good. Healthy foods like this one is definitely recommended as well as their prices are so AFFORDABLE. Will definitely comeback here soon :)

Mary Maldita

4.0

The moment I set foot on the restaurant, I already had a glimpse of the kind of dishes that they offer. Chimara’s interior is vibrant and very mesmerizing. The earthy colors with some touches of green hue here and there will definitely make you feel lighter and healthier. Haha!We jumpstarted our meal with a plate of Asian Sesame Tofu Salad. Their menu describes it as “our rich classic with an attitude.” Yeah, right! This salad has an attitude! Sitting on a bed of lettuce are carrots, beetroot, snow peas and apples. I am not really a big fan of beetroot because of its earthy taste, but I was actually quite surprised that it worked well with this salad. It was probably because the beetroot was thinly-sliced or it simply just complemented the sweetness of the apples and carrots.

Y

4.0

If you're looking for a restaurant that serves healthy food, you're definitely on the right page. So got an invite to try delicious healthy meals from Chimara Feel Good Kitchen located at UP Town Center in Katipunan.Chimara Neo Vegan Cafe which is pronounced at Kye-ma-ra, first opened its flagship branch in Greenbelt 3 Makati in 2002. In 2016, they reinvented itself as a "feel good kitchen" as they opened its branch in UP Town Center Katipunan. They aim to promote the feel good lifestyle through their healthy and tasty foods. Place is very spacious, greeny and cozy. Some foods are featured on their counter though they also have a separate menu. Btw, staffs and even the manager were very accommodating and friendly to us. We we're still a bit full when we came here for a dinner so here's what we ordered:Faux Beef Salpicao Panini (Php170)"Our specialty-marinated faux beef sauteed in garlic aioli sauce, topped with generous helping of garlic to give you all the taste without the guilt."- Very very tasty.. it is indeed! The garlic flavor to the faux beef was soooo good! I think this is the best one we had here. Definitely a must try! Sweet Chili Beef Salad (Php210)"Our concoction of our special faux beef chili, corn, carrots, beetroot, cherry tomatoes, onions, tofu chips and lettuce. Served with our light mango vinaigrette."- I'm such a big fan of lettuce salad and I definitely like this one. The sweet chili beef along with the corn, carrots, beetroot, cherry tomatoes, etc gives off a balanced flavor which I really liked. Creme de Cacao Cupcake (Php95)- The cupcake was very tasty and sweet. I like the cacao icing as I can really taste the bittersweet cacao taste. Yum for me :)I am WISE (For clarity) (Php80/500ml)"A memory-enhancing mix of mango, apple and tomato to invigorate your mind"- I love the taste of mango and apple though I really can't taste the tomato at al. Very refreshing and healthy indeed.I am SUPER (For vitality) (Php80/500ml)"An all-in-one super drink with romaine and apple to give that complete vitamin kick"- Honestly, we didn't liked this much as it taste like "gulay" juice :( Alkaline Lemonade (Php50)"Our house blend sugar-free lemonade with a zing of fresh cucumber and celery"- According go the staff, this alkaline lemonade is the base for all of their juice drinks so I got so curious and ordered this one. Not bad for a base drinks, it was very refreshing too.I also ordered for my Mom and sister: (forgot to take photo)Tofu Cheese Pesto Pasta (Php180)"Our protein-loaded take on the herby favorite. We use our original pesto recipe with quezo blanco-topped tofu for that much needed protein boost."- Got this one for my sister and she enjoyed this one. The pasta was cooked very well, a bit heavy for a meal and tasty according to her.Asian Sesame Tofu Salad (Php210)"Our rich classic with an attitude. Comes with fresh sesame tofu slices, carrots, beetroot, snow peas, apple, tofu chips and lettuce. Served with our creamy sesame dressing."- I got this one for my mom as she's a vegan. She totally love this healthy salad a lot! It was so good and tasty according to her.Overall, I had a great time dining here and felt like I was detoxifying which is good. Healthy foods like this one is definitely recommended as well as their prices are so AFFORDABLE. Will definitely comeback here soon :)

Maria Celina Sarah Espela

4.0

Since we all came from work, we were super hungry and wanted something filling. We all chose to have food from their Hot & Savory selection. I picked the Spicy Tuna Pomodoro with rice, and I initially thought, "Mukhang bitin!" I underestimated the dish and I was glad to be proven wrong. They sure didn't scrimp on the tuna chunks that was generously topped on the rice. The pomodoro sauce had the right tang to it and the tuna chunks had the perfect contrast of flavor to it. The spicy part is relative since I think it could be turned up a bit more. Maybe in the future they could offer customers the option to adjust or pick their preferred degree of spiciness. The group favorite was the Faux Beef Salpicao Pasta. If it were not indicated in the menu that they use faux beef for this recipe, we wouldn't have noticed the difference. The pasta was cooked just right and the "beef" was tender and seasoned wonderfully.For our refreshments, we chose to have the Alkaline Lemonade, which is CFGK's house blend sugar-free lemonade with a zing of fresh cucumber and celery and the I Am Wise juice infusion, which is a memory-enhancing mix of mango, apple and tomato for mind invigoration. Yes, both of these drinks are as refreshing as they look! A delightful complement to our meals. Finally, capping off our satisfying lunch is the Crema de Cacao cupcake. The generous dark chocolate icing on top of moist chocolate cake was a treat for a sweet tooth like me. It reminded me of the quality of Cupcake by Sonja's Pepper cupcake. Sooo good. I wish they'd make a cayenne-infused version of this too!Overall, everyone's happy with their food! And that's a feat considering we're all twenty-somethings that enjoy a slice (or box lol) of pizza or cake or a trip to the buffet table every once a while! Added props also for the pretty way they plated the food and warm customer service experience.I'm really impressed by the variety, taste and quality of all the dishes we had and would recommend it to everyone who'd like to have a feel good lifestyle! Definitely changed the way I look at vegetarian food. Would come back to try their paninis!

Benjamin Stolpner

4.0

I’ve shifted to better and healthier options right about 5 years ago and this has radically changed my life. Since we take in food day in and day out, what you take in does affect how you live. The result to me has been better skin, more energy and I rarely get sick on anything. Chimara embraces healthy option and shares their passion to customers. In their tagline, ‘Eat Right, Feel Good’, it sums up the benefit of choosing their dishes.

Marty Lutfa

4.0

In 2002, Chimara Neo-Vegan Café first opened its doors in Greenbelt 3 Makati as a specialty restaurant that caters to the emerging health-oriented market. In 2016, Chimara reinvents itself as a “feel good kitchen,” starting with its newest branch located at UP Town Center. Chimara aims to promote the feel good lifestyle through food that inspires and brightens up your day. Here, they offer numerous tasty selections so you can be healthy at your own pace and enjoy your food that way you want it, when you want it. Chimara believes in a simple equation: “eat right, feel good.”Chimara is pronounced as key-ma-ra, which is coined from the word “chimera,” meaning impossible dream. They have made it their mission to defy the odds and make the impossible possible by providing delicious food that cares for our well-being.

Almaciga

4.0

In 2002, Chimara Neo-Vegan Café first opened its doors in Greenbelt 3 Makati as a specialty restaurant that caters to the emerging health-oriented market. In 2016, Chimara reinvents itself as a “feel good kitchen,” starting with its newest branch located at UP Town Center. Chimara aims to promote the feel good lifestyle through food that inspires and brightens up your day. Here, they offer numerous tasty selections so you can be healthy at your own pace and enjoy your food that way you want it, when you want it. Chimara believes in a simple equation: “eat right, feel good.”Chimara is pronounced as key-ma-ra, which is coined from the word “chimera,” meaning impossible dream. They have made it their mission to defy the odds and make the impossible possible by providing delicious food that cares for our well-being.Whenever people encounter a restaurant that offers healthy food, they immediately veer away from it since the mindset is that these restaurants do not serve satisfying meals - but that’s not always the case. Chimara offers various protein choices like faux beef, chicken, fish, and tofu in a variety of carb options – salad, wrap, panini, rice, or pasta. The dishes they offer suit any type of lifestyle, and the best part of it, it’s actually delicious.Their food choices fall mainly into two categories: Cold and Fresh or Hot and Savory, but these can still be broken down into many sub-categories depending on your mood. For example, if you feel like eating healthy, they have high-nutrition balanced meal options like the Soy Ginger Chicken.Soy Ginger Chicken – available as panini (P180), rice (P190), or pasta (P190)This is their own version of the Asian favorite. It's soy ginger chicken breast topped with snow peas, carrots and peanuts, drizzled with soy ginger sauce.The sauce tasted really good. It's not too ginger-y as one would think, but it's more of like a peanut sauce which reminds me of the one used for satay. The brown rice isn't as hard and tough to eat compared to all the others I've tried, which made it a lot like white rice, which is a plus.If you’re a vegetarian, you can go for any of their delicious meat-free selections like the Faux Beef Salpicao.Faux Beef Salpicao – available as panini (P170), rice (P180), or pasta (P180)This is their specialty-marinated faux beef sautéed in garlic aioli sauce, topped with sautéed mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and a generous helping of garlic to give you all the taste without the guiltTheir veggie meat is made of soy proteins, so I was surprised that it can almost pass off as real meat. The panini has a lot of garlic and sauce in it, which is necessary for all salpicao dishes. The bread itself is delicious - warm and comforting. So if you're looking for healthy comfort food for those stressful days, this is it.For tummy troubles, order the Asian Sesame Tofu which is rich in phosphorous, thiamin, and fiber to help improve your digestion.Asian Sesame Tofu - available as wrap (P200) or salad (P210)A rich classic with an attitude, comes with roasted sesame tofu, carrots, beetroot, snow peas, apple, tofu chips, and lettuce served with a creamy Asian sesame dressingTo be honest, when I first saw that the Asian Sesame Tofu had beetroot in it, I was immediately turned off. But after trying it, it wasn't so bad. I liked that the dish contained ingredients with different textures, making it more interesting to eat, plus the Asian Sesame dressing went really well with it. If you’re looking for an after-workout meal to answer your fitness fatigue, try their special dishes designed to re-energize – Sweet Chili Beef and Spicy Pomodoro.Spicy Tuna Pomodoro – available as panini (P180), rice (P190), or pasta (P190) An Italian-inspired dish with just the right combination of chunky tomatoes, spicy tuna, and a mild kick of cayenneSweet Chili Beef – available as wrap (P200) or salad (P210) The Sweet Chili Beef is a concoction of special faux beef chili, corn, carrots, beetroot, cherry tomatoes, onions, tofu chips and lettuce served with their light mango vinaigretteBetween the two, I'd have to go with the Sweet Chili Beef because just because its flavor is more unique (the Pomodoro was pretty normal compared to it). I loved the mango vinaigrette they served it with, and so did Tim apparently, because he finished most of this before I was even done taking photos of the rest of the dishes. Haha.If you’re feeling stressed from work, try their mood-boosting selections that are high in magnesium and fiber like the Pepper Maple Chicken.Pepper Maple Chicken – available as wrap (P220) or salad (P230)A sweet and succulent preparation of maple-marinated grilled chicken, fuji apple, raisins, cucumber, carrots, sunflower seeds and lettuce served with their original pepper maple vinaigretteOut of all the dishes at Chimara, this was my least favorite. I didn't like the sweetness of the maple syrup against the pepper very much. Although as I kept eating, I grew more fond the flavor. It's definitely an interesting dish. The good thing about it is that you can control how much of the maple sauce you want in your wrap since they just serve it on the side.If it’s your mind that needs re-energizing, boost it with their selections that are high in vitamin E like the Tofu Cheese Pesto!Tofu Cheese Pesto – available as panini (P170), rice (P180), or pasta (P180)Their protein-loaded take on the herby favorite makes use of their original pesto recipe with quezo blanco-topped tofuI visited Chimara three times to write this post, and the Tofu Cheese Pesto was one of the last dishes I tried. I'm not a huge fan of tofu, so I delayed ordering it until my last visit. But this turned out to be one of my favorites! I loved the flavor of the pesto and the softness of the tofu chunks. I also decided to crush the tofu chips and mix it in with my pasta to make it even yummier! I wish they added a bit more cashew on top, but overall, this dish is a winner.Refresh your skin with their tasty food options that contain vitamins C and E. Highly recommended: Tuna Wasabi AioliTuna Wasabi Aioli – available as wrap (P220) or salad (P230)This is their signature sweet spicy dish with a kick. It comes with seasoned tuna flakes, fresh mangoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, peanuts, and lettuce and of course, their signature wasabi aioli.This was Tim's favorite. Why? Because there's wasabi in it, that's why. He's a sucker for all things spicy, so I already knew from the very start that this was going to be his top choice. It kind of reminds me of california maki, only better. I don't normally eat wasabi, but I couldn't stop pouring the wasabi aioli over my half of the wrap. The servings are also good to share, might I add.You can even create your own Feel Good dish at Chimara - just ask the staff about it!Of course, if they have Feel Good Food, they have Feel Good Drinks as well.I am Calm (for tranquility) contains apple, carrot, and ginger perfect for a quick de-stress.I am Wise (for clarity) contains mango, apple, and tomato to invigorate your mind.I am Strong (for immunity) contains apple, beetroot, and carrot for that much needed strength boost.I am Super (for vitality) contains romaine and apple to give that complete vitamin kick.Personal favorites: I am Wise and I am Super :)Alkaline LemonadeWe also recommend trying out their numerous healthy munchies like the hearty pop, tofu chips, veggie chips, and fruit chips.For those who don’t know, Chimara is actually part of the Taters group of companies, so you have to try their popcorn! It comes in two flavors: sour cream and white cheddar!

Teresa Kaori

4.0

My new go-to pre/post workout place. Good healthy food at an incredibly underrated and overlooked place. Reasonable prices for the portions, and better quality of food than most so-called healthy places. Plus, they list allergen information. All that's missing is a calorie count / macro count. Don't let this healthy eating place disappear!(For Ateneans, 10% discount with the AA card.)

Akay Serac

5.0

Everything is so well put-together: the healthy food, menu, ambience, and fact screens! It is definitely a must-try! Oh and try their chips, too!

Fauzi Rama

4.0

It was around August when I received an invitation via email to try out Chimara Feel Good Kitchen. Not finishing the entire email, I searched over the net to check the restaurant's whereabouts, only to find out that it's in the Philippines. Glad that they accommodated my request to have it rescheduled in time for my vacation. :)Fast forward to October 28, Friday, together with my family, we sampled Chimara's offerings. I've learned that Chimara reinvented itself from a pure-vegan restaurant to a “feel-good kitchen” with its newly-opened branch in UP Town Center. They embrace healthier options and shares their passion to their customers with a simple concept: “eat right, feel good”.