Umami Veggie Taco

It was a perfect day at the beach. The sun was shining brightly, the sea breeze was cool but not biting cold. There were so many people everywhere. It was festive in the eyes.

I didn't hesitate to accompany my friend, Myra to go to Santa Monica Beach to meet someone. We drove the long stretch of Wilshire Boulevard all the way down to Ocean Boulevard. We found a perfect spot to grab some coffee before going down to the beach but it was taking a long time for the server to give us a menu so we decided to transfer across the street. After enjoying a cup of coffee at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, we went ahead to the port but we realized that it's lunch time so we checked out a couple of places to eat until we found the Blue Plate Taco. We chose the patio to get seated in order to enjoy the scenery. It was hard to decide what to eat when you're not hungry. Myra had a steak taco and I went to a lighter dish - Flaco Taco, a taco in a lettuce cup. I wanted to try them all so I ordered one fish, one chicken and one vegetables. The steak taco that Myra was eating looks delicious. Mine was nothing special, the chicken and fish were just okay, until I took a bite in the veggie taco. Oh boy, was it heaven? The flavor was delectable. There was mushroom, onions, kale, grilled corn and something else that I was trying to know. It was certainly an 'umami' veggie taco for its distinct flavor. As I was enjoying that one piece of veggie taco, my mind was filled with the usual play of substitution. If I were to make the same taco I would use other ingredients or add other components to make it my own. I would add a braised banana heart (puso ng saging) as a filler. It will surely add an interesting flair in its rich taste. I will top it with crumbled Kesong Puti of Laguna (white cheese), which is a popular local cheese made from carabao's (water buffalo) milk. It is fresh, soft and delicate. I can't wait to make my own version of this taco and maybe, just maybe, make a kesong puti to complete my version of it.

And just as we thought we had more time to walk along the beach, we realized that it was time to head back home. We, however, spent a little time at the port taking some pictures and enjoying to watch the calming waves of the beautiful open sea before us.

I will surely come back soon to Santa Monica Beach for a good walk by the sand and to hunt for more delicious food that would stir up interest to my palate and my soul.