If you're traveling in Southeast Asia, you'll definitely want to spend some time on the resort island of Boracay in the Philippines. While there, a visit to the Mandala Spa Resort and its fully vegetarian restaurant, Prana, is a must.

The garden path that leads to the reception lobby is lush with green vegetation, and the greenery seems to isolate the resort from the outside. Prana Restaurant is off the beaten path, about a kilometer from the main beach, requiring either a brisk walk from the shore, or a tricycle ride to the Mandala Gates. But you can be assured the walk (or ride) is well worth its equivalent in calories.

Prana is on the second floor of a two-story building that resembles a huge Bali hut. On one side is an airy terrace with sliding doors leading to the main hall, and the sense of space makes the entire restaurant seem like a large open verandah. On the other side is another set of sliding doors which gives one a good perspective of the Mandala Spa Resort, a 2.5-hectare tropical garden. Be sure to get a table directly overlooking the terrace to enjoy the beautiful view of Boracay's world-famous White Beach.

Mandala's friendly staff, especially their marketing manager, Ms. Frieda Dario, will immediately welcome you and make you feel at home. Begin by cooling down with one of the restaurant's popular beverages: ginger slush or calamansi (native lime, rind and all) cooler. The ginger slush, quite expectedly, is spicy and sweet, while the calamansi cooler offers a surprise punch.

Mandala Spa's co-owners, Karen Villarica Reina and Dieter Schrottmann enjoy dining with visitors from afar, and if you're so fortunate to visit while they're there, they'll captivate you with their knowledge and passion, chatting about organic farming (some of Prana's vegetables are grown right in the resort's premises), the challenges of being vegetarian in the Philippines, or environmental issues in the region and around the world.

Prana's chef Elvis Petecio will amaze you with his cuisine. Consider starting with Breaded Eggplant with Rhode Sauce, followed by Israeli salad, made from cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions, tossed in a very light herb dressing and set on a bed of lettuce. Fresh pumpkin soup cooked in coconut milk is a rich, thick soup yet surprisingly light, and a delight for one's tastebuds, with just a hint of spices here and there.

Grilled vegetables with tamarind rice is a wonderful choice for your main dish. Red and green peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant are prepared perfectly, surrounded by the delicate aroma of tamarind. Tamarind is a tropical fruit commonly used to prepare a sour broth for Philippine and Thai dishes, so one wouldn't expect the effect it has on the rice, making it a bit sweet, a bit spicy, but not the least bit sour. Mustard seeds are folded into the rice for a surprise "popping" sensation, adding texture to the food.

A crowning glory of your meal might be coconut panna cotta, served in a margarita glass in two layers: a layer of coconut milk topped with a mound of diced ripe mangoes.

Your meal will be unforgettable, leaving you full, but not stuffed, all the more delectable because of the knowledge that the meal is prepared with the vegetarian in mind. It won't be just a meal, because it is so much more than that: a complete dining experience, not just for your taste buds but all your senses. After all, "prana", translated from Sanskrit, means "life force".

Prana Restaurant is open to the public (not just the resort's resident guests) for breakfast, lunch and dinner, daily. To learn more about Prana and the Mandala Spa, you can visit their Full Listing on our site.

Photos courtesy of Prana Restaurant/Mandala Spa.