The art of veganizing Filipino classics
When Dhanvantauri Saulo, his chef brother-in-law Rodel Guinto, and other partners were planning the menu of Cosmic Philippines, they deliberated on whether they should serve “bagnet” sisig, because sisig is the most common fare in the restaurants in Poblacion. But their version turned out to be the bestseller in the pioneering vegan restaurant in Makati’s nightlife district.
Many customers went to Cosmic just to order the sisig. Like its meaty counterpart, the vegan “bagnet” sisig delivered a winning combination: rich savory flavor, contrasting crispy and chewy textures, and a balanced tangy-spicy-umami kick. It’s paired with vegan sisig mayonnaise, the ingredients of which the chef keeps close to his chest.
The sisig is one of the items at the One Dish Wonders live station at Westin Manila’s Seasonal Tastes’ buffet every Monday until April 14. As a wellness-centric hotel, Westin Manila has been holding Green Mondays that highlight vegan chefs and their restaurants.
The vegan “bagnet” comes in a block, is sliced and deep-fried to crispness for the sisig.
“I replicate the texture of meat, chicken, or pork. We use soy protein, various flours and starches. We have a separate building for this because every plant-based meat is made from scratch. That is our selling point,” says Guinto.
The gising-gising is coconut cream-based mock meat made of soy protein and flour with winged beans and red and green chilis.
Another Cosmic best seller, the kare-kare, has a soy protein-based meat and several layers of flours. Likewise, the bagoong is made of different flours, colored with annatto and flavored with homemade vegan patis to approximate the actual fish paste.
Cosmic’s isaw is unique because it doesn’t use carrageenan unlike other vegan restaurants. Its gluten chunks are marinated overnight with the common ingredients in Pinoy barbecues—onions, garlic, calamansi, pineapple, sugar, and soy sauce.
Soy protein
The classic Bicolano pinangat is a dome of gabi leaves filled with adlai and vegan “bagnet” instead of meat. It floats on a bed of coconut cream and gabi leaves seasoned with vegan patis that has been fermented for a month. Guinto favors soy protein because jackfruit can’t replicate the strands of chicken meat.
The egg pie sits on a classic crust but only made with vegan butter. The filling is cashews soaked for several hours, blended with cream and lemon for the zest and carrageenan for the binding. Guinto uses sugar but customers can request other substitutes in advance.
Though not on the menu, the tofu inasal is fried with anatto oil, salt, pepper, and lemongrass with adlai.
Part of the collaboration involved Guinto teaching Westin’s kitchen team the proper handling of tofu, texturized vegetable protein and soy protein to mimic the texture of various meats, and how to season Filipino vegan food.
Journey of flavors
“Those products are very delicate. So it’s not just frying it or grilling it. You really need to understand the right temperature, the right firmness of the product. When I saw the ‘bagnet,’ I thought it’s going to be easy to just fry it like pork, but it’s not. Guinto explained that the temperature must not be too high because it is delicate since it was artistically fabricated. It might break,” says Rej Casanova, Westin’s executive chef.
Casanova describes Cosmic’s cooking style as a journey into unique flavors. “You’re not going to create these dishes at home,” he says. “Your nanny won’t be making plant-based ‘bagnet’ for you. It’s truly out of this world. Crafting these ingredients and cuisines requires immense effort and passion.”
His personal favorites to prepare are the sisig and kare-kare. “I love the kare-kare,” he says. “The ‘bagnet’ substitutes for tripe, providing a satisfying chewiness. And of course, the peanut sauce is elevated.”
He notes the sisig’s texture is remarkably close to the authentic version. “It’s not the Kapampangan style; ours focuses on a textural experience—crispy, soft, and creamy.”
Cosmic’s dishes, though familiar, are deceptively simple because of the labor-intensive process involved. The plant-based meats with varied textures are created through stretching, kneading, press forming, folding, layering, and other processes. It takes three days to make them into cooking blocks.
Complex process
Casanova compares the complexity of making the vegan “bagnet” block to that of a croissant. “It’s layer by layer, folding, layering, laminating, folding again. It is temperature-sensitive and can’t be fried immediately after it has been kept in the freezer. There is a preparation involved from thawing to frying to get the whole mock meat chunks.”
On the challenges of working with tofu, Casanova explains, “The critical aspect is the marination ratio. Tofu, unlike mushrooms, is difficult to infuse with flavor. Over-marinating leads to excessive saltiness, while under-marinating results in a watery texture that repels the marinade. I initially thought it would be easy.”
Saulo says Cosmic’s mission is really to make veganism accessible to all Filipinos including through collaborations. Westin Manila has been its biggest partner.
Saulo, born into a vegetarian family, highlights the unique challenge and skill involved in “veganizing” Filipino cuisine. “Plant-based food was difficult,” he explains. “Many established restaurants wouldn’t attempt it. It’s not easy, and they haven’t experienced the life we have. We were born vegetarians, facing the struggle of feeling left out. We couldn’t go to Jollibee or McDonald’s for our birthdays; we celebrated at home.”
They made tofu burgers, tofu sisig, and even banana burgers. This resourcefulness and dedication to plant-based alternatives is now central to Cosmic’s culinary philosophy.
