Fresh spots for vegan foodies south of the metro
It’s always good news for plantbased planeteers when they hear of vegan-friendly options sprouting up, or even better, purely vegan concepts. Here are fairly recent vegan eats in southern Metro Manila that were brave enough to take on the challenge to make kind choices more accessible to all.
Nonie’s
This Boracay resto famous for its Filipino-inspired meals has dropped anchor at Molito Lifestyle Center Alabang. Items identified as vegan on their menu are the tempeh salad (spicy tempeh, seasonal greens, apple, house dressing, P430) and tempeh kare-kare (seasonal greens, tempeh and vegan bagoong, cashew sauce and organic black rice, P520). I tried the vegan chorizo bowl (three vegan chorizo balls, seasonal greens and sorghum grain, P450) and the vegan sisig (served with unleavened flatbread, P380). I hope they include more grains to balance the strong savory flavors in both dishes.
For dessert are smoothie bowls (P390) with raw cacao nibs and chia seeds in tableya (local chocolate, banana and peanut butter) and mango banana (mango and banana topped with seasonal fruits). You can request to veganize the mango sticky rice (Cebuano-style ginger lemongrass sticky rice with mango and raw cacao nibs, P260). I belatedly learned that their popular pineapple pandan pancakes (P400) can be veganized, too, so I will try that next time.
Caveat: The hanging plants on their mezzanine weren’t properly attached and two dropped to the ground floor. Also, there is no restroom, so guests need to cross to the other building to use Molito’s common restrooms (a hassle when it rains).
The Kind Cafe
Festival Mall Alabang’s newest café courageously commits to an all-vegan menu. It’s pretty, but it’s generally pricey, the wait is long and the servers need more training to explain the dishes. Nonetheless, I’ve been here four times to support their fearless effort.
The Rancher’s Garden Delight salad (lettuce, corn, tomatoes and croutons with vegan ranch and Parmesan) is light and refreshing but overpriced at P480. Soups cost P300; the pumpkin was okay but the mushroom (button mushrooms and dried shiitake) was flavorless. The bread was good; can use a pat of vegan butter.
Bread continued to shine in The Kind Overload (side salad with a tasty tofu egg saute, mushroom and black beans, P480). The truffle pasta topped with crispy fried oyster mushrooms soaked up the bechamel sauce. It was light and bland for the price (P495). The Aglio Olio (spicy chili with zucchini and vegan Parmesan, P480) was good, but the noodles were like pancit Canton. It was tasty but the texture was like miki, soft, when we were expecting an al dente pasta. It was also not garlicky as expected of Aglio Olio, so it’s better renamed to manage expectations. I later learned that a Romblon cooperative makes the noodles from sea moss. Sharing this detail would’ve made us understand the dish more if explained or presented on the menu.
The Philly Mush Steak sandwich (sauteed mushrooms in peppers and onion, with tomato, lettuce and vegan mayo with roasted camote and coleslaw, P480) was fine, while the Crunch Sandwich (crispy oyster mushrooms, vegan mayo, tomato and lettuce with roasted sweet potato and coleslaw, P480) could be better seasoned. We enjoyed the tasty tapsilog, fairly priced at P280, but the mouthfeel of the caldereta (P380) was rubbery; a shame, because otherwise, it tasted good. Their latest BBQ Tofu Tonkatsu with Miso Soup is a well-priced hit.
For the sweets, the Tropical Paradise smoothie (banana, peach and pineapple topped with mango, chia and granola, agave on the side, P400) is a chunky fruit shake in a bowl. Waffle Wonder (P375) was good; I liked the cacao nibs, not bitter. The “ice cream” was more like a ganache, though. The Dream donut (P70) coated with confectioner’s sugar was tough and too sweet. The French Toast (P480) was delicious, not too sweet, great texture as it wasn’t soggy, although I was surprised the berries were cold because I expected the compote to be warm.
Mantra Indian Kitchen & Bar
Another Molito locator, this exotic resto has some vegan gems, such as the Bindi Dopyaza (okra with spices, herbs, tempered onions and tomato, P385) and Mixed Vegetable Curry (seasonal veggies in traditional Indian spices, P385).
Try the delicious bhatura (off-menu), a fluffy, deep-fried leavened sourdough bread) with pindi chole (chickpeas in onion garlic paste, dry mango and whole spices, P370) and the spicy veg samosa (P195).
Heaven on Earth
With origins in Baguio, this Sattvic resto/yoga studio is the latest vegan-friendly darling along Aguirre Avenue in BF Parañaque, with generous portions and value for money. The kids love their burger and fries (P180) and Pratty’s spaghetti (P200), which is like Makati Supermarket spaghetti with cut-up vegan hotdogs (just ask to omit the cheese).
