An Expert's Guide To The Best Plant-Based Meals For Dine In Or Delivery In Manila
Mesa ni Misis author Juana Manahan Yupangco shares her favorite restaurants and home delivery services
Eating plant based food has become easier and more accessible in Manila, but this wasn't the case when I started eating plant-based food four years ago. Back then, when we used to eat out with my whole family, there was no way to convince them to eat at a vegan restaurant. I was very fortunate that our favorite restaurants were also very accommodating, first with my gluten-free requests, then with the evolving plant-based, veggie only requests.
These days, I'm seeing a significant increase in plant-based meal offerings in menus all over the metro. If you've been wanting to start eating plant-based but don't know how to start, or if you're a plant-based eater who wants to enjoy a good restaurant meal with non-plant based eating family members, here's my easy directory for where to get delicious meals for dine in or delivery.
Its worth noting that the restaurants listed here have excellent customer service with a well trained staff and very good chefs. Should you dine in a mediocre establishment, you will have a very frustrating time, and I just don't have the patience. So I've taken the guesswork out for you, dear readers, and provided this list of my favorite places to eat. Enjoy!
Juana's directory
Juana's directory
Wooden Plates Ph
A pandemic discovery, Wooden Plates offers delicious salads and vegan options that range from Beyond Meat sliders, a Tan Tan Ramen made with low-calorie shirataki noodles, and a huge variety of salads inspired by different cuisines—Thai, Japanese, and Indian. Their Almond Flax Meal Buns are vegan, gluten-free and a staple in our home. Chef-owner Roshni is very mindful of using clean ingredients with no artificial colors, flavors and processing. Her desserts are particularly delicious—so much so you won’t believe they are actually healthy.
Photo Credit: ORDER HERE
Guilt Free PH
Guilt Free is another Instagram find that a good friend introduced me to. Owned by the same people behind La Picara, they offer amazing veggie options. The brand is called Guilt Free because they make use of shiratake rice and noodles, which have an average of 15 calories per serving (about half a cup). I recommend the Mushroom Truffle Paella and the Vegetable Laksa, which have all the flavor minus the extra calories.
Photo Credit: ORDER HERE
Shaka Café
I’ve been a fan of Shaka since I discovered its El Nido branch some years ago. Hands down, the outlet in BGC offers the best smoothie bowls in the metro. I love how the Green Out bowl makes use of local malunggay and saluyot topped with mangoes. The entire menu is plant-based, and the head chef trained in Singapore to master plant-based cuisine. Pretty much everything on the menu is delicious, so you’ll have a tough time deciding what to order!
Photo Credit: ORDER HERE
iVegan Restaurant
Located across Greenbelt 5, iVegan is a restaurant that serves 100% vegan food that’s packed with so much flavor. Everything on the menu is delicious, from the burritos to the bowls and sandwiches. My favorite dish is this one:‘Scallops’ made with King Oyster mushrooms.
Photo Credit: ORDER HERE
People's Palace
People’s Palace has long been a favorite among Manila’s expat community because of their deep understanding of dietary preferences. They have an extensive vegetarian menu and you can request to have egg or dairy removed from your orders. They are also careful about gluten-free requests and omit the use of soy sauce or flour, if it is possible. My favorites here are the Gluten-free Vegan Pad Thai, Red Bean Curd Curry, Yellow Vegetable Curry, and Fresh Spring Rolls. The desserts are a favorite, too — I think they have the best mango sticky rice in town. Try the thai Tako Pandan Tapioca Pudding made with coconut cream and sweet corn. (Photo: @erincampos)
Photo Credit: ORDER HERE
Sala Bistro
Just like it’s sister restaurant People’s Palace, Sala Bistro boasts of a vegetarian menu that can easily have any egg or dairy removed, and the salads can all be turned veggie ( hold the cheese please!). Check out their Portobello Mushroom Burger which is so tasty and juicy. Since the start of the pandemic, I noticed many more plant based dishes have been added to the menu. My new favorite is a plate with mashed root crops, and a medley of grains, seeds, chickpeas and veggies. For a gluten-free option, ask them to hold the barley! There are no plant-based options for dessert but you can order something from People’s Palace next door. (Photo: Unsplash)
Photo Credit: ORDER HERE
Sugi
Sugi has been a favorite since I was a little girl. Japanese food has many vegetable-only options, plus Sugi offers the most plant-based options of all the Japanese restaurants in the metro. I always leave eating much more than I planned! Since I also have to be gluten-free, I leave a bottle of gluten-free tamari sauce with the staff, so they know to use it for my food. (You can try to do the same, but please don’t use my stash!) Favorites here include the Yasai Maki, Seaweed Salad, Tofu Steak with Mushroom, and Japanese Fried Rice with no egg or meat, teppanyaki veggies and mushrooms, soba noodles and the boiled okra and spinach topped with sesame seeds.
Photo Credit: ORDER HERE
Lead photo: Guilt Free, Wooden Plates, iVegan, Shaka Café
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