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Being healthy and traveling doesn’t always go hand-in-hand, let alone being a vegan traveler. Us plant-based folk do often struggle when trying to find nutritious, delicious food abroad. During a recent stint in Manila, I was happily surprised to discover that the Filipino capital was remarkably accommodating when it came to finding quality vegan fare.”] Whilst there aren’t necessarily that many vegan-only eateries, Manila has a booming healthy eating scene and most places have awesome vegan options that will impress your (plant-based organic cotton) socks off. Below I share some of my favorite veggie and vegan-friendly Manila spots. Click To Tweet
The Wholesome Table
The Wholesome Table focuses on familiar classics made with sustainably-sourced, organic ingredients. While not strictly vegan, The Wholesome Table has some of the most gourmet plant-based offerings in Manila including vegan cheese sourdhough toast, whole grain rainbow bowls and their ultimate veggie burger. They just launched The Wholesame Bakery, a line of gluten-free, refined sugar-free baked goods with many-a-vegan option.
Best for sit-down lunch.
30th Street Corner, 7th Avenue, Bonifacio High Street Central, Taguig
Juju Eats
Juju Eats is a healthy fast food chain offering a slew of nutritious options such as grilled paninis, wraps, salads, pasta and their signature red rice bowls. Though the menu is not vegan, they do have some good veggie options and when it comes to all-day snacks and breakfast, they are very vegan-friendly: think cold-pressed juices, smoothies, nut milks, cold brews, chia puddings and overnight oats.
Best for takeaway breakfast and lunch.
4 locations in Makati, Quezon City, Mandaluyong & Pasig, addresses here.
Chimara Feel Good Kitchen
Chimara Feel Good Kitchen is a pioneer of the ‘eat right, feel good’ philosophy in Manila with a menu of mains that you can choose to have as a panini, a brown rice bowl or with pasta. Veggies will find many protein choices including Asian sesame tofu and sweet chili faux-beef and lots of vegan-friendly drinks and snacks.
Best for a quick sit-down lunch.
2 locations in Quezon City and Makati City, addresses here.
Corner Tree Cafe
Corner Tree Café is known for its wholesome, vegetarian comfort food served in a cosy, charming colonial house. The menu takes inspiration from Asia to Africa, via the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. Corner Tree regularly appears on Best Restaurant lists and it’s no wonder why, the food is as delicious as it is unpretentious and non-veggies will not miss the meat. The expansive menu has plenty to offer vegans (items are clearly marked for easy ordering) including sweet meal-enders like housemade citrus sorbet, raw apple pie and carrot cake.
Best for sit-down lunch and dinner dates.
150 Jupiter Street, Bel-Air, Makati City
Hillside Café & Juice Bar
Located in the tree-lined Cedarhills Garden Center, Hillside Café & Juice Bar serves us fresh, healthy fare made from responsibly-sourced ingredients, and are especially famous for their superfood smoothies and detox juices. The menu is vegan-friendly with hits like tofu teriyaki on brown rice, beancurd chicharon and vegan chocolate fudge cake.
Best for sit-down weekend lunch.
57 Mother Ignacia Street, Quezon City
Juicesabel
October 2019 Update: Juicesabel has closed down operations.
The recently renovated 100% vegan café Juicesabel, tucked away in Makati’s artsy The Collective, is committed to food that does not harm the earth or its animal inhabitants with a focus on cold-pressed juice detox programs though what plant-based Manilans really obsesses over is their double patty veggie burger and their moreish cakes.
Best for takeaway.
The Collective, 7274 Malugay Street, San Antonio Village, Makati
Satinka Naturals
What started out as a natural apothecary offering skincare harnessing the power of botanicals has evolved into a holistic retail and dining concept with a sought-after bistro. Satinka Naturals serves up fresh, clean food with a mostly plant-based menu with organic ingredients sourced from farms in the Cordillea region. Vegans will enjoy the vegan meatballs with zoodles, the vegan burger steak and the vegan banana raspberry chocolate cake.
Best for sit-down lunch.
1137 Kamagong Street, Cor Pasong Tamo, Makati
Sprout
Sprout is Manila’s answer to healthy, freshly-made food on the go with the city’s largest array of takeaway goodness: the menu is huge with unlimited soups, snacks, bowls, salads, dressing choices, sandwiches, wraps, dips and breakfast/dessert pots. And not to worry: there are vegan options galore. Especially of note is the ‘make your own grain bowl’ bar, as well as the housemade kombucha, bullet coffee and turmeric energy shots.
Best for takeaway breakfast and lunch.
G/F Signa Designer Residences, Valero corner Rufino Street, Makati
Agico Vegatarian Café
Agico Vegetarian Cafe is a vegetarian sushi lover’s dream with a whole menu of Japanese-inspired meatless goodies like shomai, fish balls, gyoza, maki sushi, ramen, katsudon and okonomiyaki, as well as a veggie burger menu offering six different interpretations. Their dessert menu is also pretty exciting with vegan cupcakes and vegan panacotta.
Best for sit-down lunch.
83 Araullo Street, San Juan, Manila
Runner’s Kitchen
Runner’s Kitchen, located in Creekside Square, is a quaint healthy organic café dedicated to serving Manila’s fitness community post morning-run power breakfast. Whilst the menu is not super vegan friendly, they are worth a special mention for their vegan mushroom sausage yogi breakfast, sausage, gluten-free chocolate waffles and cashew nut milk smoothie bowl .
Best for sit-down breakfast.
G/F Creekside Square Building, 74 Tomas Morato Avenue, Quezon City
Kristen Fay is a 20-something born and bred South African vegan who got hit by the travel bug and is making her way through the cities of Asia. After a stint in Manila, she is now exploring Hong Kong.
Images courtesy of: The Wholesome Table (lead photo), Chimara Feel Good Kitchen, Hillside Cafe & Juice Bar, Satinka Naturals and Agico Vegetarian Cafe.
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