Green Halo is a small, unassuming eatery you would hardly notice in Cubao X among all the other…read moreestablishments there fighting for your attention. I myself didn't think much of them before, but if you take them as they are--a simple, quiet place serving a-okay comfort food, then there is something good to be had here. They serve a variety of pasta, sandwiches, and similar cafe fare, all in a "green" and healthy theme. I wouldn't know exactly as to the "organic-ness" of their offerings, but they are all pretty decent and affordable, though a bit homogenous. The chicken cream pesto pasta, along with its derivations, is always a good choice, as is the tarragon tea shake, one of their more out-there options. A recent visit shows me that they've upped the quirky and cute ante of their decor, plus they serve beer now! Cheers to good choices, Halo!

Ah.. Green Halo. This place brings back so much happy memories…read more Okay, no time for sentimental nonsense. This place is probably one of the few reasons I should still come back to visit Cubao X. For vegetarians and vegans, this place is very veg-friendly. Lots of pasta options, tofu and veg dishes. My personal favorite though would have to be their vegetarian burger steak. It's the first time I've had burgers that are made of.... drumroll please.... banana hearts! I would have never guessed that the very humble and obscure puso ng saging can be transformed into a tasty burger patty! It's a heavy dish too and comes with rice, so it's great as pre-gig food. The place is really quaint and charming, decorated with kitschy paintings and knicknacks, and with just a few chairs so it can get packed during peak hours. Great place to catch up with friends or for a date. I highly recommend sharing a pot of fresh tarragon tea to relax.

Organizations such as Homenet Producer's Cooperative give me such a great sense of pride because…read morethe people behind it are dedicated housewives and men who create such awesome things from raw materials that can be found in abundance in their communities. These are people with great entrepreneurial drive who propel the local cottage industries, and I am glad that places such as Homenet in Maginhawa provide a venue for them to be able to sell their goods to the people. These social entrepreneurs also employ and empower their neighbors who pitch in with the creation of goods that they eventually consign with the cooperative. You should give their showroom a visit if you are in the area and see if you want to buy anything that tickles your fancy. They have textiles and traditional weavings, handicrafts (bags, wallets, totes and purses), home decor, and other locally made, indigenous products. I keep on coming back to this small cooperative/eco store because of their coconut ice cream. I try to minimize my dairy intake, and I find that their brand of coconut ice cream is just as creamy as regular ice cream. They have a coco leche flan ice cream that I have brought several times to parties, and have become such instant hits. It's a really rich and decadent treat that you can enjoy especially during the hot summer months. You can take a scoop and top a bowl of halo halo with it. For P250, you get a big tub that will last you several days - or hours, depending on your appetite.

Healthy Options is a natural food store that sells everything organic and delectable at the same…read moretime. I rarely check in here except when I'm doing either one of two things: a) accompanying my mother when she's hankering for almonds and goji berries, or b) looking for my favorite all-natural chocolate peanut butter. Really, their chocolate peanut butter just blows my mind. It's the best peanut butter I've ever tasted in a store! The texture of the peanut butter is so creamy, the dark chocolate so rich, that I ended up switching to wheat bread just to taste more of it. Skippy and Jif who? Even though I'm no health buff, I have to give props to Healthy Options for debunking the misconception that anything naturally and organically made will be bland and lacking in flavor. As its name suggests, Healthy Options offers super food alternatives to potato chips, microwaved food, fast food, and the like. With far less fat and even fewer calories, everything here can pretty much be consumed guilt-free. Their shelves display a miscellany of products, most if not all of them in line with the clean-eating lifestyle: Greek yogurt, granola bars, pretzels, lactose-free milk, and etcetera. No worries for the rest of your days! It seems everything has been stamped with the approval of the letter 'o'--organic hummus, organic bisque, organic noodles, organic bananas, organic coconut chips, and organic roasted seaweed snacks with teriyaki flavor...you get the idea. So if you're thinking of holding on to that New Year's resolution, ahem ahem, it's never too late to check out Healthy Options.

Healthy Options is something I thought I would never visit in my life. I love healthy food, but I…read morewon't really go out of my way to visit a store that sells organic products. When one of my best friends requested a Cadia Organic White Cheddar Cheese Popcorn for his birthday, I didn't really have a choice but to go to Healthy Options to buy it. When I found out that Healthy Options was actually selling Andalou Chia + Omega Radiant Skin Polish, I almost died. I really try my best to take care of my skin because it is sensitive and it easily gets dry because of the really hot weather here in the Philippines. Andalou Chia + Omega Radiant Skin Polish is what I use for my skin when it is feeling dry and flaky. Just use this product once and you'll immediately notice your skin glow. Andalou is really hard to find in the Philippines so if you want a fair and glowing skin make sure you visit this place and try out their different cosmetic products. If you want to start living healthy, then head on to Healthy Options!

This was the part of Tiendesitas that I was most excited about. Sadly, it didn't live up to my…read moreexpectations. It's just that my idea of a food village was a thriving market place with stalls overflowing with native delicacies. The place was not busy when we got there. Some crews were setting up for a concert. But even with that kind of free event, the place just wasn't buzzing, and that was a Friday. Maybe it has something to do with the time we went there (pre-dinner) and that some of the stalls were closed. The stalls that were open were pretty impressive. Most of them sold locally grown products and native delicacies that you wouldn't see in supermarkets. I liked the store that sold durian ice cream and organic fruit juices. I wanted to try the restaurants there, but we just ate before going to Tiendesitas, so we bought some Pinoy snacks instead (cornick, banana chips, chicharon, etc.). I wasn't really satisfied with my trip here. But that only means one thing: I should go back and stay longer next time. I hope there will be more stores and people then.

I've only recently been to Tiendesitas and it's just because we picked up my brother from NAIA late…read moreat night. We were looking for a place to grab dinner and he was seriously craving Filipino food after a month in Singapore eating chicken rice. PROS: We find the interiors really cute with all those colorful paper lanterns and vintas on the ceiling; The place is a wide open space with a lot of seats and industrial fans and mist machines. So it's not much of a big deal that there's no air conditioning. Or maybe it's because we went there during night time and it's less hot; The food establishments are a monolith of Pinoy food and grilled choices to accompany your beer; There was a band playing that night, and they would let the audiences volunteer if they want to perform. CONS: I know it's the Pinoy trademark that we offer good customer service, but don't you just hate it when vendors and staff get all over your face to hawk and peddle their restaurant to you? It just makes it all the more confusing and irritating for us to choose a place to eat. Like, excuse me, stop pressing your menu on my face. TL;DR: Tiendesitas Food Village is an over-all fun place with so many choices for food and drinks, plus live entertainment.

I had no idea when it really started, but at some point people started to believe that fresh…read moreorganic food was the healthiest option out there. There seems to be this misapprehension that any piece of meat or vegetable that has chemicals in it or was raised using them would be toxic for their soul. That artificially grown or GMO animals and vegetables were the offspring off the devil and these were taken straight from hell. I always thought that people who ate at Zigla! thought this way. They proudly advertise that their food is Fresh, Healthy & Organic. They try to draw in the crowd that's very health conscious. The type of people who probably wear shirts made out of recycled paper and shorts made of leaves. The price is a bit high, but all jokes aside the food is good. The serving size is good enough considering the price I had to pay. It was enough to fill my stomach and satisfy my taste buds.

Organic is good, but I need vegan-friendly…read more Aside from the juices, the only vegan-friendly options in Zigla's menu are the tomato-pepper soup and the sweet chili tofu meal. You can also throw in the Greek salad if you ask for the white cheese to be omitted. I tried the sweet chili tofu with brown rice meal. Given the state of my hunger at the time, I would have gulped down four bowls of the tomato-pepper soup and all the other customers would still magically look like food on legs to me. Cons: - It took over 5 minutes to prepare. - It was reheated and served in a standard-issue covered plastic tray that also came with reheating instructions. - At PhP165, I'd expect a tofu-centered meal to either be a) presented better, b) cooked on-site, or c) served promptly. - Misleading name: sweet chili sauce was just sweet, no chili. Pros: - Serving size is good enough for one person. - The tofu portion was surprisingly hearty. - The meal itself was tasty enough to be satisfying. - It's filling. - If you couldn't finish the meal, the covered box it comes in makes it convenient to take home. - You can reuse the covered plastic box. - Meals are good for kids, - Service is fairly cordial, if a little forced. Generally, Zigla's price range is a bit steep for food court fare. Even if the ingredients are healthful and organic, the prices are likely to turn off younger customers who are interested in exploring health food options on a limited budget. Also, despite the fresh and organic plant-based ingredients, their menu largely caters to omnivores, with only few options for vegetarians and vegans alike. The flavors are there, though. So despite the limited vegan-friendly options, I'd still return because I'm a girl who thinks with her stomach.

Like a true addict, I needed my Kale chips fix right then and there. I was in the middle of San…read moreJuan and didn't know an outlet nearby that sold my favorite brand - Take Root. I even texted the owner to ask if they had a San Juan stockist but my phone died even before I could press send. Then I remembered this little corner in Promenade that carried items from The Superfood Grocer - their Kale chips included. So like a true addict, I dragged my fiancé all the way to Promenade just to get my Kale chips from Urban Pantry. I got the chips, yes. But I also got a new favorite: The Superfood Grocer's gluten-free dark chocolate chip walnut cookies! I couldn't wait to finish my chips just so I could get to my dessert. And when I finally did, I experienced the true meaning of happiness yet again! SO GOOD COOKIES minus the gluten, dairy and refined sugar!! Super love the chewy yet grainy texture as well. Stopped myself after two pieces but I swear, I could've finished the whole box.

This is one of my favorite spots in Robinson's Magnolia where I can momentarily delude myself into…read morethinking I'm losing weight just by visiting a health food store. Yet I don't feel as comfortable in this outlet as I do in their Trinoma branch. Maybe it's because the staff tend to hover around while you're browsing products, maybe it's because they don't seem to be that enthusiastic about what they do, or maybe it's because they keep unnecessarily moving their merchandise around the shelves. Perhaps this is a subtle marketing tactic to make returning visitors walk around the store looking for their preferred items, in the hopes that they'll inadvertently see and buy other products they didn't originally plan on purchasing? To be fair, they have a wider product selection and the store interior is more attractive than their Trinoma and Megamall outlets. There's even a bench near the entrance so you can wait for your companions, which is a considerate touch. It's just that the general feel of the place isn't as welcoming to customers as it could and should be.

Since being introduced to Healthy Options in Rustan's Glorietta way back when, my aspiration has…read morealways been to be able to lead a great enough life that I can buy stuff from their store without having to feel like I'd put my bank account in jeopardy. I'm nowhere near that point yet, but I feel the fates are subtly leading me there by having this Healthy Options open at the mall I hold dear and near to my home, Robinsons Magnolia. I've always felt like I was entering a proper grocery going into the Healthy Options because of the large honkin' column and the big fridges of organic vegetables and fruit and other frozen foods that you encounter when you first walk into the store. Like most other establishments in the mall, it's big as heck, and they stock full of things that you'd need to lead a life of healthful luxury. The only things I really buy though are their small snacks and their witch hazel toner, which I will swear by as the only thing that's keeping my skin as lovely as it is. I've been here many times and it just always feels like they move the stuff around all the time, which is confusing and needless. I also think that since they have a corner location at the mall and the place feels a little gloomy, that they could have had open windows to let natural light in, much like the branch in Greenbelt. Sunlight is a healthy option too, guys!

I was just going around Salcedo Village to while away time (as I am usually prone to do after work)…read moreand noticed this little bright green store that I've always seen, but never really entered. Bolstered by my curiosity about their signage on "sustainable living", I went inside the ECHOstore. At first, I only thought it to be just a restaurant, because they have these hulking freezers right up front, and a menu of dishes (preservatives free!) scribbled across colorful chalkboards. I soon discovered that they were much more than that. Apart from selling a number of frozen meats (vegan or actual meat), ECHOstore also has fresh produce (200 grams of Kale, Spinach, Tarragon... only for 80 Pesos!) and snacks like oatmeal and granola bars. If you're into the healthy lifestyle, i'd strongly urge you to come by ECHOstore! It's really fantastic, they've got virgin coconut oil for cooking (among other uses), almond butter, spiced sea salt and loads of others! Personally, I brought some preservative-free instant noodles, made from Malunggay, Carrots and Soybean. (Super delicious!) They also have a lot of household items sourced from other companies like Messy Bessy-- toxic free, not tested on animals and environment friendly. As I was paying for my noodles and spinach, I was also glad to see that they used a recycled spread of a magazine as their paper bag! 10/10 would totally go back. Plus, the staff are really friendly as well.

This place in Salcedo Village is a mix of store and café focused on sustainable lifestyle. That…read moremeans health and social responsability are key words to understand the concept of ECHOstore. With other branches in Metro (BGC, Mandaluyong, Quezon City and Pasay), it's owned by three women who truly believe it's possible to make the world a better place. With this purpose, they chose to support community groups, local farmers and small producers. An interesting fact about Makati's branch is that it's located on Tordesillas Street, very close to the square where Salcedo Saturday Market takes place. So organic food lovers don't need to wait for saturday anymore in order to find fresh vegetables and greens. Whenever for any reason I can't go to the Salcedo Saturday Market, I run to Echo Store because I know there I'll find eco-friendly products. Every time I go there I like to have a sit and ask for the Mean Green juice - a fresh detox blend made of kamote, malungay, celery, cocumber, orange and pineapple. It's really a must-try! Drink it and you'll feel instantly healthy. Another gem is their malungay pesto. I just love it! t's a very healthy option to have at home. I suggest using it as a salad dressing, a pasta sauce or in sandwiches, waffles or pancakes. ECHOstore Salcedo Ground Floor, NDC Building 116 Tordesillas St., Salcedo Village, Makati City Tel: (+632) 869.1516

AMBIENCE After enjoying the view outside the mall, we…read moreentered this branch and "brought ourselves outside" again. Theme of the restaurant is really pretty and makes me want to go out-of-town like Tagaytay or Baguio. I wonder how they take care of the tree leaves on the ceiling. FOOD & BEVERAGES I'm actually satisfied with the price for the Local All Natural Steak. Serving size was okay and meat was cooked and sliced nice and neatly. When healthy options taste good, I feel a spark of hope for the future! This is why I had difficulty appreciating the Grilled Organic Bone Marrow, which looked very sinful. Both the Banana and Very Berry Smoothies were delicious! SERVICE Thank you for letting us stay a bit long because we enjoyed our conversations!