This restaurant is a must because the food is unique and cooked to perfection. The service is…read morefriendly and makes the atmosphere friendly and relaxed. I love the crunchy bean curd, the Kare Kare, the sisig, and the BBQ sticks. These are my regular items that I order but also love the other dishes that I have tried.

Discovering this place was such a tasty surprise! My boyfriend and I were walking to get some lunch…read moreat our usual veggie café in Masangkay Street, but we were extremely disappointed seeing as not only 1, but 2 of those veggie places have closed down! Heartbroken and hungry, we kept walking around the area until suddenly, we find ourselves at Soler Street and this yellow sign was staring back at us: GREEN. PLANET. VEGETARIAN. Thank you, universe! I've tried a few vegetarian places in Binondo, but this relatively newish addition to Chinatown takes the whole cake! Taiwanese-owned Green Planet Vegetarian serves a variety of tasty vegetarian and vegan food at super 'sulit' prices. Much like a super clean, glorified 'turo-turo', you can get a rice meal with 3 viands for only Php 100, and with complimentary hot tea, too! Try their veggie sisig (creamy and dairy-free!) and their crowd-pleaser, fried miteng (gluten), which has a beautiful, chewy texture and savory flavor--amazing when dipped in vinegar. Another favorite of mine is their radish cake, a slice for only Php 15! Being sold here as well are vegetarian and vegan food items such as Magic Meat (dehydrated TVP made locally), canned barbecue sauce, and this Taiwanese granulated mushroom seasoning (reminiscent of the local Magic Sarap seasoning--look for the package with that very strange smiling mushroom). I've also heard from their staff that they're planning to open a Makati branch!

Being a vegetarian is a hard ordeal in the Philippines. It is far from impossible, but it is an…read moreextremely difficult endeavor, judging by my friends and family who've tried their luck with the (arguably) healthier alternative. The problem is the lack of options. You can take a cursory view of your run off the mill foodcourt and you'd be hard pressed to see any realistic veggie options. Bodhi is one of, if not the oldest vegetarian restaurant chain in Manila, and is the trailblazer in providing vegetarian fare to the Manila public. Their main branch along Banawe street serves vegetaraian versions of traditional Filipino food like kare kare, menudo, adobo, and broccoli beef to name a few. Don't expect the food to taste exactly the same as the real deal, though. Veggie meat can take some time getting accustomed to. The best thing about Bodhi is their emphasis on making each dish as inexpensive as they can, giving vegetarians to-be plenty a nice budget friendly alternative.

Bodhi is a vegetarian health food restaurant. This branch is actually one of the first restaurants…read moreto open along Banawe, which really used to be a residential street (as opposed to all the talyers and restaurants now). The restaurant is housed in a pretty old building and the interior may put you off at first, as wear and tear is quite obvious. Generally though, the place was spic and span, and the staff diligently makes sure that the tables and utensils are very clean. Bodhi is no fancy restaurant by any means, having a cafeteria style of picking out your food (aka turo-turo). Despite this turo-turo style, and even with the vegetarian options, you can be sure to leave the place with a full and satisfied stomach. The best time to go to Bodhi would be during breakfast around 8AM. They have their regular breakfast crowd, and I noticed that the Lumpia and Maki-Mi seems to be ordered by every customer there (me included)

One good reason to go vegetarian -- or vegan, as they like to be called -- is for good health. A…read morevegetarian diet is supposedly the healthiest there is, but some doctors will say that there is not enough protein in their diet to be totally healthy. I don't care to join either side of this debate. What i do is eat vegetarian dishes whenever possible, but still go for red meat and fowl on a regular basis. Whenever I am out on the field for work, I usually end up heading for the nearest SM food court to eat, and I'm glad that a lot of them have a branch of Bodhi Vegetarian Healthfood. The taste of their various vegemeat dishes comes close enough to the real thing. One of my favorites is their version of sweet and sour pork, as well as their pork barbecue on a stick. Biting into either dish tells you that it can't possibly be real pork. This is where the tofu-based dishes is a dead giveaway that it's not the real thing. But then, you would know because this is a vegan place, remember? Bodhi has set meals for less than P100 and they even come with a teeny weenie cup of iced tea or soda as well as a complimentary mini cup of soup. When I was young, the only place to get vegetarian meals on a regular basis was the Adventist Hospital in Pasay City. I'm glad that we Pinoys have come to appreciate the health benefits of vegetarian food, and that there is a Bodhi Vegetarian Healthfood place nearby. Four stars for them,

I don't live near Veggiezen so I've only been here once! It reminds me of a slightly upscale…read moreversion of the veggie restaurants in the Binondo area (in a good, good way!). They've got loads of selections here (all veg!), as well as a shelf filled with interesting local and imported food products. Apart from the not-so-fast service, I'd recommend this place any day to anyone. I'd say get their quekiam (one of their specialties)--this erm..thing (I don't know, gluten or soy based mock meat?) is stuffed with savory veggies and mushrooms and comes with a spicy red sauce on the side. It's definitely not like the street kikiam which is made of god knows what! Super tasty appetizer... I was excited to try their veg sisig as it was one of their specialties, but I was a bit disappointed as the serving was quite small (at Php 170...) and while it was seasoned well and had a variety of mushrooms and minced tofu/soy/gluten (unsure...), I guess it lacked that creamy sauce that I loved when I used to eat the real pork sisig. It could use some veg mayo or some sauce to elevate it to a really satisfying sisig recreation. However, I should mention that it did come with crumbled chicharon (made of tofu skins) on top! They carry Superfood Grocer's amazing vegan ice cream here by the way! And you get a complimentary cup of pandan tea!

I had just gotten back from a trip - food trip, to be more specific - and was feeling a bit too…read moreheavy and full and overall UGH from all the unhealthy things and mindless munchies that wreaked havoc on my body so my fiancé and I decided to have something kind. We wanted salad originally but he found something better: Veggiezen! Hard to miss if you are not looking for it specifically and even harder to consider with all the other "tastier" options in the Jose Abad area but I am glad we didn't miss it!! Their menu seems Chinese-inspired and I think this is the best part about it. Oriental favorites, vegetarian-ized, with a sprinkling of Filipino favorites too. The tofu chicharon tastes exactly like chicharon, the mushroom sisig tastes exactly like sisig, the mushroom teriyaki tastes exactly like Chinese teriyaki! What more the other things on the menu?! Can't wait to try!! Hay, If I could cook dishes likes these every single day, then I could definitely be vegetarian for life! For now, I'm just happy to have restored my body's zen - even just for a moment.

I visit here often to buy their frozen veggie snacks like nuggets and tofu, but it is only now that…read moreI get to try their dishes dine-in. The owners of Daily Veggie are Buddhists, therefore having a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle. All of the dishes served here are vegetarian, and as practicing Buddhists, they also highly discourage customers bringing in non-vegetarian items to their restaurant as a sign of respect. Although there are some real vegetables in their dishes, most of them make use of mock meat, or soy protein. They made it really good and tasty and it is a good way to introduce non-meat diet to kids. They have soy fish that tasted like real fish, and even nuggets that can rival the one from McDonald's. We ordered a lot during our stay, probably 3/4 of their menu. The best part is its price. It is very inexpensive yet it fills you up and tasted great. My recommendations for this store are Fried mushrooms - great for snacking and has good flavor. I also loved the bean curd skin hotpot. The fried porkchop is a favorite of the kids. The sizzling taopao is also a must-try. The sweet and sour pork is surprisingly good. If you get lost with their menu, try to get recommendations from the servers, they have never let me down. Serving is family style and no garnish whatsoever. They cater and can also host parties like birthdays and baptismals. The restaurant also serves as a store where you can buy the frozen version of their dishes, and some unique vegetarian snacks like mushroom jerky, chia butter, mushroom powder for flavoring among others.

Vegan Japanese food that you can find in Quezon City is a concept that really got me impressed. It…read morecan be found in a stall across Il Terrazo near Tomas Morato. The price points is surprisingly affordable. I am avid fan of anything Corn and their cream cheese sweetcorn Tempura is an instant favorite and it is just Php95. The batter is deep fried to the right crispness level. Shirataki noodles was the base for the Ramen which I often unlike. Despite the use of alternative noodles, the broth and recipe makes up for a spicy Tantanmen. Ended the meal with their Bingsu as dessert which is topped with a generous serving of Mango. The overall dining experience is great.

Haha... So I have a confession to make. I'm extremely lazy, too lazy that I'm actually planning to…read morerelocate to the Scout/Tomas Morato area just so I will never have to cook vegan food ever again! See, this area has around 3 reliable vegetarian/vegan restaurants, and among one of them is this glorious Wabi Sabi branch. I've been a long-time customer of their Makati branch, but this place was just so delightful. For one, it was much nicer than their place in The Collective--brick walls, warm lighting, and with a playlist that includes Asobi Seksu, you just can't complain. Actually, I can't complain about anything during my stay. Sure, the whole place was packed with senior citizens lunching on a Sunday, but it just proves how Wabi-Sabi has captured the tastebuds of everyone, not just retired hipsters (Lol) such as myself. I loved my bowl of Viet Pho, a mushroom-based broth noodle soup that comes with crunchy faux pork bits. If you want something warm and light on a rainy day, this is perfect. Other recommendations: Their okonomigyoza is AMAZING. The Banh Mi is a must (you can have it vegan- just specify so they can use the vegan mayo). Vietnamese ca phe is always a good choice, but my all-time favorite is their lemongrass iced tea. Oh, and the service here is far more friendlier and faster than the Makati branch. They whipped up my pho 5 minutes after I ordered it!

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Las Piñas. If you're looking for healthy, delicious meals…read morein a relaxing setting, this is the place to go. The interiors must have been designed with the restaurant name in mind, with light apple green accents on white walls. It reminds me of a bright and airy country home - the ones with the white picket fences, except this one has no picket fence. And there are nice quotes about food and eating on the walls, too, with my favorite being the Irish proverb: "Laughter is brightest where food is best." There are also paintings of different herbs on the white walls, and even hanging plants (I wasn't able to check if they were real, though). And the food! (Insert happy sigh here) If there is one restaurant which equally meets the healthy and delicious criteria without compromising either of the two, this is it. With each bite, I was able to savor the wholeness, the healthiness, and the rich flavors of the food. They had a Valentine special when we ate there last February, and for around P400 each, we had a complete meal with banana shake with chia seeds, a fresh salad with calamari and with a delicious fruity vinaigrette dressing, a fresh, rich tomato soup (which is really good that I suspect it was made from scratch), grilled salmon fillet with a creamy though not so heavy sauce with potatoes and vegetables, and chocolate cupcakes. All the food in our Valentine meal is in the menu, though they bundled it to a Valentine meal good for two last February. I have yet to try eating there a la carte, but I hope to try the veggie burger next.

Back when I was in college, I knew some people who turned vegetarian suddenly. I'm 100% sure the…read moretransition was easy because of this charming place along CP Garcia. It's not an everyday place you can dine at when you're a student on a budget but the meals here are still and always have been student friendly... like my go to veggie bopis or veggie burger. They have seafood options but I'd say skip it and indulge in fresh greens. I love their moussaka and kare kare! My only concern is the mosquitos in the outdoor area. Better option is to kick off your shoes and stay in the mats strewn inside!

A community vegetarian diner that feels like an art gallery and a tea room with groovy décor…read moredoesn't seem out of place at all in the environs of the UP Diliman Campus, where the famed "hippie" counterculture is still known to be prevalent among the students. Likha Diwa sa Gulod in Krus na Ligas, a few minutes away from the main campus complex of UP Diliman, is a special retreat for those who want to break away from fast food and commercialized food establishments. The surroundings remind one of a secret garden, and the vibe of the place puts one at ease immediately. It is inviting, relaxing and very friendly to the soul. Likha Diwa is a vegetarian and seafood restaurant first and foremost, but it is also a community center for freethinkers and artistic individuals. The premises double as an art gallery where thought-provoking installations and exhibits are mounted on a regular basis. Guests can choose to sit on the low tables, or sit on soft throw pillows on the floor. The menu is extensive, with offerings ranging from Filipino favorites to Western dishes with a healthy and vegetarian twists. I particularly love the kare kare, which is a generous plate of tender vegetables, soft tofu and veggie-tuna meat (a kind of texturized vegetable protein that is a good and healthy substitute for pork or beef). I would usually order it with a serving of mountain rice, which is known to be healthier than white, well-milled rice. I also love the vegetable curry, which has the right amount of pungent and strong Indian spices. Likha Diwa has a very affordable buffet spread every Saturday. For P200, customers can eat as much healthy vegetarian food as they want. The themes are rotated every now so often, with Italian, Greek and Indian spreads repeating after several weekends. The place also sells good local coffee from Kalinga and Benguet .If you want to start eating healthy, try easing into Likha Diwa's menu which offers mostly delicious and heartwarming favorites. The dishes are packed with flavor and vitamis and so rich in character, you will forget that you are eating healthy. Furthermore, Likha Diwa also has a small eco store and gift shop where you can by organic cleaning agents and toiletries, and local handicrafts such as weavings, fabrics and decor.