Our month of travelling around The Philippines has come to an end, and we’ve found that being vegan has been harder than you might think... But don’t let that scare you! Most locals know what vegetarian/vegan means and a lot of restaurants cater to it. Still, knowing where the best places to head to are might stop you from going hungry or, worse yet, hangry! So, here are our favourite restaurants in The Philippines!
First On The List - Beni’s Falafels, Manila
Manila was our first stop in the Philippines and, after the long 16 hour journey from London, we were ravenous but unsure as to what to expect when it came to finding something vegan to eat. It didn’t look hopeful and we soon started to think that vegan options were going to be hard to come by. It wasn’t until we went to Makati to our second hotel that we found Beni’s Falafel Restaurant… Where there are falafels, we will find them - they’re our favourite! Beni’s Falafel makes the list because their falafel sandwiches are both vegan and totally delicious! After eating just rice and vegetables for a few days at our first hotel, they were just what the doctor ordered!
Second To Make The List - Buzz Express, Coron
Feeling more hopeful, we headed to Coron ready to explore and see the beautiful landscapes. Just a short walk away from our hostel, we stumbled upon Buzz Express - a busy western-styled restaurant in the center of town. After a full day of island hoping, beautiful sightseeing and snorkelling, we tucked into an incredibly big veggie burgers (probably the size of our heads) and a brilliantly healthy buddha bowl.
Lucky Number Three - Happiness Express, El Nido
By far, El Nido had the most vegan options and restaurants for us to eat at. Amongst the many restaurants down the lively strip was Happiness Express, a little slice of heaven! Funky artwork covered the walls and swings hung from the ceiling. We're pretty sure we could have lived there! The whole menu was vegetarian and we could also refuel with their amazing vegan shakes. Plus, there were falafels, so of course we tried the falafel pittas… They were a solid 7.8 out of 10!
Number Four - Ima's Vegetarian Restaurant, Puerto Princesa
In Puerto Princesa, food stalls lined the streets, but restaurants seemed to be hard to come by. After a quick Google search, we found the little hidden gem that is Ima’s Vegetarian Restaurant. It wasn't as easy on the eyes as other restaurants, but don’t let that fool you… There wasn’t a single piece of meat in sight! Just veggie burritos, tofu sandwiches, vegan shakes and more! It was also rated in the top 10 best vegetarian restaurants in The Philippines by Peta!
The Best Till Last - Shaka, Bohol
We spent five days in Bohol and, by the end of it, Shaka seemed to be our home away from home. It’s a little cafe away from the busy strip with five different vegan burgers, pad thai, lasagne and lots of scru
mmy cakes on the menu. We love a good smoothie bowl, and Shaka's were the best that we’ve ever had, topped with juicy fruit and homemade granola! And lets not forget their coffee - oh, how we miss their coffee! Not only was the food to die for, but the staff were amazingly friendly and extremely hard working! Everything was served on wooden boards or in coconut bowls, so no single use plastic!