Image courtesy of SUSI's FB page
Back when I lived in Manila in 2011-2012, one of my biggest challenges was finding somewhere to eat with my pescetarian (seafood & veggies only) diet. Filipinos are notorious for their carnivorous, pork-loving, fried-food cuisines, so I often had trouble figuring out what to eat at parties (when all else failed, I ate only from the dessert table- while it was yummy, it also felt like I was treating myself to early onset diabetes. =/)
Image courtesy of SUSI's FB page
Imagine my delight when I came home recently and was introduced to SUSI (which means 'key' in Tagalog), a vegan restaurant promoting sustainable living. SUSI is founded by Bianca Mabanta, who left her visual design job in Barcelona to start SUSI in Manila.
Bianca Mabanta, center. Image from Pepper PH.
I had the 'Oscar the Grouch' green smoothie lathered in kale, spinach, wheatgrass, and banana, and felt refreshed and cleansed at the same time. Their menu boasts vegan, gluten-free options heavy on my favorite leaf, kale (I know, such a Cali girl thing) and decadent desserts that are all dairy-free and egg-free.
Image courtesy of Manila Bulletin
To top it all off, their interiors are designed beautifully with the cozy charm of nature-inspired decor. It is the perfect environment for brunch, afternoon meetings (I myself came with Rich Earth Jewelry founder Rica Banares Manuel), or a place to take yourself on a coffee/reading date.
What I love most is that SUSI is a woman-owned business promoting sustainable, cruelty-free living, compatible with the Glamourbaby lifestyle.
Image courtesy of SUSI's FB Page
If you're headed to Manila with a limited diet and a penchant for green gastronomy, head on over to SUSI and unlock a whole new world of vegan/healthy cuisine still rare in the Philippines!
Read more about SUSI on their FB page and via this post here.
SUSI is at: Burgos Circle, Forbes Town Center, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila
Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. Rica was kind enough to treat me to a snack there, and was excited to find a place that reminded me of my health conscious State of California. :)