Can you find vegetarian food in the Philippines? That’s what my friend asked as we prepared to visit the country for the first time. He didn’t mean a restaurant with only one thing on the menu. He meant a restaurant with three or four (that’s his standard for a veggie-friendly place).
Ummm… Maybe?
I grew up in a small family with big bellies. Half of my family is Filipino, and food was always a big deal at every holiday. Especially when I was younger, I would find myself at large gatherings, where, along with rooms full of strangers partying, I would be staring at a full roast pig on the table. Soon after becoming vegetarian at 16, I realized that my pickings were slim. At these parties, I would turn away from the lechon, and turn down the sinigang and adobo. Even the pancit would be dotted with bits of chicken – there’s no flavour otherwise, they would insist. I would be lucky if there were tiny lumpia that didn’t have meat. Since then, I’ve come to expect it; I hardly feel disappointed anymore.
Filipinos are not known for being vegetarians, or for being particularly forgiving with the meat in their dishes. As I would carefully pick through the meager options on the serving table, middle-aged women would ask if I was on a diet. Others would ask if I was trying to lose weight. Laughing politely, I was too awkward to explain to them that this was all I could eat at the party. Besides, I was saving room for dessert. Filipino sweets are the best.
As we prepared to travel in the Philippines for two weeks in February, I mentally prepared myself for it to be very similar to the parties all those years ago.
And it mostly was.
Although, some places surprised me.
Can you find vegetarian food in the Philippines?
It depends on which island you visit. We travelled to three different islands – Siargao, Cebu and Bohol – and tried our luck at finding plant-based meals.
We started our trip on Siargao Island. This island surprised me with how many vegetarian and vegan options there were. It felt great to start the trip to the Philippines on a good note.
The other two islands were not as veggie-friendly. We had our share of long restaurant-hopping and disappointment before finding a few that were hidden gems.
Oslob, Cebu
Our second destination took us to Oslob, on Cebu island. The tourist scene was much smaller there than on Siargao, and it was evident in the food options. Oslob is one of the many towns on the highway coming south from Cebu city before taking the bend at the end of the island and heading north to Moalboal. As you drive into town, the road is lined with Oslob’s elementary and high school, and a few local restaurants, before reaching 7-Eleven and the Oslob Public Market. Smells of fried, greasy food waft over from the food stalls lining the road.
We were staying in Oslob for four days. During our stay, we ate at these three restaurants for lunch and dinner.
Café Bora
This is a small restaurant that makes a variety of Filipino dishes, as well as pizza. The only three vegetarian options are pancit bihon and pancit canton – a noodle-with-vegetable dish in which the only difference is the type of noodle used (fat or thin) – and fried rice. Pancit is my favourite Filipino dish, so I couldn’t complain. We ate here for lunch two days in a row, and ordered their pizza for dinner on another night.
Le Bistrot
This place confuses me because of its French name, random mix of Italian and Filipino food, and its location in a tourist town in Cebu. It was crowded with foreigners on a Friday night, who received generous portion sizes of food. However, us vegetarian foreigners were dealt a menu with a vast array of meat and seafood options. There were slim pickings, and in the end, we ordered one pizza and one pasta dish to share. Overall, the meal was underwhelming, but there weren’t many options in the area.
AC Palayok
Worthy of two dinners in a row, this restaurant was by far the best one in Oslob. Their menu had an entire section dedicated to meatless dishes, which were delicious. The Halo Halo for dessert was better than any I’d had in Canada! Both times we went, we ordered 5 or 6 plates to share. We had to eat our fill, because we didn’t know when we would come across such a wonderful place again.
In the end, Oslob ranks last for vegetarian food in the Philippines, out of the three islands we visited. Luckily, our hostel served breakfast with meat-free choices, so we could cut down on one meal in town. AC Palayok and Bora Café really were the saving graces in Oslob. But, just as we’d eaten our way through the limited options, it was time to move on…
Panglao Island, Bohol
Our last stop in the Philippines was for sun and snorkeling. Our accommodation was steps to the beach, and this was actually the first time we got to relax. Alona Beach is the place to be on Panglao Island, and it showed in the endless number of vendors selling us their tour, and tourists ambling around the beach.
The first day we arrived, we trudged up and down the beach road with our backpacks, scanning every menu for something good. As it turned out, the beachfront restaurants do not have a very high demand for veggie food. We settled for tacos and burritos at a Mexican bar, just to fill our stomachs. Later in our stay, when we were able to venture farther from the beach, we found some treasures.
Luna Rossa Vegetarian Italian
About a ten minute walk from the beach, this place is owned by an Italian woman that you will probably see because she stands out in the kitchen full of Filipinos. The menu is entirely vegetarian, with many vegan options. The servers were very good about clarifying if you wanted the vegan dishes. This meal was by far my favourite on this island. We were lucky with timing and snagged the last available table. A group that arrived after us had a long wait time, and decided to leave. Make sure to arrive before the peak dinner rush, or try to make a reservation.
Bamboo Place
For our second night, we ate at this restaurant in the same vicinity as Luna Rossa. Along with meat options, their menu had a number of vegetarian dishes, but many of them were unavailable. Had those options been available, we would have enjoyed the meal a lot more. Without them, we had fewer choices, and the meal was just okay. The atmosphere and décor were perfect for the beach, although it was not an extremely busy place for the evening rush… a telling sign? Maybe.
Noah Pizza
Our last meal in the Philippines was a large vegetarian pizza after a long day trip around Bohol. We returned to Alona Beach exhausted and hungry, and decided to plop down at this pizza place that was right at the major intersection. There were maybe a dozen pizza choices, and about 4 or 5 that were veggie, and a dozen more pasta choices. The menu was huge!
Finding vegetarian food in the Philippines can be tricky depending on where you visit. Us vegetarians know how to search, settle for less, and make do with what we have. However, in the Philippines , it doesn’t always have to be like that. It is probably a safe bet to say that the more developed tourist areas will have adequate vegetarian options. In an island like Siargao that is conscious about the environment, vegetarian food is extremely easy to come by. As always, be prepared to be let down, or to be pleasantly surprised…
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