When in Manila, you will find how we Filipinos absolutely love to eat. We’ll eat anything and won’t leave anything behind save for the last piece of morsel that everyone one else in the table is too dyahe (shy) to take. Simply put, we’re passionate about eating.
But with great passion, comes great responsibility. For our health, that is.
Alas, healthy eating is not always as tempting nor as easy as it may seem. Our preconceived notion on healthy dishes? Rabbit food. Wouldn’t it be easier to eat what’s delicious (a lot of flavorings), easy to prepare (microwavable) and downright cheap? Sure, but then it would really take a toll on your health.
Out to prove that healthy cooking does not always mean sacrificing the taste for the benefits, FRESH CAFÉ is a newly franchised restaurant in the country that breaks all stereotypes on healthy eating. Before checking out their fresh new restaurant in Makati, I thought that this healthy café would serve mainly vegetarian dishes and raw food.
Boy, was I mistaken.
The generous folks at the restaurant treated us to almost their entire menu. With my trusty eating buddies, I didn’t think we’d leave any scrap of food on our plates. Again, they proved me otherwise. The friendly staff delivered serving after serving of their best dishes: wraps, Panini’s, salads, smoothies and juices.
You can choose to have the following flavors as a wrap, a Panini or a salad: Turkey Cranberry, Southwestern Fiesta, Mediterranean, Asian Chicken, Hummus, Turkey Pesto, Turkey Bacon Avocado, Chicken Caesar, Portobello, Tuna Melt, and Veggie Extreme.
A Half order costs Php 160 and a Whole order costs Php 240. That’s very valuable savings for your money and for your health! Here are some of the Fresh Café offerings we had:
Cheese Tofu Chips for starters
Turkey Pesto Panini
turkey breast, mozzarella, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, pesto sauce
Asian Chicken Wrap
chicken breast, romaine lettuce, mandarin oranges, sliced almonds, crispy noodles, sesame vinaigrette
Southwestern Fiesta Wrap
spicy chicken breast, cheddar cheese, romaine lettuce, red onions, green peppers, black beans, salsa, jalapenos
Tuna Melt
tuna, cheddar cheese, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, mayo
Turkey Bacon Avocado Wrap
turkey breast, turkey bacon, cheddar cheese, romaine lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, red onions, low-fat ranch dressing
Mediterranean Panini
chicken breast, feta cheese, romaine lettuce, green peppers, olives, tzatziki sauce
Hummus Panini
hummus, feta cheese, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, red peppers, chick peas
Portobello Wrap
Portobello mushrooms, mozzarella, romaine lettuce, red peppers, red onions, balsamic vinaigrette
Turkey Cranberry Wrap
Turkey breast, mozzarella, romaine lettuce, mandarins, cranberries, walnuts, strawberry vinaigrette
Turkey Cranberry Salad
Turkey breast, mozzarella, romaine lettuce, mandarins, cranberries, walnuts, strawberry vinaigrette
Chicken Caesar Salad
chicken breast, parmesan, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, croutons, olives, Caesar dressing
Sipping on their Cappuccino (small), Php 110
The many colors of health: A selection of some of their best smoothies and juices
Here’s a selection of their Smoothies.
PURE (Medium Php 135; Large Php 160)
Caribbean Splash, Kiwi Quencher, Strawberry Banana Supreme, Pineapple Paradise, Raspberry Blast, True Blue, Mango Mania, Chunky Monkey, Iced Cappucino, Protein Power, and Matcha Green Tea
SUPER (Medium Php 145; Large Php 170)
Acai Mega Berry, Jolly Green Kiwi, Kale Pineapple, and Avocados and Cream
You can also create your own freshly squeezed juice! Feel free to ask the crew on the best flavors to mix together or which ones would bring pack the most punch for your personal health needs. Aside from fruity drinks, Fresh Café also offers some brewed favorites such as coffee, lattes, espressos and more.
You’re probably thinking, “Those kinds of food are just snacks! They can’t possibly fill you up!” Well, tell that to the take-home bags full of our unfinished food. Everything was absolutely delicious and there wasn’t anything we didn’t like at all. Although some of our best bets would really have to be the Turkey Pesto, Turkey Cranberry, and Tuna Melt. As for our drinks, we really loved the Chunky Monkey, Caribbean Splash, Mango Mania and Iced Cappuccino.
Another great thing about Fresh Café’s offerings is that you can have them as a wrap, a Panini or a salad. You need just request for it and it shall be granted. Chicken Caesar Salad PANINI? Done. Turkey Cranberry WRAP? Sure. Tuna Melt SALAD? Why not? Dining with this kind of one-of-a-kind set-up, the combinations and possibilities for gustatory delight are endless. At Fresh Café, you needn’t stress about any “suspicious” ingredients they might be putting into your food. Everything is guaranteed fresh and safe and simply prepared at their kitchen.
And with the mighty banquet and feast they served up, we had so much fun digging in and trying all their dishes. Mind you, they offered us four tables FULL of their healthy selections.
Aside from their amazing food selections, the staff are very well trained and accommodating. Under the tutelage of JP Smith, Fresh Café’s Corporate Trainer, the knowledgeable café crew is more than happy to assist you with your food choices and for any questions you may have regarding health, super foods and about the restaurant.
I had the chance to chat with this indomitable and energetic health buff about the restaurant’s operations, its menu and his own personal health journey. Having been with the company since the year 2000, he has certainly gained in-depth knowledge about health consciousness and has contributed much to the brand with his equally healthy-minded family.
Fresh Healthy Café currently has about 45 franchises in different locations across the globe from Florida, Canada, Singapore, India, and now, the Philippines.
Their restaurant is a splash of vitality with green pops of color and fresh white walls. It’s just a great place to kick back, chill and hang out with friends.
(L-R) MM Maglasang (yours truly), Sally Samoy (President of the Philippines’ Fresh Café franchise), JP Smith, and Ms. Sally’s daughter, Shayne Samoy (a 2nd year Atenean who will be taking up her mother’s business some day)
Whatever you do to and for your body today will have rippling repercussions on you as you get older. Yes, “Life’s too short so better to eat that damn red velvet cupcake” as Emma Stone advises, but remember to fuel your body with the right stuff, too.
Eating is one of life’s simple pleasures but that is riddled by the food choices we have to make. With Fresh Café, taste, price, quantity, quality and benefits jive together in healthful food choices you won’t regret having!
Here’s to health: a wealth that we have the absolute power to amass.
All photos taken by Francis Tawagon.
Fresh Healthy Café
Facebook | Website | @FRESH_café
Address: 2nd Floor, Antel Building, Makati Ave. Makati City
Bayani Samoy (632 910 4011)
FRESH Healthy Café: Serving Up the Best of Healthy Food the Fun, Fresh, Delicious and Easy Way!
