Where to Find Manila’s Top 10 Vegan Chocolate Treats
Love is in the air in Manila! In case you hadn’t noticed, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner—one of the few days each year when it’s totally acceptable to indulge in as many chocolaty treats as you possibly can. But while you’re making dessert plans for your hot date, show some love for animals, too—by keeping things vegan.
Decadent and dairy-free is definitely the way to go for your Valentine’s delicacies this year. To help you out, we’ve named 10 of Metro Manila’s tastiest chocolate desserts. The luscious treats listed below are not only cruelty-free but also safe for those with lactose intolerance to consume—so that everyone can enjoy the holiday.
You can also get pleasure from mouthwatering dairy-free treats without venturing out to a restaurant. At-home vegan dessert options include Oreo cookies (yes, they’re vegan!), Cioccolato Bono Gelato in SM stores, Starbucks Frappuccinos (try the dark mocha—just ask for soy milk and no whipped cream), and Vitamilk’s Double Choco Shake, found at 7-Eleven and MINISTOP.
Here are 10 of our favorite places for dessert out on the town:
• Pipino’s Red Velvet Cupcake
Not only is this cupcake one of Cupid’s favorites, it’s ours, too, closely followed by Pipino’s green-tea cupcakes. Pipino also offers a range of dairy-free ice creams.
Pipino Vegetarian Food by Pino, 39 Malingap St., Teachers Village, Quezon City; 441-1773; PipinoVeg.com
• Greens’ Chocolate Cake
Lush and moist, this cake hits the spot. Get it before everyone else does.
Greens Vegetarian Restaurant and Café, 92 Sct. Castor St., Quezon City; 415-4796; Facebook.com/GreensResto
• Juicesabel’s Chocolate Cake
Juicesabel offer a range of cakes by the slice or whole, and this chocolate cake is one of our favorites. Pair with one of their rich coffees.
Juicesabel, The Collective, 7274 Malugay St., San Antonio Village and
3800 Kalayaan Avenue, Makati; 090646VEGAN (83426); Facebook.com/JUICESABEL
• The Vegetarian Kitchen’s Dark Chocolate Cake
It’s no surprise that the dark chocolate cake is The Vegetarian Kitchen’s bestseller. This cake is truly scrumptious.
The Vegetarian Kitchen, No. 62-B Mother Ignacia Ave., Brgy. Paligsahan, Quezon City; 355-5622, 0915-643-4348, and 0906-436-2533; Facebook.com/TheVegetarianKitchen
• SUSI’s Cacao That Cares
This dark chocolate fudgy dessert is topped with melted homemade peanut butter and a gluten-free pretzel. It’s sinfully delightful and also looks great on Instagram.
SUSI, Forbes Town Road, Burgos Circle, Taguig; 833-7874; Facebook.com/SusiPhilippines
• The Scream by Lucy in the Sky Café
Don’t let the name scare you off: This chocolate cake is a lot nicer than it sounds. It’s unlikely that you’ll scream when you taste this, but you might shout “Yum!”
Lucy in the Sky Café, 222 Wilson St., Greenhills, San Juan City; 370-4113; Facebook.com/LucyInTheSkyCafe
• Black-and-White Ice Cream by Adam’s Seriously Good Ice Cream
Adam can make a mean ice cream, and this one is seriously good. Because of popular demand, the brand has now “veganized” its Chiqui Monkey ice cream (flavored with chocolate, peanut butter, and bananas—delicious!) as well.
Find Adam’s Seriously Good Ice Cream at the Sunday Legaspi market; 890-1284 or 0917-898-2826; AdamsIceCream.com
• Green Bar’s Chocolate Hill Cupcake
These cute cupcakes are doused with the most delectable sweet and salty peanut butter icing.
Green Bar, Westgate Center, Alabang, 1780 Muntinlupa City; 831-2211; Facebook.com/GreenBarCafe
• Kitchen Revolution’s Chocolate Cake
You don’t know what love is until you’ve tried this cake. Kitchen Revolution also sells dairy-free ice cream flavors, such as Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk and Chocolate Toffee Almond, at the Corner Tree Café.
Find Kitchen Revolution’s Chocolate Cake at the Kismet Café at the corner of Burgos and Kalayaan Avenue in Makati; 0917-894-5086; facebook.com/KitchenRevolution
• Earth Desserts’ Vegan Fudgy Brownie
AV Gawtee, owner of the business, uses healthy alternatives such as flax seeds and olive oil. Although her gooey, chocolate-rich, heavenly brownies are something you should feel great about eating on any day, they still taste as naughty as ever.
Contact Earth Desserts via mobile or Facebook for orders; 0917-855-2748; Facebook.com/EarthDessertsPH
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Approximately 90 percent of Filipinos are lactose-intolerant, meaning that their bodies cannot break down the sugar in milk, which results in acne, cramps, bloating, and diarrhea. A U.K. study showed that people who suffered from irregular heartbeats, asthma, headaches, fatigue, and digestive problems “showed marked and often complete improvements in their health after cutting milk from their diets.”
Dairy is not only bad for us but also cruel to animals. Calves are generally torn away from their mothers within a day of birth, which causes them both extreme distress. Cow’s milk is often contaminated with bacteria, blood, pesticides, antibiotics, and pus.
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