Here's Where You Can Enjoy Kare-Kare and Sisig Minus the Guilt

Vegan food is generally perceived as bland and boring, lacking in appeal, variety, and flavor. Westin Manila is out to debunk this misconception with its Green Mondays lunch special at Seasonal Tastes. They launched it last year and for its third installment, Executive Chef Rej Casanova is collaborating with Cosmic Philippines, a vegan restaurant known for offering delicious, plant-based versions of Filipino comfort food.

“The goal of this collaboration is to showcase Filipino cuisine, help spread awareness about vegan food, and add more flavorful options for locals and hotel guests who are looking to try healthier alternatives in the buffet,” says Casanova, adding that the offer is aligned with the hotel's Eat Well program.

Crispy Bagnet Sisig with Plant-Based Sisig Mayonnaise

The Story Behind Cosmic

Established in 2018, Cosmic Philippines currently has branches in Kapitolyo, Siargao, and Zamboanga. While they have a multi-cuisine menu, their Filipino selections continue to win over both locals and travelers.

General Managing Director, Lalita “Lali” Balagtas attributes her commitment to veganism to values instilled by her parents, who "taught us that veganism is beneficial not only to our health but also to the environment."

She shares, "My sister and I have never eaten meat since we were born. Throughout the years, when our family dined out, most local establishments would only offer us salads or okra because they didn't have anything on their menu that fit our diet."

Crispy Chicken with Buffalo Glaze 

The limited vegan options prompted them to put up their own brand of vegan food. “We wanted something that is readily available and affordable for the Filipino market," says Balagtas.

Interestingly, the brand Cosmic just came out of a casual conversation between four of the partners in our business. "Whenever we came up with a good dish and are at a loss for words, we simply say ‘Oh, this is Cosmic!’" Serving good Filipino food, she says, has been the brand’s recipe for success.

Vegan BBQ Isaw 

Green Mondays

For the Green Mondays lunch special at Seasonal Tastes, Casanova recreated the Filipino best-sellers from Cosmic’s vegan enu and elevated and refined the overall taste and look.

We thoroughly enjoyed tasting the featured dishes and were especially impressed by the Kare-Kare with Plant-Based Bagoong, the Crispy Bagnet Sisig with Plant-Based Sisig Mayonnaise, the Crispy Chicken with Buffalo Glaze, and the BBQ Isaw, which strikingly looked like the traditional isaw.

“I made some enhancements to their recipes, but the true ‘meat’ of these savory dishes are Cosmic’s homemade vegan products such as the Chopped Un’pork, Bagnet, BBQ Isaw, and Chick’un Chunks. We want to highlight their creativity and innovation in creating high-quality vegan food products," says Chef Casanova.

Cosmic Philippines Executive Chef Rodel Guinto shares that it took them three years to perfect the formulation of the Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), the meat substitute that they used in making the bagnet. "When you bite into it, you'll notice the texture mimicking both the fat and the meat," he says with pride.

As for the Kare-Kare, Casanova says the sauce achieves its rich and creamy consistency through a blend of coconut milk, cashews, pine nuts, and annatto oil, rather than using peanuts. "I initially planned to make Bicol Express, but it wouldn't highlight the bagoong, so I opted to create Kare-Kare instead," he offers.

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Do not miss getting a slice of the Vegan ‘Egg’ Pie, crafted by Balagtas herself. We agree with Chef Casanova, "It’s so good, every bite will leave you wondering how it’s dairy and egg free.”

Guests can find these savory specials at the One Dish Wonders live station, where everything is prepared a la minute and served on tasting plates. This section is one of the hotel’s sustainability initiatives in reducing excessive food production.

You can still catch Green Mondays with Cosmic at Seasonal Tastes for two consecutive Mondays on April 7 and 14, 2025, from 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM. Book a table via this link.