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Convenience stores have pretty much everything in their shelves. They even have prepared meals. But they don’t have healthy food. For health nuts, those trying to eat better, and for those looking to get in shape because summer is here, we rounded up 3 joints where you can go for a quick healthy food run.
Sprout
G/F Signa Designer Residences, Valero cor Rufino Streets, Salcedo Village, Makati. Mon-Sat 8am-10pm, Sun 8am-8pm (subject to change). +63 2 5565769
Think of Sprout as a healthy convenience store that offers fast and fresh good food. There are no greasy or over-processed food items here. Neither will you find pro-longed expiry dates or artificial seasonings. “Our goal at Sprout is to make healthy food more accessible by always giving fresh options,” says Chef Cheska Cariño, who is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in 2006 and has quite a rap sheet that includes stints in New York’s Momofuku.
Sprout’s shelves — which get restocked on a daily basis, mind — showcase their impressive selection of savory meals, salads, dressings, and drinks that you can take home, eat on-the-go, or enjoy right there and then, because how can you resist its vibrant greenhouse-like space? There’s a whole corner with stools and a functional wall. The surrounding open-air refrigerators naturally lend their cool air too — very helpful in the summertime.
Sprout’s pulled pork sandwich
The goods: Kale & Roasted Vegetable or Roasted Beets with Balsamic Glaze salad (PHP231) is wonderful, the Laing bowl (PHP263) is filling, and the Pulled Pork Po’boy sandwich (PHP221) is ace. There are also all-natural energy shots (PHP63), tea (PHP120), and brewed coffee (PHP105) here, as well as cakes sold by the slice (starts at PHP68) and pudding-style desserts (starts at PHP74).
As an FYI: Erwan Heussaff is yet again, a major partner at Sprout. “We have a strict ‘receive today sell today policy,’” Erwan says. The concept behind Sprout is actually his college thesis, which is finally seeing the light of day!
Evolve by Cocogreen
2/F The Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences, 119 L.P. Leviste Street, Salcedo Village, Makati. Mon-Fri 11am-6pm. +63 916 6414309. Online shop
After three years in the catering delivery business, Cocogreen rebranded as Evolve in 2013. It took up space inside The Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences in Salcedo Village, Makati to lodge their satellite store-cum-juice bar, where people can choose from its all-natural menu — gluten-free breads, pastas, and cookies, and soy-free cheeses.
Of everything however, it is the pili nut-based products that take front and center. “Our country produces plenty of this nut. We love its taste, which somehow resembles both an almond and a cashew. We use it in our cheeses and pastas,” says Wiezel Gulfan, a macrobiotic chef and is one of several owners of Evolve. Evolve ensures fresh goods in stock because they deal directly with farmers, yet another advocacy on their end. “We want to empower farmers, sustain their trade by bringing their good straight to the buyers, and ensure they get compensated fairly and well,” adds Gulfan.
Evolve’s truffle quiche made with pili cheddar
The goods: Evolve is known for its Pili butter (PHP175/250g) and Pili Quinoa Cheddar (PHP375/250g). Get your hands on Evolve’s alternative condiments as well — the Chlorophyll Himalayan Sea Salt (PHP295/500g) is among its bestsellers. Evolve is also expanding its line of wholefoods with flavored coco water and fruit-based breads.
As an FYI: While the satellite store is a welcome addition to Evolve’s service — especially to cram-jammer residents of Salcedo — you’ll probably get Evolve’s service at its best if 1) you order by phone and come pick them up at the store or 2) you swing by the markets where Evolve’s owners Wizel Gulfan and Toni Urrutia are mainstays.
ECHOstore Sustainable Lifestyle and ECHOcafé
G/F Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. 9am-9pm. +63 2 9013485
In the last seven years, ECHOstore owners Reena Francisco, Chit Juan and Jeannie Javelosa have been busy supporting causes ranging from community service to outreach programs, farming and education, and even wellness, all leading to a unified ECHO consciousness and vision not unlike the current hoopla of all things “organic” and “sustainable.” Their projects were all about promoting “locavorism,” or patronage and promotion of locally made products. Their store is like a two-prong approach: it allows the owners to teach customers how to use the products they sold, and it provides various communities from different regions a chance to showcase their products at the store.
“I believe the best strategies and creative pursuits must be rooted in purpose, for this is the very soul that emerges and inspires our development programs and business behavior,” says Javelosa, who is also a yoga teacher and founder of the ECHOyoga Shala in Makati. Resident foodie and co-founder Reena integrated some of the products into a short menu, which she continues to innovate as new ones are discovered. With Chit Juan at the helm of things, coffee often takes center stage.
Apart from food, there are also ‘home cabinet’ items at Echostore
The goods: Majority of the food products are vegetarian-friendly: organic vegetables for salads (starts at PHP195/50g), soup (PHP250), veggie burgers made from mushrooms, tofu chorizo or banana heart (veggie burger meal starts at PHP225 or PHP325/8 patties uncooked). There are non-vegetarian food choices too, like yogurt (PHP99/100ml) and several types of cheese (starts PHP205/200g), which by the way, are from cows not injected with steroids and other grass-fed meats and free range poultry. You can take these home, sure, but ECHOcafe offers dine-in convenience to customers who want to eat out.
Just an FYI: Aside from food products, ECHOstore sells “home cabinet” items like natural remedies (oils, lotions, liniments, aromatherapy) and ECHO-branded organic household cleaning agents. There are four ECHOstores around Metro Manila — Centris in QC, Podium in Mandaluyong, Serendra in Taguig, and Tordesillas in Makati — but only Podium does not have the ECHOCafe.
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