Where Can Health-Conscious Foodies Go in Tomas Morato?

Tomas Morato Avenue has been known as a popular dining destination in Quezon City for decades. With lots of restaurants in the 1.6 km stretch offering different types of cuisines and many with buffet-type services and amazing desserts for the win, the place is any foodie’s heaven! But dieters and health or environmentally conscious eaters can also join the fun in Tomas Morato. Here are six restaurants in the area that serve a wide variety of healthy food options and have received good reviews from non-dieters too.

Nomnomnom Happy Food is a place to enjoy comfort food and healthy eating. Its menu is filled with vegetarian food (70% of their menu is vegetarian, as mentioned in the Nomnomnom’s blog) and healthy meat choices (because we know meat is not always bad for the health and meat consumption depends on one’s health goals, i.e., protein intake requirements). It’s easy to identify which dishes are vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Each dish in the menu comes with a list of its ingredients and is punctuated with either a star icon (), which stands for bestseller, or a leaf () icon which means vegetarian food. Many vegetarian dishes are also bestsellers. Those items without any icon are non-veg.

Famous for its pizza logs, (pizzas here are not round, but rectangular), Nomnomnom offers five vegetarian pizzas with Talong and Lasting Love (P280) and Sundried Tomato Pizza (P310) as most loved. Other foods in the menu are soups, salads, nom raviolis, and pastas. There are also rice meals comprised of chicken, squid, and salmon (no pork or beef here!). Must-trys are the Pizza Margherita, made of freshly made dough, mozzarella, fresh basil, and tomatoes, good for 2 to 3 persons at P260, and Summer Salad with leafy greens, tomatoes, green apples, onions, cream cheese, and sunflower nuts with generous amount of honey mustard dressing at P180.

A few tips: The space is quite small and there are limited seats so arrive early, or, if you can, avoid going there during peak hours usually after office and weekends. Prices are exclusive of 5% service charge.

Location: 3rd Floor, POS Bldg., Scout Madriñan, cor. E. Rodriguez St., Tomas Morato, Q.C. If you are coming from Quezon Avenue to Timog Avenue, turn left at the Boy Scout Circle and then another left at the first corner when you pass by Fleur de Lys. Beside it is the POS Bldg., a three-storey brick building, where Nomnomnom is located.

Store Hours: Sunday to Thursday = 12 noon to 10 PM; Friday and Saturday = 12 noon to 1 AM

Love green tea? Then you will surely love Kozui! Choose from its selection of Lemon Green Teaz (P80 for Tall size, P90 for Grande) and Fruit Teaz (P90 for Tall, P100 for Grande); both freshly brewed, iced, and sweetened. But must-trys are the Matcha Cream Korichio (P120 for Tall, P130 for Grande), which is the traditional matcha recipe ice-blended with milk, flavored with fruits, and topped with whipped cream, and the yummy Frozen Green Tea with green tea jelly (it’s 98% fat free!) which will surely fill your craving for the green tea taste and the amazing health benefits that green tea brings.

Healthy snacks are also available such as the Karaage Chicken Vegetable Wrap (another must-try!) at P170 and Fresh Spring Rolls at P120.

Location: 258 B. Tomas Morato Ave., cor. Sct. Fernandez, Laging Handa, Quezon City. If you are coming from Quezon Avenue/Timog Avenue, turn right. Sct. Fernandez is the third street. Kozui is at the left side of the avenue. If you see Baang Coffee, you are on the right path.

Store Hours: 9 AM to 12 midnight

“No meat, no fish, and no eggs” says the menu of Greens Vegetarian Restaurant and Café. So if you are craving for popular Filipino dishes such as “Fish” Relleno, “Beef” and Broccoli, “Chicken” with Mushroom Sauce, Sisig, Adobo, or Kare-kare, but want to avoid meat, Greens is the perfect place for you. They have vegan versions of the aforementioned dishes which means those meat products in double quotation marks are made of vegetable products but cooked to resemble the taste and texture of the original thing. Also available are vegan versions for barbecue, burgers, and “ham” wraps and sandwiches. Partner your veggie meals with freshly squeezed Dayap juice at P60.00 then finish with an eggless, dairy-free Chocolate Cake at P70.00, and your Greens dining experience is complete (though definitely worth doing all over again)!

A few tips: Greens also serve pastas at P80 for regular size serving and Combo Meals for P120.00. You can also have a side order of brown rice although it isn’t listed in the menu.

Location: 92 Scout Castor Street, near Tomas Morato, Laging Handa, Quezon City. If you are coming from Quezon Avenue to Timog Avenue, turn right when you see the Boy Scout Circle. Scout Castor is the ninth street. Turn right when you see the Amber Golden Bowl across Books and Border. Greens is at the left side about two blocks from the corner. Entrance is at Scout Castor Street although you can pass through an open lot at Don A. Roces.

Store Hours: Mondays to Saturdays = 11 AM to 10 PM; Sundays = 12 PM to 9 PM

Healthy desserts should not be confined to plain fruits. At least, that’s what Everyday Mom cupcakes shop seems to be telling us and for that we love you Everyday Mom! Their cakes, cupcakes, and cookies are made keeping in mind what’s healthy and safe for kids (and adults too!). That’s why Everyday Mom uses only natural ingredients such as unbleached flour, aluminum-free baking soda and baking powder, seasalt, and natural flavors. Popular goodies include Butter-free Brownies (P40 to P50 per bar), Butter-free Cookies (P200 per pack), Cupcakes, (P40 to P55) Moist Cakes, (P450 to P1200), Banana Bread (P190 per loaf), and even chilled desserts such as Pandan Salad and Coffee Jelly (both at P160).

Location: 105D Scout Castor, Tomas Morato, Quezon City. Everyday Mom is at the same street as Greens Vegetarian Restaurant and Café. It is on the right side just a few steps walk from the corner after Amber Golden Bowl.

Store Hours: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Obviously, as indicated in the restaurant’s name, Runner’s Kitchen PH in Tomas Morato Avenue came to being to serve as a dining place for runners, athletes, yogis, or anyone who happens to be in the northern side of Manila and want to have an energy-boosting, healthy meal. Must-Trys include the Yogi’s Breakfast (Vegan Longganisa, Roasted Garlic Black Rice, Zucchini & Squash Nuggets & Sinamak Vinegar) at P300, Black Rice Champorado with Crispy Dilis & Cacao Nibs at P150.00 and Prawns and Quinoa with Sun Dried Tomato Sauce at P375.00.

Location: Ground Floor, Creekside Square, Tomas Morato Avenue, Kamuning, Quezon City. It’s better to take E. Rodriguez than Timog Avenue. Runner’s Kitchen PH is near Parkway Avenue.

Store Hours: 8 AM to 8 PM

We’ve all heard the phrase “juice your way to good health.” So it’s quite not surprising that Jamba Juice is also a good stop for the health-conscious consumers. Jamba Juice has 14 stores in Metro Manila and one is at Sct. Fuentebella, Tomas Morato Avenue.

Their offerings include Classic Smoothies (whole fruits and/or juices blended with frozen yogurt and/or sherbet) at P140 for 16oz, All-Fruit Smoothies (combination of at least three fruits blended with juice, non-dairy and non-soy) at P155 for 16oz., Boosted Smoothies (whole fruit and juice infused with vitamins) at P155 for 16oz., Creamy Smoothies (frozen yogurt and sherbet/juice) at P155 for 16oz., and Fruit and Veggie Smoothies (combination of at least three fruits and/or veggies blended with juice) at P180 for 16oz.

Location: Tomas Morato cor Sct. Fuentebella, Quezon City. If you are coming from the Boy Scout Circle, Jamba Juice is at the right side of the Avenue, just before you turn right to Sct. Fuentebella.

Store Hours: Sundays to Mondays = 9AM to 1AM