Finally, there is a place where great food and wellness come together.
Organico Gourmet, the newest restaurant along San Juan-Mandaluyong area that offers healthy options but also, great tasting menu. Located in what used to be a house, Organico Gourmet serves reasonably-priced organic dishes in a very home-y environment. According to Organico Gourmet’s Executive Chef Gloria de Vera, the story of how she came up with the idea for it is an interesting, and at the same time, highly personal one.
“It was my youngest daughter who inspired me into putting up this place,” relates Chef Gloria. Her daughter, then 12 years old, battled weight problems because of a fondness for food, particularly steak (which she would eat up to three times a week), ice cream and junk food.
“That motivated me as a mom and as a chef, kung ano ba ang puwede ko gawin to help her,” she added.
So Chef Gloria started experimenting: she researched different diet plans on the Internet and finally ended up putting her daughter on the South Beach diet, which made her lose an initial ten pounds. The weight loss made her realize the value of eating smart and healthy; after that, she started eating more fish and chicken and became a semi-vegetarian, which means her diet included milk, soya and eggs aside from vegetables. In a year, she lost 30 pounds. Now, at 16 years old, she weighs a very trim and healthy 115 pounds.
It all boils down to eating good food and making healthy choices—something that Chef Gloria and her team at Organico Gourmet live by. But a big part of their effort is dedicated to making people realize that healthy food can also be tasty and delicious. “A lot of people think that just because it’s healthy and organic, that it can’t be delicious,” says Chef Gloria.
Organico Gourmet’s menu is divided into breakfast, appetizers, soup, salad, rice bowls, seafood, chicken, pork, pasta (fettuccine or spaghetti), pizza, sandwiches and dessert.
Their offerings includes the following:
Steak au’ Poivre— Bite into a savory steak of Angus rib eye breaded with cracked peppers and smothered in brown sauce.
Filleto ala Organico – Banish your hunger with an Angus rib eye steak seasoned with sea salt and served alongside marbled potatoes and caramelized onion and red wine demiglace.
Sardines Pizza – Try this treat of oil-based sauce along with sardine flakes straight from our indoor super grocer, black and green olives, organic mushrooms, and roasted bell peppers.
Rice Bowls
Spicy Tofu Rice Bowl – Excite your tastebuds with a soy-based meal of brown rice, silken tofu, and black beans.
Panang Gai in Black Rice – Paint your palate with our special homemade red curry and savor the herbs and spices bathed in organic chicken breasts served with steaming organic black rice.
Chiu Chow Fish in Red Rice – Steamed sole lish, black beans, and earthy sesame oil all in one dish filled with rich organic red rice.
Sandwiches
Organico Gourmet Burger – Highlight your day with our signature burger of ground grass-fed angus rib eye beer: freshly sliced organic salad tomatoes, crisp organic lettuce, and aged cheese.
Mushroom Burger – Make your taste buds explode with our special organic mushroom-filled burger served mouth wateringly hot.
Banhmi – Had a long day? Dig into this delicious sandwich of grilled organic chicken, liver pate, pickled organic vegetables, and various Asian herbs, all in freshly baked baguette.
Agnew Oyster Fritters – Decadent oysters served with crisp and fresh organic iceberg or organic lettuce and garlic kefir.
Fried Cauli Florettes – Crispy organic cauli florettes done tempura-style and given a generous helping of rich garlic kefir.
Smoked Fish Croquettes – Locally loved tinapa with a musky smoked flavor and seasoned with fresh sea salt in tangy mustard cream sauce.
Stuffed Mushrooms – Delicious mushrooms bursting with goat cheese, gruyere, and bread crumbs cooked salamander-style.
Oyster Fritters – Decadent oysters served with crisp and fresh organic iceberg or organic lettuce and garlic kefir.
Fried Cauli Florettes – Crispy organic cau/i florettes done tempura-style and given a generous helping of rich garlic kefir.
Smoked Fish Croquettes- Locally loved tinapa with a musky smoked liavor and seasoned with fresh sea salt in tangy mustard cream sauce.
Stuffed Mushrooms- Delicious mushrooms bursting with goat cheese, gruyere, and bread crumbs cooked salamander-style
Soups
Minestrone – Rich and warm fuss/ll vegetable soup. A perfect partner for the palate.
Three-Mushroom Cream Soup – Shiitake, oyster, and button mushrooms together in a bowl of creamy soup served hot.
Roasted Pumpkin Soup – Special squash fresh from the organic farms of Benguet turned into delicious soup topped with sour cream to give it that blend—in-your—mouth flavor.
Salads
Mixed Greens with Roasted Sesame Dressing – Crisp and fresh vegetables given that special zing with our roasted sesame dressing Mixed
Greens with Truffle Balsamic Vinaigrette – Fresh all-organic vegetables in a one-of-a—kind dressing of truffie oil mixed in other healthy ingredients for a veggie experience you’ll be pining for.
Goi Ga – Indulge in layer after layer with this tower salad made of various fresh organic vegetables and shredded organic chicken given a helping of Special nutty dressing.
Dessert
Mango Pudding with Chia Seeds – Reward yourself with an unbelievably sweet blend of smooth Philippine mangoes nestled in heaven/y chi/led whipped cream with marinated chia seeds.
Sweet Potato S’mores – Indulge in sinfully delectable combination of sweet potatoes topped on graham cuts with a touch of cinnamon and honey.
Coconut Pannacotta – Our own version of the classic French pannacotta served beside pineapple hinted with vanilla and topped with roasted desiccated coconuts for that one-of-a—kind dessert experience.
The dishes are priced at about P300.00 and up, but the portions are generous and can be shared.
Organico Gourmet also carries cold-press juices made from organic and natural ingredients that are 80 percent vegetables and 20 percent fruits.
It’s the same kind of menu you would find in any other fine dining restaurant, but the difference is that Organico Gourmet’s dishes are made with all-natural ingredients. The food and ingredients are pesticide-free, hand-grown and non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organism). Even the meat dishes use meat coming from animals that are grass-fed or eat feed not treated with pesticides or anything that could be potentially harmful to one’s health.
“That’s why our motto is ‘Deliciously Organic’. We want to show people that organic food can also be delicious, and it’s healthy too,” explains Chef Gloria. Thus, Organico Gourmet is not only a place open to vegetarians, but caters to just about any palate.
The food is served in a very charming, country-inspired setting with wooden tables and chairs and decorative items that makes one feel instantly relaxed. The interiors of Organico Gourmet were designed by Anton Bermudo. The other member of their team is Waw Manlapaz, who is in charge of Organico Gourmet’s creative marketing.
Organico Gourmet also has a market or deli where you can buy organically-grown produce and meat, dips and sauces, chips and other snacks and condiments. You can also buy fresh herbs there.
Another attraction of Organico Gourmet is their personalized meal program costing P1,500 per day and consisting of breakfast, lunch, dinner, two snacks and juices which they can deliver.
Organico Gourmet aims to ignite a healthy dining revolution in the country. For reservations, inquiries and meal plan deliveries, call +639173790888. You can also check out their Facebook page at @organicogourmet88, their Instagram account (ORGANICO_GOURMET)or email them at [email protected].