There are only a handful vegan places you could try in Manila so Susi: The Key to Sustainable Living quickly got our attention.


Evident from the facade, Susi has an interesting interior design.


Inside there's a organic shop where we bought some Kale Chips by Take Root which we always buy whenever we see it.

There's a bar and a table for two.  As you can see from the outside, there's a glassed al fresco dining


We were led to the dining area upstairs.



Even the washing area looks exquisite.



The soft yellow lighting, wooden tables and pillow-filled lofts made the place look so cozy.



It's as if we're inside a quaint cabin home.


I even like the table pieces.  I really liked their menu.  It has an intro on veganism, gluten and items have indicators for being soy-free, corn-free, nut-free, protein-packed and sugar-free.

Food
For me there are two kinds of vegan.  One that uses raw foods and the other that makes use of soy-products.  I'm glad that Susi is the former.  I'm totally into Susi's concept which is meat-free, dairy-free, egg-free and cruelty-free.  And, they make everything from scratch.
 
Salads

♥ Lentil Provencal (375 php)

Because we love kale, we ordered the Lentil Provencal.  The taste is very simple and light.  You could taste every component: lentil, kale, sweet potatoes, candied beets and mushroom.   I also liked the contrast of the crunchy kale with the slightly mushy lentils, sweet potatoes and beets.   This was good for us but I think those who are used to the usual salads might find it lacking.

Soups

♥ Thom(ato) Yorke (225 php)

I have to admit, I hate the earthy taste of red beets so I really liked that the Thom(ato) Yorke tasted dominantly of roasted tomato that masked the taste of beets.  The gluten-free toast was better than I expected.  It was not dry nor rough.

Mains

♥ Sea Shepherd's Pie (345 php)

I've tried non-vegan shepherd's pie before so this vegan version was interesting.

♥ Sea Shepherd's Pie (345 php)

The Sea Shepherd's Pie tuned out to be the highlight of our dinner.  The mashed potato was so soft and creamy.  The veggie filling was delicious!

Pasta

♥ The Autumnal (415 php)

The Autumnal is spiced to pique the appetite.  It also had olives, sun-dried tomatoes, capers and crumbled tofu mushroom that made it a quite lively pasta dish.

Sandwiches

♥ El Chimichurri (475 php)

I have to say that the El Chimichurri is the most innovative burger that I've tried yet. And for that alone, it is worth ordering.  Taste-wise I liked the the beet was clean tasting.  The cream cheese, pico de gallo and chimichurri combined gave enough umami flavor to complement the beet.  However, I didn't like the barely solid pattie and the bun was too dry and hard.  The sweet potato wedges and dip is addicting though.

♥ El Chimichurri (475 php)

As you can see the bun is like a scone which I'm not a fan of. 

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
If you're accustomed to enjoying the light and natural taste of vegetables like I do, you will appreciate Susi.  It's a healthy and refreshing meal for me.  But if you're used to the saucy and savory dishes, you might find the food here to be a bit bland or flat.  Price is a bit steep but I don't think there's any place you can go for the same experience.