Healthy Organic Goodness at SugarLeaf

I’ve passed by SugarLeaf along Wilson many a times but always wondered what they served, being quite intriguied by the tag line “foods that nourish”. The space used to be Butchie’s Recipes, that sold stuff from Butchie’s in Pampanga as well as some organic produce.

I had previously met one of the owners, Angelo Songco, at a workshop held at SugarLeaf but I was not able to sample their food then. When Angelo contacted me again to invite me to sample their food offerings, I readily agreed but there was a little trepidation about healthy foods thinking they all tasted like “grass”. I asked Angelo if Irene could tag along (to suffer with me in case it was what I expected), and he agreed saying “so you can try more of the food”.

Arriving at SugarLeaf, the first things that will catch your eyes is the Healthy Picks section selling local organic produce as well as naturally produced organic products.

All of their produce are sourced from the LaTop (La Trinidad Organic Practitioners) Multipurpose Coop farmers in Benguet. The coop has a stamp from OCCP (Organic Certification Council of the Philippines), ensuring that all their produce is all organic even the fertilizers. I was surprised to see some fruits and vegetables that are not common locally like passion fruit and brussel sprouts available alongside the common carrots, lettuce, potatoes and others. These are all organically grown here, and we were told that they even have blueberries when they were in season, a few months ago.

The main dining area had a couple of tables in front of the large counter, with a suspended black board above. I like the idea but I found the chalk colors so light that I was straining to read them, don’t know if its just my tired old eyes.

We started the meal with a Mango Kefir Smoothie (P100), made with Goody Kefir. Kefir is a fermented milk drink that is said to more nutritious and therapeutic than yogurt. The mango smoothie was very thick and we could really taste the mango but with something slightly sweet and sour at the end. Their smoothies are also available in 500ml and 1 liter bottles.

Pasta with Mango (P80+P50). The pasta is fresh fettuccine infused with organic vegetables, in this case lettuce and served with organic pesto.  The dish looked weird but we summoned up our courage and digged in. The pasta was so delicious that I could not believe this was healthy and organic to boot. Even the light yellow colored mangoes were very sweet while the pesto was not too overpowering. The two slices of bread on the side were tough though, the only thing I could nitpick about with the dish.

Iberico Joselito Belota Chorizo Sandwich (P200). Irene was so happy when they brought this one out, she loves Jamon Iberico. The chorizo they use are the finest black Iberian pigs whose diet consist of only acorn (“belota“), they contain low bad cholesterol and are mildly spiced with paprika. One bite of the bread and we knew they were using the large wheat pandesal of  Pan de Amerikana’s branch  across the street. I got only one bite of the sandwich before Irene took it away.

Smoked Tilapia Goody Wrap (P130). Lettuce, cucumber and smoked tilapia rolled in a wheat tortilla and topped off with Goody Kefir dressing, served chilled. This replaced their Tuna filling option on the menu. I appreciated that they already cut them up and inserted toothpicks for easy eating. This is another surprising dish that had us licking our lips to take in more of the wonderful Goody Kefir dressing. The smoked tilapia had a strong smoky, salty flavor but this was tempered by the sweetish kefir dressing. The lettuce and cucumber were crunchy and tasted fresh.

We had wanted to get some of the dressing to bring home, but was informed they will last for 2 weeks only, wish they sold it in smaller bottles.

To cap off the meal, Kalabasa Sorbetes (P100), squash ice cream from Butchie’s. I love squash as a vegetable dish and even in soups but this is something new for me. Irene commented that it tasted like sweet potato (kamote) more than squash.

I’m sure we’ll be back for more of the pasta and wraps at SugarLeaf. They really opened my taste buds to food that is not only healthy but delicious also.

SugarLeaf is one stop shop that offers great food and organic produce daily under one roof. They also offer interesting talks and workshops, check out SugarLeaf’s website for more details.

SugarLeaf …. Foods that Nourish
G/F Health Cube Bldg..
226 Wilson St., San Juan
385.0387
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