THE CEBUANO’S ‘HEALTHY BURGER’ LIST
Aburger is considered one of the world’s universal comfort foods. Traditionally, it is made up of a bun that sandwich a juicy beef patty. The burger has evolved through the years and various versions of the all- time favorite snack ( adding cheese, vegetables, special sauces and toppings) have captured the hearts of many.
With the evolution of food also comes the evolution of diets, some of which put restrictions on the intake of certain types of food products. Vegetarianism, for example, practices abstaining from meat and sometimes even animal by-products. So what did people do? They came up with a burger that did not have any meat and thought up of creative ways to substitute it so that everyone could still have a chance to enjoy the good ol’ burger.
As a shout-out to all vegetarian and vegetarian-curious Cebuanos, #SunStarLIVE has this list of three places in Cebu where you can get your hands on the “healthy and green” rendition of the ever-so, handy-dandy burger:
Fat Cow
As the one and only vegetarian burger on its menu, Fat Cow’s Earth Burger features a special falafel patty that entices taste buds with a unique blend of raw garbanzo beans and exotic spices. This is coated in sunflower seeds to offer an exciting combination of textures and tastes. Sandwiched between two freshly baked bread buns (with a choice of white or wheat), the patty is accompanied by fresh vegetables and Fat Cow’s very own secret recipe of special sauces made up of roasted red bell peppers and aioli.
“We got feedback from other people to make a vegetarian burger, to have a healthier option,” said Mariles Nable, entrepreneur and mother, who first thought of creating a veggie burger when her daughters started becoming vegetarians. “We were trying to come up with a vegetarian patty and we tried many versions—we didn’t want to do anything artificial like veggie meat. Then we came up with the falafel patty. A falafel patty has all those nice Middle Eastern flavors, and it’s really nice with a garlic sauce and a pepper sauce. All our ingredients are fresh.”
Café Georg
Café Georg has two veggie burgers available on its menu. There’s the Marinated Tofu Burger, which features strips of marinated tofu, tomatoes, cucumber and lettuce in a bed of hummus and creamy sesame dressing. And there’s the Barbeque Quinoa and Black Bean Burger which is completely vegan and boasts a vegan patty (made from quinoa, black beans, sunflower seeds, celery, onion and paprika), tomatoes, jicama and lettuce on a bed of hummus and barbecue sauce. Both burgers are served with a side of garden salad—a combination of which is perfect for those looking for both a hearty and good-for-the-heart meal.
“I had to imagine what would taste good, provide the right texture and have good nutritional value while being plantbased,” said restaurant-owner Bunny Alcordo. “People have different dietary needs and I want to be able to cater beyond the normal or usual offerings.”
Echo Café
Three veggie burgers grace the menu of Echo Café. The first contender is a unique Banana Heart Burger which has a patty made of “puso ng saging.” The second is a Mushroom Burger made of mixed mushrooms, and the last is the Tofu Burger made of fresh tofu. Each patty is sandwiched between two buns of whole wheat malunggay bread and is served with a side salad and chips. How’s that for a treat?