This popular resto just introduced a Filipino menu, and it is amazing

Green Pastures is hands-down one of my favorite restaurants in Metro Manila (definitely in my top 3). I remember trying their menu for the first time in Shangri-la Mall and almost immediately I fell in love with its healthy offerings and unique flavors. It is one of the few farm-to-table restaurants available to us that truly offers healthy alternatives to our food. I’ve been a fan of this resto before I got into the Ketogenic diet and even way before I learned about the importance of eating healthy, wholesome food (so you can imagine how much more I love the place now). It is my go-to resto for meetings, get-togethers and simply, when I’m hungry and want to eat clean and healthy. And no miss, I always feel satisfied and happy after dining here.

To those of you who don’t know, Green Pastures is a back-to-basics, organic restaurant conceptualized by Chef Robby Goco, Executive Chef and owner of Cyma Group of restaurants and newly-launched modern Greek restaurant, Souv! I’ve always loved the food of Cyma, and I recently did a review on Souv! (you can read about it HERE), and have to say, I really appreciate how Keto-friendly their menus are (they serve a lot of grilled meats and salads). I usually worry about eating out because it is difficult to find out exactly what is in my food, but when I dine in any of these restos I don’t need to think twice. Most especially in Green Pastures as they’ve really made that extra effort to make everything from scratch (no extenders, artificial flavors, MSG, and frozen food), they use organic ingredients (no hormones, antibiotics or pesticides), and they use healthy alternatives for everything (they use amino acids instead of soy sauce, and coco sugar instead of refined sugar/table sugar). You would think these little things don’t make a difference in your diet, well, think again. You know that bloated, impatso or even sleepy feeling you get when you eat in certain restaurants? Well, it’s because of all these “little” add ons here and there. I love that I do not get this feeling after dining in Green Pastures–most times, I even feel energized and happy!

So, okay. The big news is that Green Pastures recently launched a modified Filipino menu, and it really is quite amazing. I don’t think I have encountered another establishment that serves organic Filipino food–usually our cuisine is the oiliest, sauciest, with the most sugar. Well, for those of us who don’t want that, we have a cleaner alternative that doesn’t sacrifice flavor or taste. The Baby Barangay moms tested it out and yes, it is all true. This newest Filipino offerings are flavorful and delicious–all while using wholesome guilt-free ingredients (seriously, compliments to Chef Robby for being able to find the perfect balance between amazing taste and wholesome ingredients). Thanks to him, we now have new things to try like Shrimp in Sweet Potato Fritters (Ukoy), Jackfruit Kare-Kare, and Naaaaaks! Fried Chicken (which I found our is fried in duck fat–YUM). Of course, they still have our favorite cauliflower bowls, burgers and salads, because we love them!

Scroll down to see what we ate and which ones were hits with the Baby Barangay.

To start, we tried the Ceviche and Roast Pork (Sinuglaw). This was mouthwateringly good! It was made from marinated Yellow Fin Tuna, tasty nose-to-tail Pork Sisig, Tagalog chilies, homemade pickled onions and lime. A must-order!

Also, we tried the Shrimp and Sweet Potato Fritters (Ukoy) and Steamed Clams (Binakol). I loved the Ukoy, as it reminded me of a Pinoy version of tempura, but denser and tastier. The Binakol had a light and clean taste (for breastfeeding mommas, you this is so good for you as it also has malunggay).

Then we were offered cold-pressed specialty juices which were so refreshing. I liked the green one–TO PURIFY, as it contained the most vegetables.

We tried almost everything on the Main Course menu, and one of our favorites was Naaaks! Fried Chicken. This is crispy organic chicken fried in duck fat for added flavor. It is served with the most incredible sweet potato fries that were just as memorable as the chicken. If you have to try something from this new menu, it’s this! The chicken was perfectly crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Two more must-try dishes: you have to try the Jackfruit Kare-Kare (to bring out the vegetarian in you) and the Crispy Beef Ribs (Tadyang). Okay, first the Jackfruit Kare-Kare, because is it just has a home-made delicious taste but super clean and healthy because its just vegetables (and bagoong, of course). The jackfruit or langka surprisingly has the same texture as beef boiled for hours and hours, so this is a win! Oh, and can we just take a minute to talk about the Tadyang?! This is made from beef ribs that have been boiled for 24 hours so it is super tender, then fried to give that crispy outer layer. Haha, I know, I totally paired a vegetarian and a beef dish, and it doesn’t make sense. You must try both (unless you’re vegetarian)!

I will forever be a fan of Green Pastures’ cauliflower rice bowls, and this latest addition is just wow. Meet Bagoong Cauliflower Rice–made with garlicky homemade shrimp paste, grass-fed beef tapa, green mango, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, house pickled onion, scrambled egg, and cilantro. This is a meal on its own, but also the best alternative to rice since you are having all this ulam! Then, there’s the Yellow Adobo (Adobong Dilaw), which is apparently a Goco Family heirloom recipe. It made made with pork and chicken, garlic, coconut vinegar, turmeric, five-minute free range duck egg, and come with a choice of garlic-quinoa kale or basmati rice.

If you’re a fan of Chicken Inasal from Bacolod, well, you have to try this healthy version of Chicken Inasal at Green Pastures. It is made without soy sauce and sugar, if you can believe it, and it is just as flavorful. I actually ordered another one to go because I loved it so much.

For dessert, the girls and I were treated to incredibly fluffy and buttery Gluten-Free Bibingka. We were super full at this point, but couldn’t resist not having dessert. And this, this is so worth the cheat! We all agreed this was one of the best bibingkas we’ve had in a long time, and we couldn’t get over the fact that its gluten-free. Chef Robby, you’re a genius!

And an interesting take on Ginataan, is this Chia Seed Pudding topped with Toasted Coconut. It tasted exactly like ginataan, but it was very light. I had it with a turmeric-black pepper tea concoction that was made by Chef Robby as I was nursing a cold that time. Let me tell you, it super worked! And all you need to do is boil fresh turmeric, for about 10-15 minutes and add freshly cracked black pepper to the tea along with a bit of honey.

The Baby Barangay moms had an incredible meal, thanks to Green Pastures! We super appreciate that Chef Robby was there to host the lunch and explain the dishes one by one. We will surely be back for more.