Vegan restaurants have been making their own stand in the metro food scene. Still in the midst of attracting new foodies, Two Chickpeas, along Gamboa street in Makati City, has its own unique twist in Mediterranean veganism that entices customers with their dishes, at the same time promote the importance of zero waste products induced in their restaurant.
Having been around since February 2018, Two Chickpeas has been offering vegan dishes that originally came from a concept in Amsterdam. In an interview with The Benildean, the restaurant’s marketing manager, Luanne Dionisio explained the beginnings of Two Chickpeas.
“This is kinda like Green Bar another restaurant since 2014 in Makati.” Green Bar, owned by the two sisters, Jade and Sarada Santos came up with the concept of Two Chickpeas after a trip from Amsterdam. ”The story was there were two sisters, Fil-Am from California. They started as vegetarians and noticed it was very difficult to find a restaurant from [Alabang to Makati] that’s vegan here in the Philippines,” Dionisio explained.
Green Bar, which is more westernized, according to Dionisio, described Two Chickpeas as a restaurant that had a more original style of Mediterranean veganism. Starting with their Falafel Bowls (Php 290), customers have the freedom in selecting the toppings that would cater to their own personal taste buds; ranging from quinoa salad, creamy tahini cauliflower, sweet potato fries, a tofu-version of tzatziki and hummus. Falafel, which is a dish comprised of deep-fried mashed chickpeas, is known to be their best-selling dish.
Dionisio also said that one of Two Chickpeas’ best-sellers is Seitan Gyro (Php 290). A unique take on vegan shawarma, even meat lovers might mistake the wheat protein used as actual meat. More from their menu are the basic Falafel Pocket (Php 180) which also includes falafel balls with cabbage salad and tomato-cucumber salad, Gyro fries (Php 280), Hummus and Pita (Php 160), and, from their secret menu, Baklava Ciggars, a sweet yet crunchy Filo dessert.
The chef behind all these creations, Alexandria Cordero, graduated from Benilde’s School of Hotel and Restaurant Management. An ID 109 alumna, Cordero shared her insights about veganism as a trend for most chefs especially in the food industry because of its challenging role. “It’s a bit sweet and spicy. Mediterranean taste because of the spices,” she said about the cuisine flavor-wise.
When asked about the uniqueness of Two Chickpeas, Dionisio, as a vegan herself, described the restaurant’s take on an eco-friendly menu.
“Personally, I’ve never seen anything like it. Because aside from the vegan Mediterranean restaurant, we also have a zero-waste bulk store “The Pantry” we just started last October,” she said.
This area provides plant-based products like raw almonds, nutritional yeast flakes, chickpea flour, arabica whole coffee beans, and organic chia seeds ranging from the amount of P0.25 to P2.20 per gram. Foodies are encouraged to have their own containers, but can also avail eco-bags from the restaurant that could have a ton of options.
“You can bring your own jar, your own container, or if you are looking for a gift to a friend or if you want something to snack on. It’s kind of a double deal!” Dionisio expressed.
Two Chickpeas is open from Monday to Saturday (9 a.m. to 10 p.m.), at 115 Gamboa St, Eton Parkview Greenbelt, Legaspi Village, Makati City.
Photos by Denise Paule and Anne Valmeo
