Vegetarians don’t just fancy vegan food for the heck of it. Most of them have come to espouse a higher consciousness that is then translated way into their preferred diet and eating habits. When they crave, it isn’t just for the delicious, but particularly for the healthy foods. So it’s easy to imagine the elation that a vegetarian might feel after discovering TastiHealth.
TastiHealth is the first vegetarian buffet restaurant in the area, serving delicious and healthy food for the delight of health enthusiasts. And somehow it’s become the most talked about places to eat in Silang, Cavite.
Just across Adventist University of the Philippines, along the Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road, TastiHealth quickly got the attention of vegetarians passing the major thoroughfare, many of whom started to make return visits or even went on to frequent the place.
Brightly lit, the mostly white walls of the restaurant are accented with bright orange and green tones that subliminally emit an inherent positive vibe, spelling life, health, joy and wellness. A diet chart posted on one of the walls commandingly blueprints food types and ratios for optimum health, as if the reminder came from the depths of obsession.
Spread out to about a quarter of the total space (where perhaps only about 50 people would fit comfortably), the prized buffet presents a rich assortment of vegetarian dishes. Another table by the wall on the far end displays generous helpings of fruits, salads, desserts, tea, and other novel health foods like Vegetarian Kimbap and Korean Pancakes.
There’s a salad bar, sushi, pasta with white and red sauce, grilled eggplant with salsa, curry, and kare kare—all veganized to a whole new level. There is also a variety of tofu and gluten dishes to choose from. Even the desserts are especially tweaked for the health buff (The glaced sweet potato with chili and tapioca with coco cream are must-try offerings). The tanglad and pandan teas cap a good fill after the healthy smorgasbord. And quite observably, if one can call the experience gastronomic, it usually ends, not so much like a heavy buffet feel, but more like a light and refreshing satisfaction.
The place emanates health, though in a meticulously delicious way. Fruits that are thoughtfully kept fresh, crispy vegetables cooked without using oil, and the commitment to serve all-vegetarian stuff (way to the bagoong)—may all play as elements to define the place, but only to a certain extent, as there is really a more profound inspiration behind TastiHealth.
There’s a good chance the owner, Mrs. Lorna Gabuco, will be at the restaurant at any given workday. Upon first seeing her, one would immediately notice a positive countenance about her, or perhaps it's more of a youthful zest. She'd excitedly talk about health and life, but it wouldn't take a long chat with her to notice that the robustness she projects is not from her petite physique, but seemingly from her core...her soul. This lady is healthy, well-balanced, and lively because of the good that's happening to her from within. Always casting an inviting warmth towards customers, she seldom just oversees the business, but is actually often hands-on, serving and even educating diners on health stuff, or explaining how certain foods are best prepared. She also frequently mentions that the food served at TastiHealth is CHIP-certified. CHIP (Complete Health Improvement Program), according to her, is a revolutionary program meant to augment healthy lifestyle.
Chef Lorna, as some have come to know her, isn’t merely a restaurateur who’s found a profitable niche in serving the vegetarian trend. Personal experiences on the subject of health, and a newfound knowledge resulting from her quest, have given her not only the inspiration, nor just the drive, but the conviction to promote good health through correct eating. This fact becomes more noticeable upon seeing a dedicated nook at the restaurant showcasing health enhancing products as well as inspiring and informative literature. There’s a consistent and conscious effort to even disseminate reading materials for customers to take home if they wish so.
Also, not all who eat here are aware that the restaurant pushes another noble advocacy in its operation. TastiHealth actually employs PWD (persons with disability) and go to lengths to hone them to become efficient, effective, not to mention healthy, workers. Most of the kitchen staff are either deaf or mute. This, perhaps, further cements the impression that Chef Lorna’s well-being really originates from inside her, and thereby manifests as a genuine benevolence in the different facets of her life.
After its launching only last January 18, 2017, the restaurant’s already reaped a good share of buzz and accolades. Clearly, the effort to put up the unique restaurant has already paid off many times over, evidenced in a number of gratifying instances. Many non-vegan diners, for example, who first thought they wouldn’t survive a minute in the restaurant with the “no-meat, no-egg, not even fish” policy, came out loving it and coming back for more. TastiHealth, no doubt, has satisfied, if not amazed, many first-timers who’ll attest they’re only happy to discover the vegetarian buffet which is truly the first of its kind. And for Chef Lorna, succeeding in promoting health; raising people’s awareness on the direct effect of diet on our well-being; and convincing the unhealthy to change their lifestyles and go healthy....is the real profit in this endeavor. TastiHealth's success actually materializes what she's gone out on a limb for in trying to prove...that healthy can certainly be delicious.
In a reaction to a praising comment on TastiHealth’s Facebook page, we can actually read the overall wellness of this exceptional lady’s mind, body and soul as she stated, “It's very interesting and fascinating to have served guests and patrons from all walks of life. TastiHealth is grateful and gleeful for our customers who've chosen to dine with their friends and families. Quality and deliciously healthy foods are indeed integral part of bonding indeed! Thank you for choosing TastiHealth as the rendezvous of your gastronomic experience!”
TastiHealth is open on weekdays except for Saturday. The buffet service is set twice a day. First is lunch, which is from 11:00 am up to 2:00 pm, and then the dinner buffet at 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm
TastiHealth Vegetarian Buffet is along Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road, Puting Kahoy, Silang, Cavite (across Adventist University of the Philippines). For more information, they can be contacted at the ff. mobile nos. 09770153938/ 09192305026. Or their official email: tastihealthvb@gmail.com
