In its third installment, Rej Casanova teams up with vegan Filipino comfort food restaurant Cosmic to churn out plant-based isaw and guilt-free bagnet sisig
“If I live to see the seven wonders, I’ll make a path to the rainbow’s end” sang Stevie Nicks in the 1987 Fleetwood Mac song.
Thirty eight years later on the second floor of The Westin Manila, that end of the rainbow may also have led to the One Dish Wonders live station of Seasonal Tastes’ lunch buffet.
It’s a bold statement, sure, but in the context of Green Mondays, the hotel’s sustainability-driven collaborative effort at its in-house restaurant, it’s a narrative that fits perfectly. Now in its third installment after hosting Burrow Cafe’s Dan Puga and certified raw vegan chef Mia Sison, executive chef Rej Casanova is at it again as he partners with Cosmic Philippines to masterfully transform Filipino comfort food into vegan-friendly gold.
“The goal of this collaboration is to showcase Filipino cuisine, help spread awareness about vegan food, and add more flavorful options for locals and hotel guests who are looking to try healthier alternatives in the buffet,” says Casanova.
It might be hard to comprehend Filipino cuisine as vegan-forward or even simply healthy, largely owing to its popular representation in both local and international media—overly fried, fatty, salty, not enough vegetables, too rich, drenched in sauces, heavily relies on meat, and the list goes on—but look past the “fiesta food” portrayal and dive deeper into Filipino cuisine’s roots and regional gastronomy and you’ll understand that it is actually one heck of a healthy adventure.
The likes of Seasonal Tastes x Cosmic Philippines collaborating for a brief moment documents the reality that Filipino comfort food can still be reimagined and that healthy alternatives do exist outside salads to those who may be looking for them
However this isn’t meant to demonize an indulgent bagnet with bagoong or a sizzling hot plate of sisig. Quite the opposite, really.
The likes of Seasonal Tastes x Cosmic Philippines collaborating for a brief moment documents the reality that Filipino comfort food can still be reimagined and that healthy alternatives do exist outside salads to those who may be looking for them.
“My sister and I have never eaten meat since we were born,” says Cosmic general managing director Lali Balagtas. “Throughout the years, when our family dined out, most local establishments would only offer us salads or okra because they didn’t have anything on their menu that fit our diet.”
This struggle encouraged Balagtas to create an establishment that would serve cuisine that’s aligned with their values yet suits the Filipino palate. Since opening in Poblacion in 2018, Cosmic has expanded its footprint in Kapitolyo, Siargao, and Zamboanga. “Our brand actually grew because we stuck to our roots and that the market found a connection with what we do,” says Balagtas.
And there’s little surprise as to why. In this collaboration, Cosmic’s bestselling vegan offerings get a little Casanova lift with the kind of refinement and consideration that come from a long-standing passion for plant-based cuisine.
In this collaboration, Cosmic’s bestselling vegan offerings get a little Casanova lift with the kind of refinement and consideration that come from a long-standing passion for plant-based cuisine
“I made some enhancements to their recipes, but the true ‘meat’ of these savory dishes are Cosmic’s homemade vegan products such as the Chopped Un’pork, Bagnet, BBQ Isaw, and Chick’un Chunks,” says Casanova. “We want to highlight their creativity and innovation in creating high-quality vegan food products.”
If you want to trace the roots of this collaboration’s creativity, start with relaxed bites of the vegan isaw—which may be a little pliant for some but nonetheless retains the inclinations of chicken intestines—then proceed with the laing bagnet dome before getting to the bangers that pack some heat (gising-gising and crispy chicken with buffalo glaze) and texture (kare-kare with plant-based bagoong and crispy bagnet sisig with plant-based sisig mayonnaise).
The flavors intertwine the worlds of health and abundance without really making a foray into excessive territory. These small plates are the type that burrows into your palate to paint a picture that stereotypical perceptions of healthy eating don’t usually equate to deficiencies—protein, flavor, or whatnot.
Among these savory standouts however is a luscious gem from Balagtas herself: an eggless and dairy-free “egg” pie that plays with contrasts—it has a silky and citrusy Basque cheesecake-like custard contained within a hard crust that harks back to Filipino panaderya egg pies.
Simple but effective and ends the collaboration on a high “Seven Wonders” note.
One of Fleetwood Mac’s most iconic songs references a past love affair that cannot be compared to the Seven Wonders of the World but this seven-dish collaboration of Seasonal Tastes and Cosmic Philippines comes awfully close to recreating that feeling.
The Seasonal Tastes x Cosmic Philippines collaboration will be featured every Monday from March 10 to April 14, 2025 at the One Dish Wonders live station of Seasonal Tastes’ lunch buffet. Book a table via https://qrco.de/GreenMondaysXCosmic.