Filipino Eatery Ditches Meat and Dairy to Go Vegan

As of Friday, Daly City, CA-based eatery Nick’s Kitchen removed all animal products from its menu in order to go completely vegan. Owners Reina Montenegro and Kenny Annis described the previous iteration of the Filipino-inspired Nick’s Kitchen as a “heavy meat-serving restaurant” and decided to take the eatery in a different direction. “We felt it was time to prove that you don’t have to suffer to eat like a vegan,” Montenegro and Annis said. “Food is a comfort, and it should be medicine for the body and the mind. And because we incorporate the recipes we all love, meat-eaters will be pleasantly surprised, and vegans will be thrilled.” The new menu features more than 30 plant-based dishes, including American comfort food classics such as meatloaf with mashed potatoes, greens and gravy, pot pie, chicken barbecue, crab cakes, and ribs. The owners also pay homage to Nick’s Kitchen original founders—who were of Filipino origin—with dishes such as “longsilog” (a cured sweet vegan pork sausage with tofu scramble and garlic rice) and “Puto Maya at Tsokolate,” which features sweet rice with Filipino cacao. “There’s no worry about vegan food fried in the same oil as meat dishes,” the owners said. “At Nick’s Kitchen, everything is plant-based, so you’re free to enjoy yourself.” The restaurant will also host daily vegan cooking classes.