Our Story
Comfort food, forgetting nothing but the meat
Forget Meat! started with a simple question: why should going plant-based mean giving up the Filipino comfort food we grew up on?
How We Started
Built by people who missed home cooking, not meat
Forget Meat! began in a small home kitchen in Quezon City, where our founder was experimenting with plant-based versions of the dishes she grew up eating — tapsilog on a busy morning, sinigang on a rainy afternoon, palabok at every birthday party.
What started as weekend meal prep for friends turned into a waitlist, then a small stall, and eventually our first proper dining room in BGC. The mission never changed: take the Filipino comfort food everyone already loves, and rebuild it to be kinder to animals and the planet — without asking anyone to compromise on flavor.
“Our mission is simple — prove that plant-based Filipino food can be just as rich, just as comforting, and just as crave-able as the dishes it's inspired by.”
Renz Villanueva, Founder & Head Chef
Sustainability
Kinder to the planet, on purpose
Going plant-based is already a meaningful step. We build on it in a few concrete ways.
Compostable Packaging
Every takeout container, cup, and utensil is compostable or recyclable — because a plant-based meal shouldn't come wrapped in plastic.
Lower Water Footprint
Plant-based cooking uses a fraction of the water that meat production does. Every dish we serve is a small dent in that number.
Local, Seasonal Sourcing
We buy produce from local Filipino farmers and markets whenever we can, cutting down on food miles and supporting local agriculture.
Our Philosophy
Plant-based first, everything else second
Every recipe starts from the plant, not from trying to replace something. We season, layer, and cook the way Filipino kitchens always have — this time, the whole menu happens to be vegan.
The Team
Meet the people behind the kitchen
Renz Villanueva
Founder & Head Chef
Camille Aquino
Co-Founder & Operations
Josh Mendoza
Kitchen Lead
Trisha Bautista
Guest Experience Lead