As someone with the liberty to eat anything and everything, Vergara-Tupas is not easily impressed by plant-based alternatives. She is thoroughly familiar with the decadence of fresh mozzarella, and the tenderness of a perfectly cooked scallop—so if a guest is to enthusiastically opt for a plant-based dish, it must meet, if not surpass the standards she holds for any restaurant, plant-based or otherwise. It is not enough for it to be plant-based, it must be compellingly delicious. “What’s great about this way of eating is that it isn’t about the elimination of something, but the addition of more vegetables to our plates,” Vergara-Tupas proclaims. “My family eats anything, and I tell you, we are a family who enjoys food a lot!” She continues, “We don’t need to be fully plant-based to begin enjoying the benefits of eating more plants. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing!” 

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Her culinary calling formed organically (no pun intended). After a brief stint in hotels, a 10-year run in clothing and retail, and establishing a pet wellness and grooming salon called One Fab Pooch that continues to thrive to this day, the mother of three found herself in the kitchen ideating healthier meal options for her kids. Pleased with her daily experiments, she did what any reasonable person would do and posted her creations on Instagram. “It started as a bottle of green juice from the kitchen counter,” Vergara-Tupas recalls. “I had no intentions of selling, I just shared recipes on social media and people asked to order. Then they asked for salads.” Word got out, and the influx of requests proved too persistent to ignore—and soon, happy customers began requesting for 21-day meal plans. That’s when Vergara-Tupas decided to go to Bali and earn her Raw Vegan Chef Certification.

“I felt accountable,” reveals Vergara-Tupas. “There is something truly magical about building brands that transform and lead people to healthier eating. I believe being led to this direction is all part of a bigger purpose.” While she acts as the founder, creative director, and recipe developer of her four brands, she leaves the title of “chef” to Uno, who helms the kitchens with his classical culinary training. “I’ve been told that to some cooks, plant-based cuisine entails much unlearning—not relying on animal products, dairy, butter, or the usual techniques. This can be quite a challenge for an experienced cook, or a classically trained chef,” Vergara-Tupas explains. “Fortunately, for me, as someone who does not have any culinary background, this became an edge. I rely simply on intuition, so everything comes a little more naturally.”

See also: Career change: how two renowned chefs left banking for culinary adventures

Her partnership with Uno, who comes from a drastically different culinary background, has proven fruitful. “It’s an exciting and healthy kind of work culture we have learned to embrace,” the mother shares. “I tend to be more on the creative side of things, and my strength lies in being able to build on really complex flavours with very simple ingredients. Uno on the other hand is really good with techniques and proper execution. He has very good kitchen management skills, he has command over the team and gets to push the team for excellence even under pressure.” Her husband, Jun, has his finger in the family pie as well, leading the brands’ finance and business development. “Jun is very meticulous and has the perfect eye for the smallest details, which is very important for a restaurateur,” she notes. “It’s a perfect work formula, in my opinion.”

Read more: How to build a family business that lasts

Today, the Vergara-Tupas team serves plant-powered food to over 500 individuals daily across their many locations around Davao, but the journey was not without its challenges. Their first venture, Soul Kitchen Co Grab & Go, was a difficult concept to grasp for many. Vergara-Tupas recounts, “It took extra effort to explain what a grab-and-go concept was all about: ready-to-eat healthy meals that are faster than fast food. Convenience was the key to getting more people to eat healthy.” Cooking delicious, wholesome dishes with quality ingredients can also come at a higher price, especially since all plant-based alternatives used at the restaurants are developed and made in-house. This initially deterred some customers as well. “In our store is a sign, Don’t ask why healthy is expensive. Ask why junk food is cheap,” shares Vergara-Tupas. “It didn’t take long for the market to see the value in what we did, especially when they were seeing transformations in their bodies and habits!”

In case you missed it: Chiqui Mabanta, a pioneer of Manila’s plant-based dining scene on the growth of the vegan and vegetarian scene

Their continued success is no doubt thanks to their culinary know-how, business savvy, and unyielding commitment to their cause. But they were fortunate to have such a receptive market, too. “Davao embraces new concepts very warmly,” she observes. “Local tourists even envy Davao for having more plant-based food options than in other cities!” Hopefully, it won’t be long until the entrepreneurial restaurateur sets her sights further North.

The Vergara-Tupas family recently held a one-night-only plant-based degustation at The Westin Manila, showcasing some of their creations from Made Simple. The dishes were far from boring, deserving of the same praise and attention as any great dish would be—most notably, the juicy wedge of “buttered” cabbage with vegan bagna càuda: a delicious testament to the umami potential of vegetables, topped with crunchy walnut ash to take it to the next level. “[Vegetables] can lend us such deep flavours, textures, umami, and sweetness,” she explains. “There are no bad vegetables, maybe only bad cooks.”

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