COCONUTS HOT SPOT — It’s hard to believe that the guys from Mondo Juice do not add sugar (or syrups, artificial sweeteners, binders, emulsifiers, or stabilizers) to their smoothies. Take your first sip of any of their drinks and it’s undeniable how sweet they are. But then, if you take some more sips, you’ll realize that what you taste is fruit and not sugar.
So how do they end up being sweet and tasty? It’s no big secret, really. Mondo Juice uses a generous amount of organic fruits and mix things up — the more the merrier/healthier, right?
These fruits have undergone the Individual Quick Freezing method which seals in vitamins and flavor — that’s according to the store’s website.
All the drinks are undoubtedly good for you, but there are also other drinks that are healthier than the rest, such as an antioxidants-rich wheatgrass juice that helps increase the number of red blood cells and lower blood pressure.
I’ve tried a bunch of smoothies from Mondo Juice and most of them are really good — flavorful and tart — the kind you’d go back for.
A few of my favorites are the Detox (mangoes, pineapples, nectar, orange juice), Raspberry Rush (raspberries, strawberries, cranberry juice, low-fat yogurt) and Proteinzone (raspberries, bananas, nectar, cranberry juice, soy protein).
Since each drink is a mixture of various fruits, the resulting flavor is unique. If you’re not a picky drinker like me, you might say that most of the drinks taste the same, only with some slight variation. Of course, we’re pretty sure that they’re not made of the same stuff, that the recipes are tried and tested and that it took the guys from Mondo Juice quite a while to perfect them.
If tart and tasty smoothies aren’t your thing, you’ll be glad to know that they have caffeinated offerings known as the Buzz series. I was pretty hesitant about getting the Banana Buzz (it seemed like the best as opposed to Green Tea Buzz and Strawberry Buzz), but ended up doing so — and boy was I grateful I did. The banana and coffee flavors surprisingly work well together; neither overpowers the other. It is so good it became my signature drink for a while.
I eventually got tired of it and decided to try another variant from the Buzz line. I opted for the Strawberry Buzz — and regretted it. Unlike my first Buzz drink, the flavors of this variant just didn’t go good together. I got pretty traumatized I stayed away from anything with Buzz for a while.
However I was delighted to find out one visit that they added more flavors to the Buzz series. I decided to forget about my traumatic Buzz experience and test a new flavor. I asked for the Caramel Buzz, and it was love at first sip. It made my eyes roll back with every sip I forgot about Banana Buzz.
Unbeknownst to a lot of people, Mondo Juice also offers food such as sandwiches, nuts and desserts. Most of them are healthy too. For example, the sandwiches are made using all-natural ingredients, including preservative-free bread that they bake themselves.
I don’t know about the Oreo cheesecake and the chocolate chip cookies, however. I’ve tried their cookies, one of their sandwiches and a slice of their Oreo cheesecake, and I think it’s safe to say that people go to Mondo Juice for their juices and smoothies — not their food (I need to give their potato chips and nuts a try though). After all, their drinks are tasty (down to the last drop) and healthy too.
Mondo Juice, 110 Rada St, Legazpi Village, Makati. www.facebook.com/mondojuiceph. +63 2 5117331. 8am-8pm, Mon-Fri. 6am-9pm, Sat. Closed, Sun.
