SAN PABLO CITY, LAGUNA — A unique wellness café at Dagatan Boulevard along Sampaloc Lake is promoting a healthier lifestyle by combining nutritious food, education, and community wellness.
Founded by chef couple Alex and Hazel Honeyball, the wellness café aims to change the way people think about food and health. Drawing from years of international culinary experience, the couple hopes to inspire Filipinos to adopt healthier eating habits while still enjoying flavorful meals.
From Europe to the Philippines Chef Alex shared that his passion for healthy cooking started early in life. Growing up in France with an Italian grandmother, he learned the importance of eating fresh, balanced meals and maintaining variety in everyday food.
“My grandmother always taught me to eat healthy food, eat on time, and make sure every day is something different,” he said. “You shouldn’t eat the same thing every day.”
His culinary journey eventually led him to catering school and later to working as a private chef on a superyacht, traveling around the world and cooking for high-profile clients. When he and his wife decided to spend more time in the Philippines, they noticed something missing in the local dining scene.
“We love Filipino food,” Alex said. “But we felt there was something missing — healthy options that are simple, fresh, and still tasty.”
Honeyball Wellness Café opened seven months ago with a mission that goes beyond serving meals. The couple hopes to educate people about the connection between food and long-term health.
“We always say prevention is better than cure,” Alex said. “It’s better to invest in good food than to spend money later in the hospital.”
The café focuses on fresh, homemade dishes using herbs, spices, and organic ingredients, many of which are sourced from local farms such as Sarate Farm, the city’s first certified organic farm. Around 70 percent of their ingredients are organic, and the kitchen follows strict food safety standards comparable to those in Europe.
“We cook with heart,” Hazel said. “Every dish we serve takes time and effort. Our kitchen follows European food safety standards because healthy food is useless if it is not safe.”
Unlike restaurants that cater exclusively to vegan or plant-based diners, Honeyball Wellness Café offers a diverse menu designed for a wide range of dietary preferences. The menu includes:
- Vegan and plant-based dishes
- Vegetarian meals
- Meat options prepared with healthier methods
- Fresh juices and cocktails made from natural ingredients
One creative example is the restaurant’s plant-based version of the Filipino favorite “tapsilog.” Instead of beef tapa and egg, the café serves mushroom tapa, with tofu as protein substitute and tomatoes prepared to resemble egg yolk.
Customers who initially look for traditional rice meals often leave pleasantly surprised.
“At first they look for rice dishes,” Alex said. “But when they try something different, they say it’s worth it.”
For Hazel, the cafe’s mission is deeply personal. Her mother passed away in 2020 due to heart-related complications, while Hazel herself experienced hormonal imbalance and stress-related health issues. These experiences motivated the couple to create a space that promotes wellness and preventive health.
“At the end of the day, health is wealth,” she said.
