Adding to the list of reasons why I love writing about food is the discovery of Earth Kitchen. It’s an awesome place to visit if you want to reward your taste palettes with fresh, natural, and delicious dishes made by Mother Nature cooked and prepared from Earth’s kitchen. Earth Kitchen was established with an aim to support Got Heart Foundation which supports chemical/pesticide-free, natural farming. Got Heart Foundation helps farmers get continuous flow of income by helping them sell their produce and Earth Kitchen provided them with a steady a clientele.
I can’t help but fall in love with the design of the restaurant, it’s an indoor restaurant with an outdoor feel. Every plan you see there are all natural except the artificial grass. The plants get their own share of sunlight and water during rotations. It gave me an idea on how my future dining area should look like. All that is missing are the sound of birds chirping and a big fat hen with her chicks following her around.
Melissa Yeung-Yap who is a co-owner and founder of the Got Heart Foundation is also the woman behind the interior design. Most of the wood we used are re-purposed wood, from old houses and she did pretty well. Co-owners also include Joseph and Chef David Hizon (brothers) and Executive Chef, J.R. Trani.
Earth Kitchen, BGC is a follow-up to the successful first branch in White Plains, Katipunan, Quezon City. Earth Kitchen is a good example of the farm-to-table restaurant concept with recipes developed by Chef David Hizon and J.R. Trani. If you’ll love the look of the place, you’ll love the food even more.
My wife has been experimenting on her healthy juices for quite a while now and the juicer we bought at a thrift shop was worth it. She has tried sugar beets, apples, carrots, and cucumber among others. Earth Kitchen has given me something new to try at home – Got Heart Mix One (beets, carrots, cucumber, apple, honey *optional) and Got Heart Mix Two (pineapple, carrot, ginger, and orange). I got myself the Got Heart Mix Two because I may already know how the first one taste. It just feels good that you’re drinking something healthy and refreshing and it feels “sosyal” too.
They also serve a pitcher of fresh juice, this one’s Guyabano at thick, creamy, cold guaybano juice. Promise, you’ll love this one.
If in basketball they call Michael Jordan the “GOAT”, in the dining table, I am the “GOAT”! No, not the Greatest of All Time, but literally a goat, because I love eating fresh salads. I think Gnaws Organic All the Time is a more appropriate abbreviation, especially with these salads.
Watermelon and Rocket Salad – Organic or naturally-produced arugula, edible flowers, pili nuts, home-made kesong puti, balsamic vinaigrette.
Beef and Citrus Salad – Boneless beef ribs, raw papaya, peanuts, cilantro, herbs and greens, dayap vinaigrette.
I could just have these two and a pitcher of the fresh Guyabano juice and I’m good. However, I’m only human and it’s only natural that I crave for something natural, right? Besides, Earth Kitchen has an irresistible line-up of dishes.
The Braised Bacon is the first on the list of other dishes that you should try aside from my favorite salads. It has red cabbage, and marble potato, but it’s hard to notice with those huge slabs of bacon distracting you.
Milanese Risotto – Saffron, parmesan, butter, organic braised beef short rib, gremolata. Think “bulalo” where all its flavor is just concentrated in one small plate.
Risotto Uni Negra Squid ink, French beans, local scallops. You know what they say about black, “once you go black… you’ll go get and some more.” and I just did. Table hopping from one group of bloggers to another.
Four Mushroom and Egg – their version of carbonara. Slab bacon, shiitake, milky and button mushrooms, organic egg. Again, bacon slab, what could go wrong, right?
Sweet Potato Tops Ravioli – Camote tops, white cheese, pili nuts, pomodoro sauce, basil, parmesan cheese. I’m just amazed at how they were able to come up with such tasteful healthy dishes. Earth Kitchen made everything from scratch, from the pasta to the ice cream to the tortillas.
Pumpkin and Goat’s Cheese Paccheri – Goat’s cheese, roasted pumpkin, pili nuts, bacon (optional). Most of the dishes that was served we’re all new to me, it’s kitchen creativity at its best. According to the chef, he takes an open approach to using local ingredients, he approaches the local ingredients in a different way, a way that’s not expected.
Earth Kitchen also served popular dishes from others countries like the Beef Bulgogi of Korea – Boneless beef ribs, kimchi rice, salad greens, seaweeds.
Something from the Middle East, Beef Kebab – Boneless beef ribs, tzatziki, grilled vegetables, choice of organic Ifugao rice pilaf or 3pcs flour tortilla and organic mixed greens.
And the South East Asian favorite, Shrimp Spring Rolls – Shrimp, organic or naturally produced herbs, greens, and peanuts, lime hoisin sauce.
Earth Kitchen is a must try restaurant in BGC, it takes you away from the busy crowd of Bonifacio High Street into the farm or a picnic ground. But more than the place, more than the food it’s the story behind the business that captures my heart. It is not even a business, it’s an outreach program. The better the restaurant does, the better for the farmers. Whatever the restaurant makes goes back to the foundation and is used in educating farmers and funding the farms.
Earth Kitchen does have a heart, and I have a tummy to fill. Come visit them at:
UG/F, Bonifacio High Street Central, 7th Avenue Corner 29th Street South, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Lot 10-B-10 White Plains, Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City
Website: earthkitchen.ph
Facebook: /TheEarthKitchen
Instagram: @earthkitchenph
