Slow food. Organic. Healthy food. Pesticide-free. Heirloom seeds. Farm-to-table. Grass-fed. Bukidnon. Farm.
These were just some of the key words I took away from our Foodie Meet up at Down To Earth in Yakal Street Makati, thanks to Zomato Ph.
From their original humble beginnings in Mercado and Salcedo Market some 6 years ago , it became a supplier for restaurants and hotels with specific requirements for organic vegetables and grass fed beef , chicken and pork,
Today, it opened its doors to a growing market that are into farm to table concepts. They created a restaurant cum mom and pop's grocer where everything were sourced from the farm.
Per Nico ( owner and restaurateur), this is not a trend. In fact it is actually "old school", traditional even. He said if Rizal had burgers during his time, the burger that Rizal would be enjoying would be similar to what we shall be tasting today.
The grass fed beef came straight from the cattle from their Bukidnon farm. It would be butchered and sliced to specifications to your order. by their own in-house butcher. It will not be frozen. It will just be chilled. From the chiller it will be grilled then will be served at your table. Nothing is fresher than that. Moreover the hamburger buns aka potato brioche were made from scratch and so were the mayonnaise and catsup . The bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles were all sourced from their farm .
Is grass-fed beef better and healthier? Per Mr. Nico Aberasturi (owner and restaurateur), yes grass fed beef are better for you. Omega 3 levels in grass fed beef are higher than the regular beef.
Is the flavor and texture better though in grass fed beef than its regular counterpart? This we found out for ourselves when they served us 4 kinds of burger.
Wild West Slow Burger (P360) 6 oz grass fed house blend patty, amaranth leaves , grass fed cheddar cheese, house made pickled cucumber and beets , slow sauce and ground mustard, potato brioche bun. 4/5
The patty was suprisingly juicy. I was expecting it to be a bit dry because per my understanding, grass fed beef does not have any fat. I loved the potato brioche and the cheese. I did not notice the amaranth leaves. It tasted like a normal burger but I give it plus points because it is healthier. I like eating food that has no additives. All the condiments were made by hand. The salt was sourced from an "asinan" in Pangasinan if i heard Mr. Nico correctly.
Original Slow Burger
3.5 oz P195 6 oz P275 Double patty P355
Grass fed house blend patty, seasonal lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, wild rocket arugula, slow sauce, potato brioche bun, side mixed veggie chips
I like the veggie chips dipped in grass fed feta sauce. I can buy a bag of this to replace the lay potatoes me and the piggery binge on from time to time hahaha, The patty was juicy and flavorful which I prefer in my burger. 4/5
Impossible Burger P285 - Chickpeas-wild arugula - parsley patty, amaranth leaves, grass fed cheddar cheese, home-made pickled cucumber and beets, slow sauce, lettuce, potato brioche bun.
I was prepared not to like it. After all I love my meat. Surprisingly, it was flavorful and I loved the texture. I can order this on those days that I feel Ive reached my quota for meat eating.
Bleu Slow Burger P405 - grass fed house blend patty, caramelized oniions, dana blue cheese, chive butter, potato brioche bun, side mixed veggie chips. I would have loved more bleu cheese but this one is also juicy and delicious 4/5
Lamb Slow Burger P445 6 oz grass fed lamb patty, feta cheese, curry mayonnaise from scratch, red onions, potato brioche bun and side mixed veggie chips. This is my favorite among all burgers served to us. The combination of the lamb , feta and curry mayo was a winner. I will highly recommend this 5/5
Before the burgers, they also served appetizers such as foccaccia with tomato , crispy kale and beef jerky. They were all good 4/5
For dessert , we were served home-made ice cream with 3 variants -- coffee, chocolate and french vanilla to go with our single origin coffee composed of Katimor Arabica which are "rust resistant" aka fungus resistant per Mr. Nico. 4/5
All in all it was quite an eye opener. Its different when you read about slow food or organic food in the social media vs actually experiencing it yourself in a restaurant setting. Although I have eaten in restaurants with the same farm-to-table concept ie Green Pastures, somehow Down to Earth brought the concept home to me . Maybe it was Mr. Nco's passion and his vision about whole organic foods or maybe the care with which they meticulously explained how our food was prepared. I now have this heightened awareness that yes I can be more discerning about the food that me and my children put in our body.
Down to Earth Restaurant and Store i
Open from 91-6 pm M-S
Makati Curb HOldings
7433 Yakal Street Makati
Note : They also sell choice cuts beef, pork , chicken and vegetables in the store or online. Their restaurant also have an extensive menu that includes burger , other sandwiches and other mains. Please check out their facebook page for more detailss
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