eating organic at The Farm

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I am, more often than not, wary when I see a lot of photogenic food photos on Instagram with tags of the restaurants where these food items are served because I feel that the dishes might be mostly overrated. I'm even more wary of restaurant reviews that talk more about the location rather than the food; something about all-ambiance-no-bite kinda thing. 

As I was walking around Solenad 3 in Nuvali, Sta Rosa, I came across a really rustic-looking restaurant called The Farm Organics. What made me stop and eat there wasn't the ambiance though. The restaurant's manager saw me perusing the menu and was very friendly (without being pushy) as he ushered me straight to an empty table. A welcome change, compared to the greeters of the other restaurants: the staff who loiter outside the restaurant with menus on hand, who shout at passersby, trying to attract their attention.


I learned that the beef that The Farm serves comes from an organic farm in Masbate. The cows there are allowed to roam outdoors and are grass-fed, which means that they are not fed the typical animal meals that industry-raised cattle usually are. Since the cattle production is, in my opinion, much slower, I wonder if such business model will remain realistic as the restaurant ups its operations. I understand that there are around six branches, implying that the demand for the company's organic beef is increasing. Anyway, I thought that I might as well try what organic meat tastes like... I most frequently eat organic chicken (which is available in a restaurant in Los Baños).

Once inside, I immediately gravitated towards the tomato soup. I thought it was a good idea because I  had only eaten brunch while on the road to Manila (yeah, an unhealthy habit I'm reducing this 2017). A delicious way to warm up my tummy in preparation for the main course.

A photo posted by carmina syvilla-torres (@mina_mons) on

The manager was, naturally, suggesting their steaks because the beef is the restaurant speciality. However, I felt that I wasn't in the mood to eat such a heavy meal after all (despite my hunger), so I opted for the grilled pork belly paired with black vinegar with shallots; I also opted for white rice instead of Jambalaya rice because the latter has prawns.



When the dishes were served, they were so beautifully plated... worthy of Instagram posts. I was sure that a lot of people had posted photos already so I concentrated on eating. And that is why I am posting here Instagram photos posted by other people.

The food, I have to say, is delicious! I was not disappointed. The tomato soup (with croutons) was creamy and sour and was so fresh. There was no metallic taste I typically find in tomato soup that come off cans. The grilled pork was very tender and toasted just right; no burnt taste at all. The rice, with just the right softness and stickiness, paired really well with the grilled pork. I'm glad that the rice wasn't aromatic (or at least I didn't detect the sweet aromas) because I prefer to eat grilled meat with non-aromatic rice. Atypical of Filipinos, I removed the most delicious bits... the fatty pork rind! I normally don't eat the fat because I feel like I'll have a heart attack if I eat that.

Next time, I'll try the steaks. But they seem to come in big servings. So next time, I won't come alone.

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