The Urban Farm

Augustine Thwin

4.0

It was a warm Tuesday morning when we set out on another website Food Crawl and our agenda for today is to discover restaurants along BF Homes in Paranaque. One of the first few notable restaurant along President's Ave in front of Tahanan Village is Urban Farm. People often suggest avoiding the first few things you see but that’s not the case for Urban Farm because it's probably one of. The main concept behind this restaurant is clean, healthy food packed with a lot of flavor. Non health buffs often avoid these types of restaurants because of the misconception that their food is bland and unpalatable since we derive most of the flavors we love from unhealthy sources like artificial ingredients or things loaded with empty calories. Urban Farm aims to clear this unfair notion by offering food that both healthy and flavorful which can convince even the unhealthiest eater to turn a new leaf.This green living concept intertwines with the decor of the restaurant largely due to the green accents in the decor and the furniture. It also has a rustic and relaxed feel which is perfect especially since it's in the middle of a suburban neighborhood. Here’s the rundown:‣‣Creamy Beets Borscht: I hope i spelled this right lol. This thick burgundy/purple soup was truly unique and challenged the tastebuds because of the mix of sweet, creamy, and sour flavors. This flavor combination was strange at first because it didn’t feel right but after a few more sips i captivated. This soup was almost milky-creamy as well as fruity with a sour aftertaste which came from the pureed beets.‣Shrimp Pesto Pasta: This pasta was almost like the lovechild of a pesto pasta and and carbonara. The chef explained that went for this direction he wanted the dish to look more palatable especially to discriminating customers who avoid pesto because of its earthy green color. The linguine pasta was cooked al dente while the sauce was creamy yet still maintained that identifiable fragrant flavor of the basil. The shrimp was cooked well yet had a strong fishy flavor which i didn’t quite like. This dish could’ve stood out more if the flavors were a little bit stronger but overall, it was an alright dish.‣‣‣Baked Aubergine: It’s kinda funny that while we were eating everyone was like “pass the eggplant lasagna” not knowing that this dish wasn’t lasagna at all. It actually consists of layers of breaded aubergine slices and a chunky tomato sauce with melted cheese. Don’t let that description fool you, this dish can easily give even the meatiest lasagnas a run for its money. Oftentimes, eggplant dishes can easily be soggy yet even if this dish was baked with the sauce, the slices of eggplant were able to keep their shape and remain crispy. The tomato sauce stood out the most because the middle eastern spices incorporated into the sauce. Even though this dish was composed of vegetables it was perfectly filling and was absolutely delicious thanks to the bold tomato based sauce and the layer of savory cheese on top. Its also a great alternative to the empty carbs of the lasagna pasta and the cholesterol ridden meat sauce.‣‣‣Grilled Salmon with Tomato Salsa: This dish was probably the highlight of the entire meal for me. This dish was pretty simple and straightforward just grilled salmon with a spoonful of salsa and a side of mashed potatoes and veggies. I was really impressed with the cook of the fish which was juicy, tender, sweet, and smoky without a hint of fishiness. The mashed potatoes were also great and tasted like the real thing while the vegetables were crisp and buttery. The chef explained that they really tried to eliminate that fishiness of the fish so that everyone can enjoy the dish and discover a healthier meat option. There were no other fancy rubs or glazers added to this fish other than the sweet salsa on the side, yet it stood out because of the finesse in the execution and the perfect balance of flavors of the dish.‣‣Shiitake Mushroom Burger: Mushroom burgers are often a hit-or-miss because the mushroom patty has the tendency to be bland or people always compare it to meat yet this was an absolute hit that would make you forget about your meat craving. I really like that they didn’t try to produce a mimic meat type patty and actually utilize the umami flavor and the tenderness of mushrooms. This also had the chunky tomato sauce similar to the one in the baked aubergine dish which had a strong tangy taste and great flavors which complimented the patty.Beverages:‣‣House Blend Ice Tea: This fruity and refreshing iced tea was infused with mint which invigorated my taste buds and set the right mood for the entire meal.‣‣‣Strawberry Mint Smoothie: Much like their House Blend Ice Tea, this one also had mint leaves as their highlight ingredients and the cooling flavor of the mint amplified the sweet and sour flavor of strawberries. Although this smoothie looked quite thick and heavy it was absolutely light and had just the right amount of sweetness.‣Lean Green Smoothie: Not as intensely flavored as the Strawberry Smoothie but the light and refreshing flavor of the cucumber was a perfect palate cleanser in between the strong flavored dishes that we had.Overall, the Urban Farm has a great advocacy and equally great food. I really liked the enthusiasm of their Head Chef over their food and they way that he treats his staff like his team mates. The service was also great as the servers were attentive and polite. Their dishes are appropriately sized for their portions and they offer sunday brunch buffets which include some of the dishes in this review. This restaurant is absolutely perfect for weekend brunches with the family or if you just crave for healthy and delicious comfort food.

Yenisryt

4.0

The Urban Farm is an organic restaurant in BF Homes Parañaque and is located near Tahanan Village, making the place accessible for those who live near the area. It's atmosphere is clean and simple. I like the garden-themed interiors, it somehow soothes me. The quotes on the wall were also a nice touch.The restaurant may not catch much attention to some, since most Filipinos that I know look for, satisfying burgers, steaks, and pasta that's both filling and guilty to eat. Well, The Urban Farm isn't that kind of place but I guarantee you that they offer similar satisfying foods with just a healthy twist that could actually convince your mind to actually change your overall lifestyle.This was our first stop to our website BF Homes Food Crawl, and I'm glad that everything we had was filling yet light in the stomach.We had the,FOOD➿Citrus Salad ➿ (219 php)[ lettuce, grilled pineapple, Mandarin oranges, grapes, cherry tomatoes in balsamic vinaigrette, topped with fried calamari and alfalfa sprouts ]- The fruits and vegetables used were very fresh and they still had a great crunch to it even when already tossed in the dressing. Overall, I like the sweet and tangy flavors from it.➿Creamy Beets Borscht ➿ (249 php)- The broth itself was sour with a subtle sweetness. It's a soup that's both delicious and nutritious! Perfect for sharing.➿Baked Aubergine➿ (159 php)[Aubergine, tomato sauce, cheese]- The Baked Aubergine was really enjoyable. I was surprised that there wasn't any meat in it. I like the tangy tomato sauce together with the salty cheese. Definitely could be a healthy replacement for lasagna.➿ Shrimp Pesto Pasta ➿(199 php)- The pasta was al dente. The pesto cream was light and the basil flavor really stood out. The shrimps were also very flavorful.➿ Grilled Salmon with Tomato Salsa ➿ (339 php)[comes with mashed potato and buttered greens]- The grilled salmon was seasoned perfectly but, it was a bit over cooked for my liking. I like the tomato salsa though, it was really helpful in giving the fish some freshness and extra moisture.➿ Shiitake Malunggay Burger ➿ (170 php)[Comes with sweet potato chips]- Who knew you could make a beautiful burger without meat? I could eat this burger all day without the guilt! Flavors were good and it had the same textures just like an ordinary burger.DRINKS *All sweetened with raw honey➿Iced Tea➿ (210 php)[ The Urban Farm's house made iced tea]- Simple yet refreshing➿ Lean Green Smoothie ➿ (160 php)[ topped with Chia seeds ]- All the nutrition you need in one drink!➿ Fresh Strawberry Mint ➿ (180 php)[topped with Chia seeds ]- Good flavor of fresh strawberries with a nice hint of mint.Overall, my dining experience in The Urban Farm was great. Price is reasonable for what you get since you not only pay for the food, but for the nutrition as well. The Urban Farm is now one of my ideal places to dine guiltlessly and feel confident about eating food. Hope to come back very soon.

Eat Go See

3.0

The first stop on our website food trip in BF led us to Urban Farm, which is fanous for its farm- to table options that include artisan dishes. Their menu highlights fresh and seasonal fruits and vegetables. Urban Farm offer unique, healthy food for diners seeking out new dining experiences. It is definitely the best out of the few healthy restaurants in the area.Many people now turn to healthy food on their dinner plate as solution to cure illnesses and rightfully so.Urban Farm's menu encourages eating more whole grains, nuts, herbs and vegetables, while reducing intake of less salt-laden food. Our meals starters were Creamy Beets Borcht (P 249) and Citrus Salad. Since fresh food has so much flavor chefs often choose to serve it as simply as possible, just in the Creamy Beets Borcht. The Citrus Salad's ingredients were served raw with just the fresh orange juice to flavor it naturally. There is nothing better than a sliced homegrown cherry tomatoes, plus the natural citrus flavors to make the greens intensely delicious.Next, we had Shrimp Pesto Pasta (P 199), Baked Aubergine (P 159), Shiitake Malungay Burgers (P 170), and Grilled Salmon with Tomato Salsa (P 339).Their take on pesto pasta was the best I'd had so far. And I enjoyed the lean cut of Grilled Salmon. The salmon was moist and soft. It went well with the mashed potato side dish.For drinks, they served Iced Tea (P 210), Lean Green Smoothie (P 160) and Fresh Strawberry Mint (P 180).