Enchanted Farm Cafe

It's no secret that I love to eat. I love eating out mainly for the experience of trying out new dishes, flavors, and cuisines. Just when I thought, my boyfriend, Martin and I were simply eating healthy, delicious food from a charming little cafe, we were actually eating for change. 

Enchanted Farm Cafe was put up by the same people behind Gawad Kalinga. What's great about this cafe is that the produce that they use for their menu are from the GK Enchanted Farm which ensures sustainable livelihood for the poor farmers involved there. Their other ingredients are also sourced from other existing social enterprises. I love how the produce are naturally-grown, and that they're promoting local products! 

While waiting, we entertained ourselves by checking out the various food products, and knick knacks they sell from the GK Enchanted Farm and other local producers. From salabat (ginger tea) mix, peanut butter, coffees, to vinaigrette, there were so many unique products! They also carry Theo & Philo which are Filipino artisan chocolates. There are so many interesting flavors, and quite honestly, I would buy it just for the gorgeous packaging! We actually went home with some goodies.

They also sell Bayani Brew which is an all-natural, all-Filipino iced tea which uses local ingredients such as lemongrass, pandan, and sweet potato tops.

Speaking of, for drinks I tried the Bayani Brew Purple Leaf (made from sweet potato tops), while Martin had  fresh coconut juice. I love that their drinks are served in mason jars. It definitely adds a charm to your dining experience. 

For starters, we had the Golden Egg Salad. It's lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and salted egg drizzled with calamansi vinaigrette. Let me tell you, this dish wasn't called Golden Egg for nothing. This has to be the best salted egg I've ever tasted. It's not too salty, the egg white was firm, and the yolk was just so buttery and creamy! The acidity of the dressing was a great contrast to the saltiness, and the calamansi had a subtle sweetness that you normally won't get with lemon.

Martin had the Enchanted Burger which is unlike your typical burger because the patty is made up of eighty percent vegetables and twenty percent lean pork. It's a great idea if you're not really into veggies but want to sneak some into your diet. The patty was so light and tasty, and has a bit of a spicy kick to it. It reminded us of tortang talong but definitely more flavorful.

As for me a.k.a pasta girl, I had their Pinoy Pesto with Lemongrass Chicken. What makes their pesto "Pinoy" is that aside from the usual basil, they also add malunggay to the mix. I think it's a brilliant idea because it makes pesto healthier since malunggay is one of the most nutritious vegetables ever. Just to put another twist to this dish, instead of the traditional parmesan cheese, they top it with local feta cheese which adds saltiness to the dish. And I really liked how the lemongrass flavor of the chicken ties in with how earthy the pasta is. 

Pesto, cheese and chicken -- literally my favorite things in life all in one bowl, made better because it's all local.   

And because the food was just so darn good, we couldn't stop eating. Normally, we'd already be full with that amount of food but we found ourselves still wanting to try more. So, we ordered Kesong Puti sticks which is a take on cheese sticks made Filipino because of the use of local white cheese. I love how subtle the flavor of the cheese is because it means I can have a lot and not be overwhelmed. The cheese sticks were crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and the pesto mayo dip was so delicious! I literally ate majority of these cheese sticks.

Something I loved about this cafe was that all their dishes were served with salad and/or kamote fries. The veggies in the salad were always so crisp and fresh! However, what I really couldn't get enough of was the kamote (sweet potato) fries. The kamote fries were naturally sweet and were perfectly fried. But what makes this fries unique is the sauce. The first time I tasted it, I knew the dip tasted familiar but I couldn't put a finger on what it was. Bothered, I asked the waitress what it was and that's when she revealed it was mayo bagoong (shrimp paste) sauce. Yes, that's right, mayonnaise and bagoong together. It tastes like mayonnaise with a hint of a salty, shrimp flavor. The saltiness is a great contrast to the sweetness of the potato. It would seem like a crazy idea, but it actually works!        

For dessert, we shared a white chocolate cookie from Tintan's Pastries which they sell at the counter. It was so moist and chewy, and I love how it's not too sweet. Also, what's awesome about these cookies is that they regularly source the bananas they use from two mothers, ensuring a stable income for them. The proceeds from the pastry sales also help send 220 students in Manila to school. Definitely a sweet way to help others!

When you enter the cafe, one of the first things you'll notice is a wall art which says, "Eat for change." The vision of Enchanted Farm Cafe may seem as simple eating there to provide a sustainable livelihood for the poor but I see the change they want to achieve in a much bigger way. It's also about changing our choices -- what we eat, how we grow our produce, choosing to buy local. I would have never thought we can actually change the world one bite at a time.