Kitchen 56 by Earth Kitchen: An Oasis of Fresh Flavors

Kitchen 56 is the newest dining concept by young chef David Hizon of Earth Kitchen, and an oasis of fresh flavors with premium, organic ingredients.

Located at the Ground Floor of the Senior Hub, Kitchen 56 by Earth Kitchen is a collaboration of chefs David Hizon, JR Trani, Got Heart Foundation and Hizon's Catering, advocates of healthy organic, local and sustainable produce from partner communities. And you get fresh, clean flavors in every dish at Kitchen 56.

The Senior Hub is a senior citizen recreational and daycare center and one of the advocacies of the Felicidad Tan Sy Foundation. And one can immediately feel the foundation's passion for their advocacy with the impressive facilities at the Senior Hub. And Kitchen 56 completes the experience at the Senior Hub.

At the Senior Hub, members can pamper themselves at the beauty salon (L) or the spa (R). Other facilities include a well-appointed gym, mini-theater, a classroom for art classes, and a roof deck for special functions. 

The Senior Hub also has several Mahjong tables outfitted with an automated dice roller for your convenience, now how cool is that? After a day at the spa or the gym, or a round of Mahjong, you can cap your day at the Senior Hub with a healthy and nutritional meat, each made from scratch, at Kitchen 56.  

Kitchen 56 by Earth Kitchen is open to the public and non-members of the Senior Hub, offering healthy and flavorful alternatives for all ages. Inside Kitchen 56, the bright and spacious interiors exude a warm and comforting vibe, a homey and rustic simplicity balanced by a sleek and modern look. At Kitchen 56, the focus is on clean, fresh, and bold flavors, and you immediately get a taste of that with their selection of beverages. Start your meal with a pitcher of Fresh Dalandan Juice (P 260), bursting with natural sweetness from the tart freshly-squeezed local citrus fruit.

Sourcing organic, fresh, crisp greens from local community partners, the salads at Kitchen 56 are not to be missed. The Tempura Salad (P 330), fresh organic greens topped with ebi and fish tempura with roasted sesame dressing delivers a rich blend of flavors and textures that's just perfect as a starter. The tender and crisp tempura adds a contrasting texture to the dish, playing well with the mildly sweet greens and juicy tomatoes as the nutty roasted sesame dressing binds all the ingredients for balanced flavors. Other salad options include the Forest Salad (P 310) with edible flowers, foraged herbs, salted duck eggs, and muscovado vinaigrette; a refreshingly tart Pomelo Salad (P 350) with green papaya, herbs, and peanuts; Watermelon and Rocket Salad (P 290) with kesong puti and balsamic vinaigrette; Grilled Vegetable Salad (P 290) with pickled mushrooms; and a hearty Beef and Citrus Salad (P 310) with tender boneless beef ribs and fresh vegetables in a sharp and citrusy dayap vinaigrette.

For the second course, select from one of nine fresh homemade pasta dishes, like the Pumpkin and Goat's Cheese Paccheri (P 340), soft ravioli filled with goat's cheese and pumpkin, topped with bacon (you can replace the bacon bits with pili nuts) and crisp pumpkin strings. The freshly made ravioli is soft yet firm, with a mildly chewy texture to hold the creamy pumpkin and goat cheese filling. The flavors are light and delicate, with the toasted bacon bits pumping up the flavors. Other interesting pasta dishes include the Four Mushrooms and Egg (P 385), their version of the classic carbonara, Scallops and Aligue (P 460), a squid ink pasta with crab fat; Mushroom Ravioli (P 400) with kesong puti; and Sweet Potato Tops Ravioli (P 400).  

For the main course, I go for the bestseller of Kitchen 56, the signature Beef Kebab (P 395), fork-tender boneless beef ribs, grilled vegetables, tzatziki, a creamy chili sauce, and organic Ifugao rice pilaf. Chef David Hizon tediously prepares each batch of beef kebabs in a slow sous-vide technique to ensure each chunk of grilled kebab is tender and juicy. The rich blend of spices add sharp notes to every bite of the tender kebabs, perfectly complemented by the subtle sweetness of the fresh grilled vegetables and richly flavored pilaf rice. A meal in itself, this is one dish I'd go back to again. And again. Kitchen 56 also offers other main dishes, including Chicken Kebab (P 370), organic Roast Chicken (P 410), Short Rib Lettuce Wrap (P 470), and Braised Bacon (P 580), a tender slab of bacon with red cabbage and marble potatoes.   

Cap your meal at Kitchen 56 with their Homemade Ice Cream (P 110 per scoop), in the following flavors (clockwise from left), Milo, Tablea, and Pastillas. The Milo flavored ice cream brings back comforting memories of childhood, punctuated by the chewy bits of Milo granules in the soft, smooth, and creamy dessert. The Tablea Ice Cream delivers bolder, deeper and rounded chocolate flavors, and the Pastillas Ice Cream has the familiar milky notes of the local delicacy. The homemade ice cream served at Kitchen 56 isn't overly sweet, allowing you to taste more of the base flavor. Other homemade flavors include Ube (purple yam), Green Tea, Vanilla, and Banana Caramel. And don't forget to ask the staff about the featured Flavor of the Month with the best seasonal ingredients.

Fresh, clean flavors in every dish, Kitchen 56 is your oasis of fresh flavors in the metro.

Kitchen 56 by Earth Kitchen is located at the Ground Floor of Senior Hub, 56 Jupiter Street, Bel-Air, Makati City or call 856-4144 for inquiries.

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