Native Fields: Walnut’s Organically-Sourced Potpourri

In today’s day and age, there is a subtly growing and lingering stigma against genetically modified foods. With this, there now exists a growing movement of returning to the basics. “Out with the new, in with the old.”, to turn the classic adage on its head.

This is where Chefs Cat Castaneda and Christine Cornwell come in. As the owners of Native Fields, they have taken the role of becoming the generals who helm this war; to take this newly forged “organic revolution” to Walnut.

In an area dense with options upon options of food, there are, surprisingly, little to no choices for organically-sourced fare. For those living in Walnut, such as myself, the next best thing is places like Chipotle and Panera Bread. Thus, Native Fields serves as a breath of fresh air, amidst a place saturated with commercialized food.

The menu offers a vast array of dishes of differing origin, united by one detail; every ingredient is locally and organically sourced. For the most part, the restaurant offers breakfast or brunch foods, with possible plans of expanding to dinnertime services, judging by the survey given to me by the end of service.

I ordered one of the specials for the day; an Egyptian lentil curry, as well as a beef patty melt, which was one of the sandwiches offered on the menu. First came the Egyptian lentil curry. I was greeted with the soothing smell of turmeric and the sight of quite a colorful yellow curry. It was adorned with stinging nettles and bean sprouts, giving nice splashes of green and white to separate itself from the otherwise dominant yellow.

Though the aroma of the curry was strong, I found that this was not reflected in the taste. Despite having a delicate richness and creaminess, brought upon by the combination of coconut and lentils, as well as being carefully balanced out by the leafiness of the microgreens, I found that it lacked the spicy kick that one would normally expect out of a curry; especially a Madras curry (as specified in the menu), which one expects to be hot. This results in a somewhat lacking experience. It nailed the entry but failed to stick the landing.

Next came the beef patty melt. Sandwiched between two toasted and gratuitously buttered slices of white bread was a medium-rare beef patty, coupled with caramelized onions, a Dijon mustard aioli, and fontina cheese. Served on the side were roasted potatoes seasoned with salt, pepper, and rosemary.

I found that this patty melt was balanced. One would be led to believe that the aioli would be too rich, or that the beef patty would be too greasy - but this was not the case. Everything that was in the sandwich complimented each other well - no one detail outshone the other. This led to a relatively lighter patty melt compared to others I have had in the past; a welcome surprise. The potatoes on the side were adequate; everything about them was adequate aside from the lack of crunch. If one puts the size of the potatoes into consideration, normally, they have a crunch. However, this was not the case, as the crunch was largely inconsistent.

Overall, I would sum up the quality of the experience as greater than the sum of its parts, for the most part. The chefs appear to emphasize the balance of flavors within the dish, rather than to focus on magnifying one flavor. This is a bit of a gambit; in some dishes, such as the patty melt, this strategy allows every single ingredient that was selected or used to shine to its fullest potential. In others, however, it causes the flavor in dishes that require intensity; such as the curry; to suffer.

In other words, while the chefs are putting up a strong effort to wage war against the mainstream wave of commercialized food, they are going to need a bit more firepower on some fronts.

Itadakimasu Score:

Value: 4/5. With lovingly selected ingredients sourced from local farmers' markets, the quality is definitely worth the price.

Portion Size: 5/5. The portions of each dish were generous and did a wonderful job of leaving me satisfied.

Presentation: 5/5. The modern, simple and vibrant plates of food made a pleasant sight for the eyes.

Service: 4/5. Though attentive, the servers did not go above and beyond to elevate the experience.

Cleanliness: 5/5.

Ambiance: 5/5. The restaurant imbued a casual, laid-back urban vibe that made it easy to relax in. It also felt open, with plenty of natural light giving ample opportunities for photo-taking.

Total Score: 28/30

Name: Native Fields

Address: 18750 Amar Road, Walnut, California 91789

Price Range: $$

Order:

Egyptian Lentil Curry: $7

Beef Patty Melt: $14