Restaurants
Rawlicious
Rawlicious is a live food entry onto the rejuvenated Junction scene. The menu describes the Junction neighbourhood as "reinvigorated" and no establishment is doing quite as much as this to bring literal life and energy to the area.
I've been noticing more and more lately how much eating seems to directly turn to sleep. I'm vegan, but I eat a lot of carbs, and I've been finding I have a tendency to nap after most of my meals (I hear that's how you get fat, I'm still waiting on that train).
While I can eat fruit and get a burst of energy rather than a tucker-me-out, fruit on an empty stomach just seems like too much water to me and on a full stomach, well, that's naptime, like I said.
Raw foods and raw foodists promise vitality, and I was pleased to find that following my meal at Rawlicious, I was not only energized and nourished but also felt satisfied, if not quite as all-you-can-eat full as I'm used to.
The portions do come smaller than many places, but the unique food and supremely comfortable environment left me thoroughly delighted, glutton though I may be.
Pictured at top is the Taco Wrap, containing nut "meat", nut "cheese", salsa, guacamole, tomatoes, onion and lettuce wrapped in collard greens. A simple yet clever way to eliminate the typical starchy tortilla wrap, although the "cheese" didn't taste much like cheese and more so just added moisture. The guacamole, salsa and "meat" were all very well prepared and flavourful, and although my default urge is to shovel food into my mouth, I made a point of holding back to enjoy it in little bites.
Like cold pizza? This may be the only place to encounter a pizza that seems like an appetizer, but it's hard to call this a pizza in anything but spirit anyway. I thought my typical pizza orders were un-pizza enough, skipping cheese and adding esoteric vegetables, but this was way beyond that. Topped with what fresh vegetables are on hand, the crust is made of pressed seeds and the "cheese" consists of miso, ginger and garlic transformed via some food processor trick.
The "zucchetti" pasta qualified most as the main course, and also somehow managed to be the most authentically deceptive in terms of its flavour. I tried it with the olive & coconut curry sauce, plus "neat" balls, in order to diverge a bit from what pasta would usually be. Despite that - and I still don't know if this was a psychological trick - it really did taste like pasta. Not only like pasta, but pasta with cheese. Both the zucchini spirals themselves and the sauce somehow tasted surprisingly cheesy.
The zucchini spirals may have impressed me the most in terms of culinary technique, because while anyone can toss a ton of stuff into a blender, pour it out and call it cheese, these were cut with real talent. Some of the zucchini strands were over a foot long, longer than spaghetti comes and totally delivering on the fork-twirling side of things. The dish could have done with a larger serving of sauce, though. The neat balls seemed to be very similar to the nut meat in the taco wrap, and may have been the same thing.
The atmosphere in the place is at-home comfortable, although the seating is limited to maybe a dozen customers total at a time. Only one table is served by conventional hard wood chairs, while the chess board table (complete with pieces) is surrounded by large padded sitting chairs and the window booth is filled with cushions to form a pillow nest.
If you're really starved for a cooking after your meal, you can also try out the infrared sauna service offered along with a number of other alternative health practices such as energy healing and magnetic resonance stimulation. They even host workshops from time to time on subjects such as juice f(e)asting.
Rawlicious is one of the most alive places in the city, and while I could not possibly personally eat there every day, it is definitely an ideal to strive towards.
Discussion
27 Comments
Sort By Oldest First / Newest First
Subscribe
I should probably add that I used to live doors from Live and have eaten there often. They offer a mixed sampler plate for $11 (though they recently raised it to $16) and was an extremely filling meal. The pizza at Rawlicious (oh, how I hate that name!) was basically an appetizer at the price of a entree, which was unfortunate.
I also throw a lot of raw food parties myself, sometimes cooking for as many as 30 people. Many of the dishes on the menu at Rawlicious were similar to my own.
My friend had the zucchini pasta (a dish I've made for him myself many times) and loved it. It's very funny that you found the noodles the most impressive preparation as it's very simple to do with a machine (sometimes called a spiralizer or saladico) that can be had for $25. It's far easier to make the noodles than, say, the bread for the pizza, which is combined nuts and seeds and whatnot and then spread on a dehydrator and dehydrated for 24 hours or so.
Also, very odd, to me, that they're including the main stem of the collard in the wrap. I find them very tough and frustrating to eat and when I make them I strip the stem (splitting the leaf in two) and then wrap horizontally rather than vertically so I end up with spring roll sized wraps that aren't tough in the slightest.
If you're planning on going there and are only mildly hungry, I would advise you to get a drink and dessert instead of an entree. The desserts are made from the same ingredients (nuts and fruit and such) and are therefore just as healthy as the main dishes but are divinely sweet (with no added sugar) and more filling than 3 little pieces of dried flatbread with sprinkles of veggies.
.... but I do not love the slow and often forgetful service. As friendly and hip as they all are, none of them can serve to save their lives.
Now, I appreciate the casual, not-rushed-chill-out-for-a-minute dining experience as much as the next person. BUT, I also appreciate (and pay for, by the way) efficient service. And I'm sorry but Rawlicious just doesn't deliver on that.
I will return and enjoy their delicious concoctions again but on a take-out basis only.
F.
I too was a vegan (now vegetarian for many reasons) so I can understand the urge to carb-load in order to feel full. The "sleepy" response you feel after you indulge in carbohydrates could very well be an indicator of hypoglycemia - low blood sugar. How can you have low blood sugar after eating sugar? Sugar files into your blood stream after digestion which results in your #1 blood sugar regulating organ, your pancreas, to pump out insulin to make sure that the sugar gets into your cells to use for fuel. Still with me? Okay! If you are someone who is a lover of carbs, this happens one or twice a day, which tends to make your pancreas "touchy", or "overactive". The result? It puts out too much insulin, bringing your blood sugar levels right back down again. Effectively, this makes you tired.
Tips:
1) When you eat dried or fresh fruit, pair them with some nuts or seeds. This will help to keep your blood sugar steady meaning less tiredness and longer satisfaction. Protein takes longer to digest so pairing fruit - a quick-to-digest item, with it means you will last longer without needing to snack again.
2) Eat protein with every meal (nuts, seeds, legumes). This will make each meal more rounded and satisfying.
3) Carry snacks! Friends make fun of me for pulling out a bag of brazil nuts from my purse during an outing, but seriously, when your hungry you've got to eat! Be it celery sticks, carrots, apples, dried fruits or nuts and seeds, you will praise yourself for advance planning when your grumbling and in the midst of convenience food not tailored for holistic eating.
4) Are you getting enough chromium? Why? Chromium is an essential mineral needed in blood sugar regulation. Refined grains have had their hull removed, and are thus mineral deficient. So much so that they cannot be sold without chemical fortification. Eat whole grains. Also, romaine lettuce hails as containing excellent amounts. Have a salad!
Take good care and happy eating!
Katie Rosenberg, Nutritionist
otherwise, the rawzagna is absolutely awesome. and their raw ice cream tastes the same as the original stuff!
BTW- anyone interested in FREE VEGAN CUPCAKES should come on down to my show right across from HIBISCUS on Augusta Ave. this Friday July 17th, 2009. We will be there with a slew of homemade vegan treats...for vegans and non vegans alike, it's your chance to taste how treat like animal product free goodies can be!
xo jenny
THE VICIOUS GUNS
The service was pretty much non-existent. After waiting for what seemed like forever, we had to hunt down our waitress to order, then to ask for the dessert menu, and we gave up and paid at the cash after waiting 20 minutes after our meals were done.
The food was mediocre and portions were small, unsatisfying, and bland. I ordered the pizza entree, and what I got was two small pieces of pizza that should have probably been labeled as an appetizer rather than a meal.
We tipped out of courtesy, but felt that it wasn’t deserved, since we probably would’ve had a much better experience had we ordered from the counter and served ourselves.
We left unsatisfied, and don’t plan on returning. Hopefully others will have a better experience than us, and that Rawlicious will improve upon their service and meals.
Are you kidding? Vegetables DO have protein. This review is plastered with images featuring nuts and beans... two very obvious sources of protein.
I am definitely planning to dine here soon. I am not currently on a raw diet, but it seems like a really good way to go and I'm interested in learning more.
During a simple on-line search, I found the site attached above and do have a very serious question for you.
I noticed in the attached article that you have promoted local growers through your gardening program, which I do commend, HOWEVER this goes against many of your statements regarding organic foods.
Since they are being obtained from local growers I would have to assume that they are NOT certified ORGANIC. I cannot condone any operation that falsely promotes and I quote from your site "Raw food can take your health, your emotional happiness, your energy & vitality to a whole new level" when in reality your clients are potentially your unsuspecting victims of who knows what pesticide use from your uncontrolled vegetable acquisition.
HOW CAN YOU CHARGE ORGANIC PRODUCTS RATES for uncontrolled uncertified products?
Completely disgustedly yours,
Tanis