When I first heard of Rawlicious, like most people I thought about green salads, beautifully sliced veggies and maybe a fascinating hummus. I was curious about how one could create a whole menu plan around a ‘raw’ theme, AND go vegan to top it off. I secretly suspected that I’d graciously enjoy my meal there, and head home to a slice of my new favorite life changing loaf of bread with a dollop of coconut oil to satiate me. Stick with me to find out what really happened. Promise to give you the whole truth, and nothing but.
Meet the Fabulous Chefs
Angus Crawford is the founder of Rawlicious, but it would not be what it is today without the superb essence of his partner, Chelsea Clark. (She is the Lois to his Kent.) The couple believe in the healing qualities of whole, nutritious, and organic foods. Since they’ve made the switch to adding more raw in, they’ve both experienced excellent health, an influx of energy and clarity of mind. It fuels them for following their passion of creating extraordinary ways to keep their menu fresh and vibrant.
Rawlicious has expanded in the last few years. This resto is trending! They believe that the success of Rawlicious is due to their fans, who relish in their revivifyingly raw vegan meals. Each of their six locations has their own unique flair. I love the elegant space at their Bloor West spot, bright and spacious with eye-catching local art and a baby grand, if you’re inclined to play a little number. I’ve also been to their Markham location with a cozy lounge and wood burning stove. Looking forward to flying Porter and visiting their recently opened location in Soho, NYC. Why not? Locations also in Yorkville, Barrie, Guelph (opening soon!). Thinking of owning? They’ll even franchise. Click here for more information.
Rawlicious Undressed
Some of you may be wondering, “why go raw?” A raw food diet is about eating mostly uncooked and unprocessed plant foods. This includes: fresh vegetables, and fruits, raw nuts and seeds, sprouts and beans. As a holistic nutritionist, I’ve learned that the benefits of eating more raw foods are amazing.
118°F and Under
Firstly, raw foods are considered ‘raw’ if they are not cooked over 118°F. This is the magic temperature where cooking beyond it breaks down the nutrition and live enzymes essential for all the chemical processes in the body, especially digestion. Raw foods have (live) enzymes that are invaluable to the digestive process. They help break down components of food so your body can absorb them. Cooking them destroys these enzymes, and most of the nutrients. Have you noticed what happens to your glowing green kale when you steam it? It turns brown-ish, right? And there are all of the nutrients hanging out in the steam water, no longer a part of your dinner. Sigh.
Alkalinity
The second benefit to eating more raw foods is that it helps the body maintain its alkaline (aerobic) state; the place it thrives in! The more oxygen we get from our foods the more health we experience. Bring on the green juice! For more info on this check out: TNL’s 7 day cleanse. Less acidity means more vibrancy.
Who’s hungry?
The Menu
The menu is a seasonal offering of organic juices, appetizers, salads, wraps and entrees all made to order to ensure the freshest quality possible. Just when you thought raw vegan was the top of your wellness reach, the menu is also gluten and sugar free.
Drink This
I had just come from Yoga practice, and my cells were crying out for some green juice rejuvenation. I choose the Ginger Love with beet, apple, carrot and of course ginger, and sipped myself into vibrancy! I’ve discovered one benefit to juicing (although there are hundreds) and that is the instant upload of nutrients to the cells. Although you may not be getting all of the fiber (that you would if you tossed the whole mess into a blender), juicing is like filling the tank fast with vitamins and minerals. You can’t help but to feel the difference. I so recommend it! I love that they served filtered tap water (they thought of everything). They also have a unique selection of smoothies, juiced cocktails and a couple of organic wines.
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The View
I love the Bloor Street location as you can easily get a glimpse of your food being prepared in their open style kitchen. If you catch a seat at the bar, you’ll feel as if you’re in an (un)cooking class, front row (RAW) centre! Rawlicious doesn’t have a chef. Each server is skilled at preparing your meal which means it comes to you fresh a la carte, so be kind to your server! You may have to wait an extra few minutes to get your food, more time for catching up with a friend or taking in their local art on expansive walls.
Spring Rolls
I started my tasting with Chelsea’s favorite spring rolls: purple cabbage and carrot in bed with fresh mint, basil and cilantro wrapped tight in rice paper served with a killer Thai dipping sauce. Dip, crunch, yum!
Flatbreads!
Next I tried their herb & onion flatbreads slathered with a dill cashew cheese and adorned with ripe cherry tomatoes and caramelized onions. Delicate and delicious.
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Salads
I could hardly believe their Caesar salad was vegan, and I still wonder how they got their croutons to taste so croutony, and be gluten-free. The mystery remains.
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Zucchini Pad Thai – A Top Favorite!
Next I was offered the most popular ‘Zucchini Pad Thai’ with kelp noodles. A generous portion well dressed with a savory Thai cashew cream sauce. Every now and again I would get a delicious crunch of shredded romaine hearts or the tossed-in cashews. Loved the texture and it’s fun to eat with chopsticks.
Taco Wrap
I have to say my all time favorite was the Taco Wrap. Dense and delicious nut loaf with nuts, seeds, veggies, herbs & spices wrapped in a collard green topped with fresh guac, salsa and an almond nut cheese. I flagged down my server and asked, how did you do this? You’ve really got to try it to believe how amazing this is!
Rawlicious Kitchen Tools
She kindly explained that there are a few tools in the Rawlicious kitchen that help make the magic happen. A Vitamix was one (for their own sauces and dips) the spiralizer was another (to create the zucchini noodles in the pad Thai) and every raw chefs secret weapon: the Excalibur dehydrator. The ‘nut loaf mixture’ was placed on a rack for over 8 hours not exceeding 118°F. Then sliced, and served.
Time for dessert!
I was thankful I had got my asana to yoga this morning and even more grateful that I had not openly shared my belief that one could not be truly satisfied at a ‘Raw’ restaurant (boy was I wrong!!).
Chocolate Brownie with Vanilla Icing
I was given a tasting of the Chocolate Brownie with Vanilla Icing. Shazzam! This brownie packs a punch of raw cacao, coconut and agave. Don’t forget, everything is gluten, sugar & dairy-free. Detox approved!
Raw Cheesecakes
Chelsea is the queen of raw cheesecakes, selections change weekly. Flavours to watch out for are her: chocolate banana, lemon & coffee.
A Holistic Nutritionists Final Verdict on Rawlicious
Rawlicious was a game changer for me. I’m a huge fan and you will be happy to know that when leaving Rawlicious I was full and satisfied, no need for loaf bread when I got home! They helped me discover that there is a whole new world of raw food preparation. From Kale Chips to Nut loafs, Rawlicious is a healthy dose of culinary inspiration. Chelsea admits that she thrives on taking old favourite cooked dishes and discovering new ways to make them raw and delicious.
I highly recommend trying out Rawlicious for lunch or dinner or take them up on their 5 Day Raw Food Cleanse where they prepare your breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack & dessert daily for 5 days. Click here to visit their website for scheduling.
This review was written by the always vibrant, always caring holistic nutritionist and founder of Dwell In Well, Esther Epp. We at The Naked Label can’t get enough of Esther’s positive energy, holistic nutrition expertise, personal training programs, and passion for health and wellness of all those around her. She goes the extra mile! We know you will LOVE her, so be sure to follow her here: Dwell In Well.
Have you been to Rawlicious? Share your thoughts about your experience & tell us about your favorites in the comment section below! If you know of anyone else who enjoys eating healthily and happily, or could benefit from hearing more about Rawlicious (raw food & desserts) or juice cleanses, please share this review with them on the facebook & twitter links below so they can benefit too – win win!
