Sanna Tea Superfood Juice Bar Restaurant Review

At the corner of O’Connor and St. Clair located in the east end of Toronto, there is a tiny strip plaza containing several small businesses serving the local community. As an east ender myself, I had no idea what amazing proprietors awaited until I was fortunate enough to stumble upon the gem called Sanna Tea Superfood Juice Bar.

The word Sanna originates from the Latin word Sanus, which means health, sane and sound. Sanna is also the last name of the owner – Steve Sanna. Ironically, his last name symbolizes his passion in life, his business name and the name of some of his smoothies and juices: Sanna Banana, Sanna Flush. 

About the Owner

Steve studied bio chemistry, is a personal trainer, and self-taught health expert in the field of herbals and there healing properties. He has always been intrigued with aboriginal studies and how one can heal one’s self using herbs. This acquired knowledge and passion has led him to his current path of mixing and creating healing smoothies, juices, teas and fermented vegetables.

Steve’s goals are simple: he wants to heal, teach and educate people toward better living, health and wellness. His motto is: Live Longer, Live Healthier.

Sanna Tea and Superfood Juice Bar is a sanctuary of alchemy. All the juices, smoothies, teas and elixirs are made with 100% organic produce, and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Even the water used for his drinks and ferments is from locally soured spring water from Lakeridge and Algonquin Park.

The Menu

The menu offers a vast selection of wellness brews, aimed for preventative and restorative gains. I was lucky enough to sample a few of his delicious concoctions.

Superfood Fermented Drinks

Chaga Tea

If you’re like me, having never heard about chaga before, here’s a little information about this amazing superfood.

A little Lesson in Chaga

What is Chaga?

Chaga is a mushroom that grows over the course of many years on birch trees, sucking the life force and medicine out of the tree and making it bio-available to us humans via the mushroom. Unlike, most, other tree mushrooms, chaga grows on living trees.

Chaga is known to many as the King of the forest. It is one of the most praised superfoods. Among other health benefits, chaga tea is one of the richest sources of antioxidants in the world, containing not only some of the highest levels but also an exceptionally rare diversity of antioxidants. It is also alkalizing and an “adaptogen”, meaning that it works with your body’s unique constitution to bring you back toward balance. Chaga has been used for thousands of years by people in Siberia, Russia and other parts of Asia.

The fermented chaga resembled the smell, colour and taste of apple cider vinegar. It’s definitely an acquired taste, that takes time to get used to, but one worth developing considering all the health benefits it boasts.

Smoothies

There are six creative smoothies to choose from on the menu, I decided to try the Sanna Banana.

Sanna Banana

It comes in two flavours: chocolate and vanilla, and I opted to try vanilla. The smoothie contains banana, homemade almond milk, hemp seed, almond butter, dates, pure vanilla or cocoa and sea salt.

Smooth, rich, delectable and delicious are four words that best describe the Sanna Banana. It drinks like a milk shake, without all the guilt and calories.

Juices

Next I decided to try the Sanna Flush. All of the juices are cold pressed to maintain the integrity of the enzymes. Cold pressed juices also last longer (up to 3-4 days), while still maintaining a lot of their nutrient dense composition.

Sanna Flush

Cucumber, celery, kale and apple – the kale is home grown and comes from a neighbour’s garden who uses rock salt and sea salt to re-mineralize the soil. The juice was refreshing and uplifting. It felt as though every cell in my body was alive and buzzing.

For all of you interested in doing a juice cleanse, Sanna Tea Superfood Juice Bar offers a 3 day detox/rejuvenate juice cleanse program. For more information visit: www.sannatea.com.

Probiotic Vegetables

Perhaps the most impressive items on the menu are Steve’s selection of fermented, probiotic, vegetables. Highly sought after, Steve has been approached by several buyers to carry these products in their stores.

Unlike your regular, run of the mill, boring ferments, these items are truly gourmet and delicious. All of the ingredients are hand picked by Steve in the Rouge River Valley. Ingredients such as wild ginger, dandelion leaves and flowers, Jerusalem artichoke, horsetail, colt’s foot, burdock, garlic, mustard greens and fiddle heads are harvested with care and love to create these amazing products and give them their unique tastes.

The three flavours I sampled were: Green Supreme, Spicy Marinara and Sweet pepper, each of them having their own unique tastes and characteristics.

Due to their diversity and incredible tastes, each fermented vegetable can be used in a variety of ways: in salads, along-side main dishes, as accompaniments to appetizers or on their own.

I strongly believe that these fermented products have the ability to change the profile of how fermented vegetables are perceived and utilized. They are so good even the hardest critic will be won over.

When visiting Sanna Tea Superfood Juice Bar, expect not only exceptional products, but to be greeted with a smiling warm face. Steve Sanna is friendly, grounded, intelligent and passionate about what he does. He supports community and connectivity. His passion of helping people is seen in every aspect of his business.

After visiting Sanna Tea Superfood Juice Bar, you will leave feeling satiated, more knowledgeable, healthier and with having made a friend. I can’t wait until my next visit.

You can follow Sanna Tea Superfood Juice Bar on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

If you think you would like Sanna Tea Superfood Juice Bar let us know why in the comment section below. We would love to hear from you! Plus, let’s spread the word about this amazing establishment using the social media links below.