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| - A raw vegan menu doesn't necessarily scream "Tasty!", but I like a bit of adventure with my food. Especially if there's a "good for me" factor and it fits in the Elimination Diet. So, I opened my arms (and mouth) in an effort to embrace this healthy lifestyle and their food.
It all began when my girlfriend and I planned to meet for dinner. With her in Burlington and myself in Toronto, we picked a central meeting point - good ol' Port Credit. After hours of restaurant research, the plan was to stop by Raw Aura for an appetizer, then escape for Mexican. Before we knew it, we had devoured 2 apps, 2 entrees, dessert plus a few glasses of wine (at least they've got wine!). We never made it for Mexican. I've been planning to head back since, and being on this gluten/dairy-free thing gave me an excuse.
THE MENU: I was pleasantly surprised by the range of menu options. There are approx 12 apps and 12 entrees to choose from and prices range from $8 to $12. EVERYTHING on the menu is uncooked, gluten-free, dairy-free, meat-free and an added bonus, ORGANIC! They also haven't forgotten about our friends with common allergies. MANY items are soy and nut-free.
Our Order: When you first glance at the items below you're probably thinking "Holy cow, that's a lot of food for two people". I actually went to Raw Aura again with Keith (since it's Elimination Diet friendly), so I'm merging the two meals in this review to give you the bigger picture.
The Appetizers:
Orchard Salad ($12) - Kale, slivered apples and sun-dried tomatoes were the key ingredients. I'd never thought of having kale raw (one of the healthiest veggies by the way) but that's what gives this dish its cleansing quality. I swear I heard my body thanking me while eating this. The texture is odd at first but you get used to it, and the flavor makes up for it. This gets a 7/10.
Nori Roll Platter ($12) - Overall an 8/10. I love avocado (and you know how I feel about sushi) so no surprise this was a winner. The dipping sauce remains a mystery, but a nice complement. I learned afterwards that the "sushi rice" was actually sunflower seeds & almond ginger. Could have fooled me! It comes with 8 pieces but we were left with 2 when I remembered to take the photo to the left. THAT'S how good it was.
The Mains:
Pizza ($9) - This was #1 in our books (excluding dessert). An 8.5/10. Remember, this place is gluten-free. Crust included. The 2 slices were topped with sun-dried tomatoes, peppers, cashew and tomato sauce. As you can see, the crust is grainier than your usual Gino's pizza because it is made with sprouted buckwheat. The thought of grainy pizza might not sound appealing, but trust me, it's good. Heck, trust Keith! He is very particular about his pizza and he picked this as his fave.
Buckwheat - Don't let its name fool you. Buckwheat belongs to the rhubarb family and contains NO wheat whatsoever. Rice is typically the go-to when it comes to avoiding gluten, but little did we know that the alternative kicks its butt. Buckwheat has more than 3x the iron, calcium, fiber, and potassium. Buckwheat is also just shy of being a complete protein (containing 8 out of 9 essential amino acids), making it a protein powerhouse in comparison to wheat and rice. Buckwheat pancakes are calling my name!
"Lasagna" ($12) - I gave it a 6/10. Interesting, but didn't excite me like the others. Unlike the pizza and ravioli, not sure this deserves "quotes". Hardly looks or tastes like "lasagna", so it may have been better off named "the veggie stack" or something. Strips of zucchini replaced the standard noodle in this dish, which is smothered with the same cashew and tomato sauces used in the aforementioned. Keith and I agree that we would have ranked this higher had we known it was served cold. Not room temperature, but cold-ish. We warned the table next to us and that made the difference - they really liked it. Now you have the heads-up, so go ahead and enjoy!
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