REAL FOOD DAILY
516 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica CA
Real Food Daily was our first stop on our vegan LA food trip so you could just imagine how excited my friends and I were, especially after hours of long driving. It’s not really in LA, it’s in Santa Monica, but still close enough of a drive. The verdict? I have to say, Real Food Daily did not only disappoint, it wowed us.
My friend Rosie had the Not-chos , it’s gluten free and had “melted cashew cheese, black beans, pico de gallo, tofu sour cream, guacamole.”
I heard great things about this dish and now I know why. The Not-chos was super hearty with its generous layers of ingredients. It’s listed under the appetizer section of the menu but I think this will fill you up on its own. Heck, we were sharing and it was still very hearty for us!
I ordered the Under the Tahitian Moon, a gluten free dish that has “coconut risotto, seared chili-lime king oyster mushroom scallop, baby bokchoy, coconut curry cashews, red pepper couli, scallion”.
The coconut risotto alone was already a winner because of its mildly sweet-savory creaminess, then add in the rest, oh man, it’s like a symphony of awesomeness in every bite. It was nice touch to add some cashews for some crunchiness. How I wish someday I could get hold of its recipe.
My friend Jen had the Carribean Quesadillas, a soy free dish that has “Island coconut lentil purée, spinach, caramelized onions, pepperjack cheese, whole wheat tortilla with coconut cilantro cashew crème, mango salsa, guacamole, grilled plantains”.
We all shared dishes so I was lucky enough to have a taste of this dish. Usually when it comes to combo meals, there’s one you like and one that was either bad or just okay. This dish was not one of those. All of the parts won my taste buds. And with the sweet plantains, you don’t really need to order dessert. Actually, this was almost like a four-course meal all in one plate.
The facade of Real Food Daily.
The interior of Real Food Daily. Cozy, industrial, modern.
Real Food Daily also has smoothies if you’re not feeling like pigging out (like we did!). Here we had the Power Green (Macro Greens, kale, strawberries, banana, flax seeds, almond milk), and Banana Maca (Banana, maca, cinnamon, dates, hemp milk).
I was quite biased towards smoothies. I thought they’ll taste bitter or sour, only because that’s I how I usually make them at home. But these smoothies were rich, sweet, refreshing, and does not taste earthy bitter.
Look even their straws are compostable!My friends and I were so full that there was no room for dessert but I thought of snapping some pictures for the blog. This one was their Lemon Curd Tart.
Their variety of cupcakes on display.
SEED KITCHEN
1604 Pacific Ave., Venice CA
Going to the other neighboring city of Los Angeles, Venice Beach also has vegan places to offer including Seed Kitchen Restaurant.
I ordered the Tempeh Chorizo Tacos, which had “3 crispy corn shells, lettuce, pico de gallo, salsa, avocado”.
The vegetables in the ingredients were super fresh however I was a bit disappointed with the tempeh because it tasted a bit too “beany” in a mild bitter way. Probably I’m just not used to eating a low fat dish.
My sister tagged along with me and my friends. She ordered the Seitan Pepper Steak, which had “eric’s original seitan pepper steak with broccoli and carrots”.
Once again, the veggies like the carrots, kale, and shredded lettuce were enjoyable to eat because they were fresh and organic. The seitan was a bit too chewy though.
Jen had the Southwest Burger , which had “eric’s original bean & grain burger with lettuce, vegan soy cheese, guacamole and ancho chili spread”.
She said that the burger was super good and tasty. I heard that this dish was the most popular at this joint. If I come back to this place, I’ll order this one. The only thing she said was that the burger was sort of falling apart when she was was eating it. Otherwise, Jen said she enjoyed her meal.
(photo courtesy of Jen at @whollyvegan on Instagram)Rosie got the Saisai Donburi Macro Bowl, which had “kabocha, kale, shiitake, sea vegetables, bean sprouts, daily bean, sauerkraut and balsamic-miso sauce with tempeh”.
Rosie said she thoroughly enjoyed her meal. From the menu description, it seems like it’s a nice bunch of healthy ingredients that will make you feel energized and charged for the day. This dish is very fitting to its location, as Venice or Muscle Beach is known for its fitness-conscious vibe.
(photo courtesy of Rosie at @rose_petalz on Instagram)
In case you don’t know…
Interior of Seed Kitchen.
Counter of Seed Kitchen.We opted to sit outside so we could enjoy the weather.
VIVA LA VEGAN GROCERY EXPRESS
2723 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica, CA
After Seed Kitchen, we walked around Venice Beach then headed to Viva La Vegan Grocery Express.
Viva La Vegan is located in a small shopping complex so it was pretty easy to spot and there was ample parking.
We found some rare, one of a kind vegan products we were stoked about. Then of course there were also the popular kinds.
There was only one guy working at the store but he was super helpful.
Here we were, all happy with our vegan finds.
Please stay tuned for Part 3 of my vegan finds in Los Angeles (and it’s neighboring cities).