True Food Kitchen is a Dream Come True

If the thought of a perfectly balanced meal made according to Dr. Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid doesn't entice you to make a reservation at True Food Kitchen, then believe me when I tell you that one taste of their edamame dumplings with daikon radish and white truffle oil will have you moving appointments around to make time in your schedule to come back for more. The cuisine is made from fresh and local produce, but the dishes are globally inspired. None of us girls had an easy time deciding between the wealth of choices tantalizing us from the lunch menu.

We ordered dumplings to hold us over as we pondered our options and negotiated shared plates. The edamame dumplings [$9] were smooth and luxurious since the dumpling revealed a delicately pureed soy bean within. It was creamy and rich and the faint hint of truffle was an aromatic joy to the senses. We were taken aback by the opulence of the dish and even my foodie friend, The Skinny Critic, was beside herself.

_The Thai shrimp dumplings with basil, mint, and jalapeno [$12] were also well received. The restrained flavor of the basil and mint complimented the sweet and spicy glaze of the sauce beautifully.

Red chili shrimp [$16] with sesame noodles, gai lan, red spinach and shitake mushroom was another Asian inspired hit. The noodle was delicious with the sesame flavors really enveloping the dish to create a luscious and buttery noodle slurping experience. The shrimp popped with flavor and freshness and the mushrooms were velvety and perfectly earthy. This was absolutely gorgeous and a stand out choice. 

Andy's favorite "TLT" [$12] is tempeh, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and mayo on whole grain bread. It's vegetarian and not exciting in the least.

The squash and ricotta ravioli [$13] is also vegetarian and comes topped with kale and Parmesan in a Maitake mushroom soy broth. The squash and ricotta was a light and fluffy filling for the ravioli and the mushroom broth was simply stunning. Very nice medley of earthy vegetables here with the squash, kale and mushroom flavors coming together.

The Mediterranean chopped salad [$10] with cucumber, olive, cherry tomato, quinoa, feta, Marcona almond and a lemon oregano vinaigrette was fresh with piquant bites of arugula. The almonds and quinoa brought a warmth of flavor to the sweet tomatoes and cucumbers. The feta and olive added a tangy element to the salad and the vinaigrette was both herbaceous and zesty. Great salad and you can always add grilled chicken or salmon if you want to make it more filling.

The open faced Moroccan chicken salad [$12] with jicama, grapes, cashews and greek yogurt had a curry flavor and was accompanied by a kale salad and chopped sweet potato and onion. The grapes were a nice sugary touch and the chicken was juicy. The salad on top had a squeeze of lemon to it which I greatly enjoyed but I have had much better chicken curry salad. This one was lacking oomph and color. The sides, however, were phenomenal. The kale was so tangy that it made my mouth pucker in happiness. And the chopped sweet potato with caramelized onions made a great juxtaposition to the kale. A reprieve from the wonderful torture of the lemon's acidity.

The dairy free, organic chocolate pudding [$6] with walnut and pistachios was thick and made from semi-bitter dark chocolate. Not sure how it tasted so creamy without any dairy, but it did. The pistachios were beautiful, and the bowl looked idyllic, like it was made with love, by someone who had gathered the nuts just for me, somewhere out in the forest, by a bubbling brook perhaps.

The flourless chocolate cake [$7] with 72% cacao, vanilla ice cream and caramel was too good to be true. It was gone before I could get a picture and was truly unbelievably decadent with the salty, hot caramel and the moist texture of the cake and it's lightly crispy and flaky exterior. I don't even like dark chocolate all that much, but I die for this cake.

True Food Kitchen is a dream come true. It's healthy and organic without sacrificing taste. They absolutely must open one in West Hollywood. That would be another dream come true for me.