Ah, the typical life of a student: rushing from home to make it to class on time, grabbing a bag of chips or a can of pop to provide that much-needed energy boost for the day.
Sound familiar? Well maybe it’s time to make some changes! Check out “The Pulp Kitchen,” a quaint little restaurant on Queen Street East, specializing in vegetarian and health conscious cuisine.
Living on a budget and still eating right is hard for most students, so to kick off the year, here’s the first in a series of healthy-eating restaurant reviews, brought to you by two equally struggling students.
For all you burger and fries fans, don’t let this scare you away! You will treat your taste buds to a wonderful new experience of flavours. After two visits to the restaurant, we can say that while it is not especially close to campus, it is worth making the trip over for lunch or breakfast.
With metal-frame chairs and diner tables mixed with Japanese lanterns and modern décor, this restaurant is aimed towards our generation. The restaurant shirts on sale at the front are even the Classic Girl brand known for its fair-labour costs and high quality.
Upon entering, we were greeted with cheerful smiles and hospitable service. Our first visit was for breakfast, and what better way to start the day than with one of Pulp Kitchen’s juice blends? “Rise Up,” a brew of garlic, apple, parsley, carrot, and celery, was just the right amount of flavour and punch for 8 a.m.
Also on the menu are more fruity juices and shakes for those with vegetable-phobia. If you do want to try some veggie juices but are a little scared of the breath-changing spices, we recommend “Iron Beta Blast,” with carrot, beet, and ginger. As great as “Rise Up” was, be wary of the taste combination it makes with your meal. Once breakfast arrived and the sweet flavours collided with the not-so-sweet juice, the beverage seemed to lose some of its appeal!
The breakfast oatmeal was deliciously slow-cooked and heartily topped with raisins, vanilla, caramelized bananas, and pure maple syrup-an excellent combo. The spelt and cornmeal blueberry pancakes with fresh fruit and smooth banana cream were very enjoyable, but they were a little bit drier and had a heavier texture than the norm.
Lunch consisted of a whole wheat wrap with hummus and vegetables of the day, accompanied by mixed greens and baked home fries. Also sampled was the Almond Beet Salad, dressed with an acidic vinaigrette that combined well with the sweetness of the cranberries and roasted flavour of the almonds. All the ingredients were noticeably fresh and of exceptional quality.
For dessert, the “Un-Cake” was an interesting treat. This deceptively filling cheesecake-like square has a bottom layer made from coconut and a topping of puréed dates mixed with coconut cream for a dairy, egg and soy-free dessert. Yes, it sounds like a disaster but it was a delightful treat, whether you’re vegan or not.
