Earlier this week, Bianca and I were invited to check out Zaka Bowl.
Zaka Bowl is a build-your-own veggie bowl restaurant that is 100% vegan. There are no appetizers or desserts.
The design, from the decor to the logo is spare, without frills — a visual nod to the menu with its emphasis on whole foods. 
But don’t equate this with boring or flavorless. Guests can choose such veggies as smoked portabella, an excellent roasted tofu, mustard herb cauliflower, lemon-garlic broccoli, and sesame eggplant to build on a base of either zucchini noodles, quinoa, wild rice, or spinach. Garnishes include charred corn, roasted beets, edamame, pineapple pico, and rosemary carrots. All this topped by sauces — creamy avocado, green tea vinaigrette, coconut curry, sriracha bbq, sesame soy vinaigrette, and Zaka sauce (a spicy mayo).
There are two featured bowls, and the owner says he’s thinking about creating more. I went with the Zaka Zen with the broccoli, tofu, eggplants, carrots, beets, and pico. I thought it sounded perfect for the recently cooled weather, and it was. Earthy with dashes of sweet from the pico and the beets, and totally filling. Try as I might, I couldn’t quite finish the bowl.
Bianca went the build your own route and chose quinoa, tofu, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, beets, carrots, and jicama slaw with the Zaka sauce. She also got a mango pineapple lemonade — very tart and very fresh!
I have to say I’m sold on this concept — to eat well and simply with no loss of taste.
Bowls top out at $11.
