review: M Cafe de Chaya

 

by Amy Swanton Mills

Let me just say that I am not a macrobiotic, but am all in favor of any place that promotes fresh, healthy, organic ingredients.  M Café De Chaya definitely fits that description and they should be commended for it.  That said, I must disclose that I bring a certain prejudice to this review, as I find certain things delicious that macrobiotics wouldn’t even think of letting cross their lips.  This list includes, but is definitely not limited to, prosciutto, vanilla lattes with milk from a cow, and hamburgers.  So, for those of you who are on the same page as me, this review will probably be helpful to you.  For those of you who are macrobiotics, probably not so much, as I would imagine this restaurant is pretty much the crème de la crème of macrobiotic options.

I have nothing against the macrobiotic thing, am game to try just about anything, and I like the idea of a light and healthy lunch. Thus, how I ended up at M Café de Chaya.  I ordered the tuna tataki salad, a side of fries, and a mint green tea.  My lunch companions ordered sushi and a black cod teriyaki bowl.  The salad was good, and I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor on the fries.  They use seaweed as a seasoning, which gives the fries a delicious, yet unexpected, flavor.  The salad was good, though a little light on dressing and tuna.  I think that is part of the macrobiotic approach, though, where you eat more grains and vegetables than anything else. The teriyaki bowl looked to be the most substantial item on the table, with a generous helping of brown rice.  

I felt full after my meal and slightly proud of myself for eating so healthy.  If I was forced to go macrobiotic or lose weight, this place would be a wonderful treat, but I have to confess that I felt a little cheated.  I know that sounds bad, but I really can’t get behind spending $20 on a lunch that tasted a little unsatisfying.  Don’t get me wrong, if I had a friend who was a vegetarian, or macrobiotic, I would highly recommend this place for the variety and creativity of their menu and I wouldn’t be upset about returning. However, I have a lot of other places with a more diverse and delicious menu that I’ll return to first.

Amy Swanton Mills

 

Welcome to new contributor Amy Swanton Mills

A Los Angeles based designer and writer; Amy is the founder of Glamour Goes Green, a boutique interior design and home furnishings business devoted to vintage and green furniture and accessories. Prior to this, Amy was an in–house designer and sales associate at Grace Home Furnishings, one of the most glamorous and unique furniture stores in Los Angeles. She began her design career with post-graduate work at UCLA and Harvard, and honed her writing skills with a degree in English and History from UCLA. She is passionate about changing our culture of disposability and waste, and seeks out simple tools everyone can use to live more sustainably. She strives to find and support companies who are sustainable, organic and eco-minded.