Blossoming Lotus Cafe
Thursday July 17, 2008 :: by Ingrid
If you are in, near or planning to visit Portland, Oregon, and are looking for a raw restaurant, do stop by Blossoming Lotus, an organic vegan café nestled inside a warehouse loft-style yoga studio in the Pearl District.
We arrived in the late afternoon, around 4pm; the café was full with relaxed customers leisurely enjoying their vegan meal. Our name was written down on the waiting list; 10 minutes later we were seated, with a choice of indoor and outdoor seating - we sat indoors.
Blossoming Lotus serves both live and cooked organic vegan dishes - an image of a pink lotus blossom immediately following the description and price indicates that it is a live or raw dish.
Before jetting over to Oregon, I scanned their online menu to have an idea of what I might try. I ordered a pineapple green drink and live pad thai. The pineapple green drink was what I expected - juiced greens, cucumber, and pineapple, so fresh, so good. The live pad thai was the spicy super star dish made with yellow squash noodles, julienned carrots, snow peas, broccoli florets, and fresh herbs, tossed in a live jungle peanut sauce. It was so tasty, even my husband and friend (who by the way are not vegan, nor raw) couldn’t resist taking multiple forkfuls from my plate. I ended the meal with a few tastes of the irresistibility gorgeous live strawberry shortcake.
The entire meal was satisfying and I am glad I found a new raw food café. In fact, I was searching for a raw food restaurant in the Portland area with no luck, until one of my raw food friends so kindly made me aware of its existence. Many thanks to you Blaq Berry!
Normally I offer photos of what I am writing about, in this case there are no photos of the delicious meal I enjoyed. Why? I left my camera in our room at the Bed and Breakfast Inn. However, I borrowed a few imagines from Blossoming Lotus website of other live dishes offered on their menu.
Live Wrap made with cilantro, lime pate, tomatoes, cucumber, sprouts, avocado, collard greens, with cashew sour crème.
Live Pizza the crust is made of buckwheat with live marinara, cashew cheese, and veggies.
Live Fudge made with raw cacao and spices.
Overall my experience was very good. The staff was pleasant, the service was good, the atmosphere casual, and the food was fresh, raw and delicious. Many thanks to Blaqberry who so kindly opened my eyes to another raw food eatery.
Besides dining in the café they offer other services and informational products. Luncheon delivery, take away, and catering service is available.
Located on the beautiful Hawaiian island of Kauai is the original and internationally acclaimed Blossoming Lotus restaurant.
The next time you are in Portland or Kauai, stop by and enjoy delicious vegan fare, you’ll be happy you did.
Visit Wikipedia for more information and history on Blossoming Lotus.
Comments
4 Comments so far
I have eaten at this restaurant too and found it to be amazing!! I also had the pad thai, but not the live version, just the vegan. It was very spicy, but I couldn’t seem to stop eating it. The desserts were great too. All in all, I look forward to eating here again.
Marilyn - thank you for your comment and feedback. I also look forward to eating there again next time I’m in the Portland area.
I’m so happy you all had a great time! That’s wonderful your husband and friend also enjoyed your meal. Doesn’t it feel great when that happens? :D
You wrote a splendid review of your experience. Thank you so much for taking the time to share it with us!
Blessings,
~BB
Dearest Blaq Berry - Both my hubby and friend are becoming more interested in raw food and as a result their diet consists of more raw food! Yes, it does feel great. I’m glad you like my review and happy you stopped by.
I’ve been there! It is soooooooo good! My hubby and I went there last year when we were visiting Portland and were amazed at the food. During our overnight stay we went there 3x. :)
Thanks for stopping by Heidi! 3 times!!! I certainly can believe it as the food is that good.
I have been to the one on Kauai many times. As a vegetarian, it is a spectacular place to eat. It is one of my favourite restaurants.
Jennifer - from the photos of the Kauai restaurant and what I experienced in Portland, I hope to dine at their Kauai location in the near future. Thank you for your feedback.