Find Your Bliss

The food is sexy and sophisticated at Victoria’s only 100-percent raw and organic vegan restaurant

I remember a time in my more idealistic youth when the idea of spending money on food for any reason other than physical nourishment seemed crazy. I now realize that food choices are legitimately guided by just about anything, from the desire for mental and spiritual health to the need to act on philosophical and political convictions to, well, taste—and, yes, to give your body a boost. At Café Bliss, Victoria’s only 100-percent raw organic vegan restaurant and juice bar, tick all of the above. Not only do you get the most bang for your buck in terms of health, it also appears that sustainability, ethics, joy, fun and adventure seem to be founding principals.

For drinks, sit at the beautifully handcrafted wooden bar to watch the good folks behind the counter bliss out with the blenders, utilizing only organic, freshly squeezed and pressed juices made fresh, fresh, fresh to order. Green juices (8oz $4/16oz $7.50) and fruit and vegetable juices (8oz $3.50/16oz $7) range from the refreshing Cecily (apple, cucumber, lime, lettuce, mint) to the unpredictable Doris (yam, carrot, apple, ginger, cinnamon). And for a loonie or two add rosehip powder, hemp oil, bee pollen, ginseng or any number of ingredients that probably only fellow raw foodists and other health enthusiasts would recognize (ginkgo biloba, Udo’s oil with DHA, etc.).

More delight comes in the form of creamy smoothies (16oz $7-$8) and mylkshakes (16oz $8) made from homemade almond “mylk” created with enzyme-rich sprouted almonds. We ordered the special green smoothie of the day—containing pear, apple, banana, cilantro and lime—and a simply gorgeous chocolate mylkshake. I expected more of a limey cilantro kick from the smoothie, which otherwise was velvety and delicious, but it was no match for the shake, which was thick and cold, suitably served with a spoon and full of the rich flavour of raw cacao powder and cashew cream. Who says raw food can’t be comfort food?

Speaking of which, you might not expect to get anything but cold cuisine here . . . but you’d be wrong. Sure, most items are on the cooler side, but we ordered a butternut squash soup ($6), subtly spiced, and heated to 115°F (beyond which naturally occurring enzymes are degraded or destroyed, thereby disqualifying it from the list of living or raw foods) and it was earthy, warm, rich and soothing.

From a small selection of cracker plates we chose the beautifully presented Mexican-themed Baja ($10) and were treated to huge triangular yam crackers and three dips: a finely pureed green salsa, an amazingly silky guacamole and a fabulous and creative version of faux sour cream made from cashew and macadamia nut cream, with additional flavours such as lemon and garlic. It was so smooth and creamy that we asked to take the last little bits home—they were just too good to waste. Crackers are a staple here, and are made from various mixtures of vegetables, seeds, herbs and spices which have been blended together and spread thin in a special raw-foodist-approved dehydrator that only heats it to a certain point so as not to remove it from the realm of the raw. The result is an almost crisp, thin layer of living goodness as versatile as any other cracker, and used as a crust for the Bliss pizza ($8)—a fun and healthful alternative, which this day featured a full-flavoured olive tapenade sauce, spinach, cucumber and quartered cherry tomatoes.

Salads (small $8, large $14) are served with a multiseed cracker and olive-oil-based “butter.” Our Sombrio salad was a substantial and colourful affair, containing a selection of greens totally unlike those thin, factory-farmed leaves from California that too often pass as organic greens. Dark green tenderized kale, organic arugula and soft B.C kelp provide the base upon which this West Coast wonder is built—freshly squeezed orange and miso dressing adds zest and zing, while garnishes include thinly sliced cucumber, daikon and red onion. Marinated shitake mushrooms, raw cashews and house pickled ginger top it off. As salads go, it was truly awesome.

If you’ve never considered living foods before, or passed off the raw-food movement as a passing fad, try putting aside your

preconceptions and go try it. The food at Bliss is as sexy and sophisticated as it is earthy and nutritious, and whether you are trying to impress a date or training for a triathlon, you’ll find plenty to get excited about here.

But, as they write on their menu, don’t blame Bliss if you go “running naked, laughing with casual joy, barefoot in the rain.” M

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Café Bliss
556 Pandora
Daily 9:30 am-5:30 pm
250-590-5733 cafebliss.ca