When I get the opportunity to head into London on my own I embrace it. No kids, no one but myself to please and entertain for how ever long it may be before I have to return to reality. It means I have no one to think about but myself, and if I want to take myself off the beaten path and experience something that I know Leo would turn his now up at... I can!
Today I am in London following a event last night. I spent the night as I am due at a sport event in London this evening, I decided to treat myself to a raw lunch in the capital to help kick start my day and ultimately spoil myself.
Earlier this year I visited the Raw Food Cafe over in Covent Garden upon Deliciously Ella's recommendation, it was such a fantastic meal that I vowed I was going to try some of the others on Ella's list.
As I write this I am sat in Nama which is over in Notting hill (the nearest tube station is Notting hill Gate, about a 14 minute walk away to Nama).
Nama is a raw food restaurant that is entirely gluten free, vegan and raw. All of the ingredients used are organic where possible and isn't heated above 45c.
It's just after 12pm when I walk in, it's a Thursday but there are still quite a few people around. It's quite a rustic place and I really like the look of it. It's bigger than the Raw Food Cafe, with seating out to the back and even carried on downstairs. I am shown to a table and provided with a jug of cucumber water. Anywhere that does this is a winner in my eyes! I usually only drink water, so to have this provided in such a tasteful way as a rule of thumb goes a long way in my book.
I open the lunch menu and I instantly know that I am going to have a big decision on my hands... What do I want? All of it! I was immediately drawn to the Mexican Wrap, the Pad Thai. Italian Pizza, Pad Thai and Italian Pasta.. So 4 out of the 6 items on the lunch menu then!
I finally made a decision and set my sights on the Italian Pizza with a side of Kale Chips. I haven't actually tried Kale Chips before so I was excited to see exactly what they were all about. The food didn't take long to arrive and it all looked so tasty.
The pizza is served cold, but it is incredibly delicious. It didn't take me long to work my way through it. The Kale Chips are also served cold and are incredibly moorish. It was like eating a healthier alternative to a packet of crisps, you wouldn't for a second think that you were eating Kale because it has so much flavour.
I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and couldn't pass up the opportunity to have dessert. What I really love about raw food is that you know that everything you are putting in your body is good for you, but it tastes as good if not better than eating food that tantalises the taste buds, but is not fueling your body in any way shape or form.
So the dessert decision took a while... Did I want the famous Blueberry Cheese Cake? The Chef's Special or a selection of sweet treats!?
The chefs special of the day was a caramel pecan pie, but I decided to go for a selection of sweet treats so I could enjoy a few different things. I don't ordinarily order dessert when I dine out because usually I am not in a raw food establishment where everything is packed full of amazing superfoods! Of course when one does wander into a raw food establishment such as Nama, one needs to indulge...
I was already hoping that they had a selection of cakes and goodies to take away at the end of the meal.. You know for the journey home later this evening. One of the employees confirmed that you could indeed purchase cakes and goodies to take away... And I knew that I wouldn't be leaving without some!
The selection of treats turned up quickly, and my favourite had to be the mint truffles, they were just perfection. I didn't really like the energy bar, but out of a whole host of different treats, I thou rightly enjoyed everything else.
I really am a raw food convert these days, I absolutely love it. I can't believe that once upon a time if someone had said 'come on Laura, try this vegan restaurant' I would have turned my nose up and point blank refused! All I can say is, if you are ever in the area, pop in and give it a try because you will be so pleasantly surprised.
As I was sat in Nama it got even busier over the hour and a half that I was there, this hidden gem is obviously well known in the area and with good reason!
I can't wait for my next visit, I just wish that there were some similar options closer to home so that I didn't have to wait so long to treat myself to a tasty, healthy raw food lunch.