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Editorial Review
From attentive service to inventive ingredients Quintessence delivers the promises of the many raw food aficionados that tout its praises. The general level of care that went into the preparation of my meal, even eating solo at 10pm on a Wednesday, was nothing short of phenomenal. While sitting next to the counter at the back of the narrow, exposed-brick space, I had the pleasure of watching five or so lower east siders order their mid-week dinners to go. One woman in her late twenties told the waiter that she wanted them to juice her dinner because she was too tired to chew after two hours of yoga. They convinced her to walk away with a bowl of wild rice and hummus over mixed greens.
Grinning, I finished off the garlic wild rice from my Burrito Dinner ($15). Having previously considered a raw food diet, I always steered clear, unwilling to relinquish my mild obsession with brown rice to understand the raw ideology. Eating raw not only requires surrendering all processed food, but prevents heating anything over 108 degrees. This allows the enzymes in the food to remain intact for ready and easy absorption by your body. Meals are warmed, and dried but never cooked—so goodbye brown rice. But the wild rice at Quintessence, which is actually a seed, was nothing short of amazing. Of course, it was not cooked, but soaked overnight in water with a small amount of sea salt. It retained an earthy quality that was more nutty than it was starchy.
On my way out, feeling invigorated and curious, I stopped next door in the gift shop/bookstore/lecture spot for a book on living foods diets. As I was leaving, I heard a woman ask someone else, “So how raw are you?”
I, apparently, was not raw enough, as I needed a second trip to sort out just how raw I was planning on getting. And why not? With a regularly shifting menu and three locations, there’s always a new excuse to head to Quintessence. This time I stopped by the Upper West location, where the plants, vibrant greens, sunflower-like plates, and natural scenes adorning the walls will make you feel like you’re having a chic picnic.
My friend and I dropped by for a quick snack and decided to split the soft shell tacos ($8). Topped with refried beans, delicately marinated mushrooms and onions, and a dab of sour cream and hot sauce, they had all the traditional taste and feel without the guilt. Co-founder and head chef, Dan Hoyt, crafts a subtle flavoring for all the ingredients without losing the natural essence of each individual element.
Of course, my sweet tooth wasn’t going to let us walk away without a little indulgence. I just couldn’t resist trying a chocolate shake($8), made with raw cacao beans, which have only been imported legally in the last few years. High in caffeine and bromine (and sharing certain euphoric characteristics of a certain elicit substance derived from the cacao plant), raw cacao is said to be a natural aphrodisiac. Though there was little chance I was getting lucky that night, my dinner partner and I did notice the giggles come a little easier. Maybe I’m just that smooth. Maybe the rich cacao, blended to frothy perfection with fresh avocado was smoother. It’s tough to say. But what we could say for sure was that the lemon meringue pie ($8) was amazing. Creamy and just sweet enough—without the inclusion of any eggs, milk, or sugar—this slice of pie was a slice of heaven. It actually improved upon traditional lemon meringue, which tends to be overwhelmingly syrupy and tangy. I would come here if they only served dessert!
Quintessence creates a raw food menu that you wouldn’t suspect to be raw food. Tacos, tamales, pasta, and pizza are just some of the traditional dishes they take into the raw, and in many ways improve upon the original. You’ll leave feeling energized instead of logy, light instead of bloated, but most importantly you’ll walk away satisfied in taste and appetite. So stop by. After all, couldn’t we all stand to get a little more raw?
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Restaurant Information
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Raw Food
Vegan
Vegetarian
Vegetarian Friendly
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Global Fusion
New American
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$$$ ($21 -$29)
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M-Su: 11:30am-11pm
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Member Reviews -- Sorted by
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Showing: 1 of 2 | | User Rating: Highly Recommended | raw to please Posted by Swift on 6/27/05 | skeptical at first, as my vegan friend dragged me their. what amazed that raw food could taste that good, quite a dining experience to say the least
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Quintessence
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