Restaraunt Review - Gorilla Food

As much as I have issues with using the terms 'vegan' and 'vegetarian' due to the assumptions people make about such labels, lifestyle choices, desired consumption of food, I know that any funny looks the use of such words to describe myself might solicit would be utterly mild in comparison to using the term 'raw foodist'. If veganism is on the fringes of mainstream - baffling to most people but understood in theory by many - rawfood sits in the stratosphere of the simply bizarre. And I admit, I've been one of the ones who thought, 'Rawfood only? What the....!??'

That being said, with the recent changes in my diet (I never thought I'd be cooking/baking almost primarily vegan food at home), in the spirit of shrugging off labels and searching for delicious healthy cuisine, my curiosity surrounding raw food diets has piqued. And I'm not talking about salad. It's dishes such as rawfood pasta (derived from zucchinis, or butternut squash), and rawfood baked goods ("baked" at 108 degrees f) that get me curious. I can accept that it's very healthy and good for your body. What I've always wondered though, is whether or not it tastes good.

Enter Gorilla Food. Blink and you might miss both of the locations on Richards street between Pender and Hastings. I first noticed their take away window a few weeks ago when strolling by on my way home from work, and have been curious ever since. After all, it's not often that you see the words, "Vegan, Organic, & Raw" associated with takeaway food. I'd been meaning to go back since seeing it, and the discovery of a coupon in my GreenZebra book sealed the deal.

I set out with Stephen yesterday afternoon, headed in the direction of the takeaway window, only to discover a sign pointing us in the direction of their newly opened seated restaraunt, only a few doors up. We ventured down some stairs, into small well lit joint with great music (reggae, hip hop, Jack Johnson) and beautiful but simple design - simple natural looking materials, art on the walls, great lighting.

We ordered 3 dishes - Thai Wraps to start, Pesto Pizza, and Zucchini Linguine with Cashew Alfredo Sauce. Our coupon got us a free juice, smoothie, or shake of our choice. We chose the Strawberry Zing. And of course, we had to photograph the event...

The wraps came first - and they were amazing. Veggie pate and coleslaw wrapped in crunchy kale leaves with a subtly spicy and not too sweet raisin chutney. Perfect texture, surprisingly fresh flavors. Not what you would expect based on the name and description on the menu - but in no way disappointing, which had us feeling very optimistic on the main courses...

The pasta was incredible. The texture of the 'zucchini noodles' was bang on, and the accompanying salad came with a deliciously creamy avocado ginger dressing. The pizza was interesting - a sprouted seed dehydrated crust, topped with tomato sauce, pesto, and walnut crumble 'cheez'. I personally found it delicious - but Stephen disagreed. He didn't like the taste of the uncooked tomato paste, and isn't a huge fan of walnuts. That being said, we did agree that the pesto was fantastic, and that all of the items on the menu held promise for things to come once the place is open long enough to allow the menu time to develop.

It was the type of place I could imagine crowded to standing room only while someone plays guitar and bangs on a djembe in the corner, candle lit and filled with the murmur of friendly conversation, while everyone sips on the fresh fruit and veggie drink of their choice. And while that may sound overly hippie and dreadlocked, the crowd we ate with at 4pm on a Saturday was both dreadlocked and fresh haired, and utterly unpretentious. A great place for an interesting date, to take an out of town-er, or to relax and enjoy an utterly healthy and delicious living food meal.

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