It’s time for you to hop in your car and take a drive to Kitchener, Ontario for a bite to eat at one of my new favourite restaurants, PURE Juice Bar + Kitchen! If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you may have noticed that I am in love with smoothie bowls and make them quite frequently at home for myself. I heard of this new juice bar and kitchen that opened in the autumn of 2014 and knew that I needed to make the trip to give their smoothie bowls a try – and other things on the menu as well, such as one of their cold pressed juices, but I will come back to that later on in my review. We were assisted through the menu and a bit more information about the restaurant by Evelina and it made the dining experience all the more informative and enjoyable. This is definitely a place for all sorts of people, offering food to not just one specific type of foodies. Vegans, healthy eaters, regular lunch people… everybody really has an option to choose from in this restaurant! They have a full menu to choose from and a display case of other fresh pre-made lunch options and treats to choose from, as well as their smoothies, juices, coffee, and tea to drink. Let me get started by talking about the meal that I got to sit down and enjoy with Matt…
The star of the meal was definitely the Vitality Energy Bowls. They had a list of different smoothie bowl options, all with their own specific additions to a regular smoothie bowl base, and when Matt and I headed there for lunch we decided on getting the Energy and Power bowls. Both were extremely delicious, but I preferred my Energy bowl a tiny bit more because it was a little bit sweeter (hello bee pollen and coconut milk!) compared to the tartness that you could taste in the Power bowl (pineapple had its shining moment in this one). I will admit that this smoothie bowl put my homemade versions to shame. I’m not giving up on making them at home by far, but I definitely need to find a few extra ingredients to make it as good as this one. The granola that is made in house was possibly the best granola I have ever eaten and I was sure to buy a package of that to take home with me. I will likely be returning every time I run out of granola and to remind myself how good that Energy bowl was. Sure I was shivering while eating it, but I knew that was bound to happen while eating this cold treat. The best part about these smoothie bowls is that it feels like you are eating an unhealthy dessert, but really it’s only made with healthy ingredients. I’m quoting Matt for this comment when he said, “This is better than ice cream, and you know how much I like ice cream!” He completely understands why I am obsessed with making them at home now. When the warmer weather returns, I can see this place having a big line-up waiting to order these smoothie bowls. I’m craving another smoothie bowl again while thinking about it right now.
The part of the meal that really surprised us was the Healthy Avocado Pure Grain Bowl. This dish is made up with oven roasted chicken, spicy corn, black beans, avocado, grape tomatoes, aged white cheddar, kimchi, fresh jalapeños and hot sauce, cilantro, and a lime wedge served on a base of quinoa. We were warned about the sauce in this dish had a bit of a kick to it, which we thought would be fine, but we did not take how weak we are when it comes to anything spicy. Even after removing the jalapeño peppers we definitely had a battle with the “kick” of the hot sauce. Despite breathing fire for about ten minutes, this dish was still really delicious and I could definitely see people that enjoying a spicy dish enjoying this one. Next time I’ll be sure to order something a little bit more on the mild side of the menu. Best quinoa dish I’ve ever had though, I will say that!
PURE Juice Bar + Kitchen also have their own line of cold pressed juices that they sell individually and as part of a juice cleanse! Some people will know that I’ve been considering trying out a juice cleanse for the past while, but I’m still on the search for the cleanse that will win above the rest. It would likely take testing out a few of them before I find the one I like the most. They are a pricey thing to invest in, but the amount of preparation, supplies, and work that goes into creating each juice is quite the process, which makes the price seem completely reasonable in the end. If it is possible to test out a juice or two from a full cleanse before committing, it will makes the decision a little bit easier. I picked up one of the cold pressed juiced before I left and went home with the Boost juice, made of lemon, cayenne, and filtered water. The cayenne definitely has its way int he flavour, and maybe not the best drink for me after the meal I just ate, but is definitely one to consider because it does help with metabolism boosting, weight loss, and aids the circulatory system. I think I would have to try one other juice from their range before considering this cleanse, but it’s definitely still in the running!
Lastly, Matt and I left with a coffee and a tea, which ended up being amazing as well. They use coffee from Social Coffee, and tea flavours from Tealish, both Toronto based companies. It was the perfect end to the meal and the two of us left with full and happy stomachs, and already have an eagerness to return next time that we can find the time! I might even get one of their booster shots next time and give that a try for an extra healthy approach to my meal. If you want to go check out their menu on their website, click here to start drooling over what they have to offer. They have a few social media links as well to check out menu item photos and more information on what they have to offer. Everything is very reasonably priced and I plan to try out a lot more things on the menu throughout time. It’s completely worth the drive and I will be sure to return in the very near future – I need to keep stocked up on their granola anyways!
Do you have any places that you think I should check out? Leave me a comment below and I will be sure to add it to my list and venture around to review more places for you in this blog series that I shall refer to as “Taste & Talk”. I’m really hoping this helps to expand the lifestyle portion of this blog for people that want to come here for topics other than beauty.
