Photo courtesy of True Foods Kitchen

San Diego’s Fashion Valley mall has a new restaurant and it promises to WOW!

Thursday, Mr. Bear and I had a VIP reservation to try out True Food Kitchen before their official grand opening. (They open TOMORROW, July 2nd.) I was excited because we were able to have a sit down meal, without the interruptions of a six year old. Those meals are few and far between!

When we arrived, we could smell the fresh herbs and fresh produce the moment we walked to the hostess podium. The atmosphere is light, airy, and inviting. We were greeted by a friendly and helpful staff, then taken to our seats. We were immediately impressed by the spacious dining spaces and the warm environment.

I ordered the Cucumber-Citrus Skinny Margarita, which had so many different refreshing tastes and flavors. Mr. Bear ordered a Berry Cup, which was light, sweet, and tasted a bit like a smoothie.

Cucumber-Citrus Skinny Margarita
Photo courtesy of Laura Lohr

For a starter, we ordered the Salmon Sashimi and it was so fresh and delicious, it was almost like candy. The presentation of everything was so inviting and appealed to our every sense. The sashimi melted in our mouths. YUMMMY!

Albacore Sashimi
Photo courtesy of Laura Lohr

For our entrées, I chose the Fish tacos with cotija cheese, tomatilla salsa, sour cream, and pickled onion. The beans were so perfectly prepared. I usually skip the beans when we go out to eat, but these had such a wonderful texture and taste, I am glad I did not skip them! They were so good and filling. The fish was light and flaky. Oh, my goodness! So good! Mr. Bear ordered Organic Tomato and Roasted Kale Pizza. I was a bit surprised with his choice, as he is never a very big fan of kale. This pizza, however, was so darn good! The server explained to us that the kale is first soaked in lemon juice, so it makes the kale a lot less bitter. The crust was just the right crispness and the kale was the right saltiness.

Fish Tacos with cotija cheese, tomatilla salsa, sour cream and pickled onion
Photo courtesy of Laura Lohr

We finished up our meal with the Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp. It was the perfect ending to a delicious meal. The combination of all the flavors was sinful. So, so good! It was served hot, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream piled on top. Mr. Bear and I shared it and I was glad. I would have liked to try everything on their meal, yet I was so full, I could not think of eating anything else.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Photo courtesy of Laura Lohr

The best part about the True Food Kitchen is that everything is prepared with optimal health in mind. Their focus is sustainability, simplicity, freshness, and healthy eating. We were told by another server that even their furniture is made with concern for sustainability. The chairs are made our of plastic bottles (I seem to remember something about over a hundred plastic bottles). You can choose from a variety of vegetarian recipes and they cater to those that require gluten-free preparation. The place was wonderful when you love having friends over for drinks or delight in throwing entertaining cocktail parties because of its bar outdoor aura. Thanks to Lavita Outdoor Bar Settings!

Dr. Weil’s Food Pyramid, based on his Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Photo courtesy of True Food Kitchen
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Information on True Food Kitchen

Here is information directly from their website:

A Balanced Approach for Optimal Health

Our entire menu is centered on the principals of Dr. Andrew Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Food Pyramid.

According to Dr. Weil: “Following an anti-inflammatory diet can help counteract the chronic inflammation that is a root cause of many serious diseases, including those that become more frequent as people age. It is a way of selecting and preparing foods based on science that can help people achieve and maintain optimum health over their lifetime.”

For more information, view Dr. Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid or visit Dr. Weil’s website.

This is a restaurant that we will be putting on our list of favorites. Everything was fantastic, from the service, to the food, to the restaurant environment itself. If you live in California or Arizona, look for a True Food Kitchen near you! Also, check out their website, where they have many recipes to share!

Disclaimer: We were offered a free meal to try True Food Kitchen. However, the opinions expressed are my own not influenced by any form of monetary compensation or services. I only recommend products and services that I believe in and that my readers may be interested in.