in the midst of a los angeles heat wave, and a very inconvenient power outage on my block, i found myself in santa monica trying to pass the time and keep cool. i had dinner plans in the area at 8:30, but had to head out much earlier, because sitting around in a sweltering house just wasn’t cutting it for me. i started drinking at around noon, and at around 3pm, the alcohol and heat started to get the best of me. i knew i needed a light snack to hold me over until dinner, so i grabbed my trusty blackberry and searched for the nearest vegan spot. it lead me to the doorstep of juliano’s raw.
spring rolls: pasta, shredded veggies & thai herbs wrapped in a scrumptious coconut curry wrapper served with a no-peanut thai sauce $8.31
greenomole & chips: best guac ever, groovin’ salsa & flax cracks $6.47
now, i’d read good things about juliano’s raw before…and i gotta say, it really hit the spot. don’t get me wrong, the portions were tiny, the service was slow, and it was overpriced—but on a scorching hot day, it was exactly the light, fresh, tasty food i needed.
i’d never been to a raw restaurant before, so i was met with a completely new and unique variety of tastes and textures. my favorite discovery was the flaxseed crackers. these were awesome…so much better than the fried tortilla chips i’m accustomed to.
they were great with the cool guac, flavorful salsa, and amazing sour cream substitute. i would definitely order this dish again, although it’s like twice the price of normal guacamole. hmmm. wonder what makes juliano think this stuff is so bloody special.
also delicious, the modest plate of spring rolls was gone in like 2 seconds! it’s unfortunate because they were so beautifully displayed, with colorful shreds of vegetables and seedy sprinkles. i almost wish i wasn’t so hungry, so i could have looked at them a little longer. (luckily, i had my camera!)
juliano’s atmosphere was pleasant, airy, and very santa monica. fortunately, i’m a freak and prefer to sit indoors while everyone else is crowed outside, so i got a pretty nice table with a lovely view of the cute restaurant.
and i’m pretty sure i even saw juliano himself sitting at the bar working away on his macbook!
while i don’t think i’ll be rushing back to juliano’s constantly to try everything on the menu, pure luck style, i definitely hope to return in the future. it was great for a change, and with the summer stretching out ahead, i predict i will have a craving for raw meals on occasion. if only it offered reasonably priced food and snappy service, i’d probably visit juliano’s A LOT more often.
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12:19 pm on May 26th, 2008
Those spring rolls look utterly gorgeous! I must try this place one of these days.
1:03 pm on May 30th, 2008
I’m very happy that you enjoyed Juliano’s! The spring rolls seem to have similar components to the curry entree I had during my first visit (thank you for linking to my site in this entry, by the way). I just wish, like you, that the prices were reasonable and the service satisfactory (the hostesses are usually wonderful, though).
6:54 pm on June 3rd, 2008
vegyogini: of course i linked to you! you are where i found out about juliano’s initially. i really thought the food was great. maybe they will improve those lacking areas someday