True Food Kitchen (Palo Alto, CA)

True Food Kitchen (Palo Alto, CA) – I never know what to expect when I try these healthy/fresh restaurants (especially taste wise), but I was happy to find out that True Food Kitchen makes vegetables taste good!

After a networking event (lol which didn’t go that well), my friends and I were starving, so we headed over to True Food Kitchen, something that was new for all of us. It was pretty busy on a Saturday afternoon, which was not surprising since it was a warm weekend and it’s a part of the mall complex.

When you walk to the entrance, they have a bunch of herbs and plants growing, really playing up the fresh and healthy vibe of the place. We sat indoors, and it’s a pretty big space. The menu has a bunch of fresh items, some main staples, and others that change depending on the season. Since it was brunch, there were breakfast items, entrees, salads, and drinks.

Everyone ordered a drink, whether it was one of these fresh creations or tea. I ordered the Cherry Chia Limeade, the pink drink in the center. I love the combination of cherry and limeade, so it was perfect for me, especially after being sweaty outside.

We ordered one appetizer before our entrees arrived, since we didn’t want to spoil our appetites too much. I was really feeling the Edamame Dumplings, so I had our table order that. It has dashi, white truffle oil, and asian herbs inside. The reviews were mixed on the dumplings, but I personally really enjoyed them because they were light and airy, so it didn’t take up too much room for the main event!

Here was our spread! Starting from the bottom right and going counter clockwise: Ancient Grains Bowl (miso glazed sweet potato, turmeric, charred onion, snow pea, grilled portobello, avocado, hemp seeds),; Heirloom Tomato Pizza (grilled artichoke, roasted garlic, vegan almond ricotta, and black truffles); Huevos Rancheros (organic corn tortillas, roasted Chile, organic sunny side up eggs, cotija cheese); Spaghetti Squash Casserole (organic tomato, caramelized onion, zucchini, fresh mozzarella); and their Seasonal Salad (asparagus, broccolini, roasted cauliflower, chickpea, pistachio, raisin, manchego, Sicilian vinaigrette, with added chicken).

I ordered the Seasonal Salad, and was really happy with it – even the roasted cauliflower (I’m not a big fan of it). Everything tasted really fresh and hearty, so you get all of those flavors of the various vegetables harmonizing. I also liked that there was a little bit of everything in this salad, crunch, savory, salt, and tart. The serving size was bigger than I anticipated so that was the only reason it was hard for me to finish – but I generally have a hard time finishing dishes.

Overall, it was a great experience! I liked that we had a filling brunch but I didn’t feel like it was time for ran afternoon nap. True Food’s emphasis on using fresh and local ingredients is true to their word.