Written by: Erica Lee, Ellen Lee and Catalina Zhao
Spice Kit
Spice Kit is a small restaurant on California Ave. that sells Asian street food for affordable prices. Even though they may not have an abundance of different selections to choose from, all their choices are fantastic.
Spice Kit allows their customers to create their own dishes. One sign starts off with what kind of dish the customer would like. They offer Ssam wraps, sandwiches, salads and bowls. Next, the customer selects the type of meat they want to add onto their dish, and then moves on to side dishes and drinks. I chose the Ssam with roasted pork, a side dish of lotus chips and a Calamansi Lime-ade. The Ssam is a wrap. The pork was moist and fattier, while most pork dishes are usually dry and lean. The lotus chips were salty and crunchy, and much healthier than regular potato chips. The meat is so perfectly cooked and tender that you will be drooling for more. They also have a vegetarian option for every meal, and every ingredient used to create their dishes is natural and fresh, so the food is guaranteed to be nutritious.
They have a simple, modern look but toned it down with a large wooden block acting as a wall. This is not the sit down and be served type of place as it tries to resemble a street vendor, Spice Kit is the place to go if you want to tour through Asian cuisine and enjoy the savory meats and vegetables.
LYFE Kitchen
Located on Hamilton Avenue in Palo Alto, LYFE Kitchen is a unique, environmentally friendly restaurant that offers a variety of wholesome dishes.
When I entered the glass doors, I noticed the garden display of herbs and grasses in the middle of the restaurant. Feel-good quotes and photos of nature decorated the walls.
LYFE Kitchen offers regular, vegan and gluten-free options. I tasted the quinoa crunch wrap ($9.99) and the risotto peas and carrots with grilled shrimp ($12.49).
My first dish came in the form of fresh vegetables, avocado, edamame hummus, forbidden rice and adzuki beans wrapped in a wheat tortilla. The vegetables added crunch to the otherwise finely cooked quinoa, while the hummus’s acidity balanced out the dish’s smoothness. The price was reasonable considering the high quality of the ingredients.
I also tasted a creamy risotto. The farro and steel-cut oats gave the dish the signature risotto texture, while the fresh peas, carrots and shrimp added color and flavor.
Both dishes were delicious and the healthy aspect of the food left me comfortable. Throughout my experience, the service was great, starting from the cashier to the efficient waiter.
I recommend LYFE Kitchen to anyone looking for healthy and flavorful food offered in a comfortable, contemporary setting. After all, LYFE is an acronym for “Love Your Food Everyday,” and the restaurant helps diners do just that.
La Boulange
La Boulange is a petite French-esque cafe set on University Avenue and High street. The ambiance of this restaurant brings customers back to 1980’s France, with its glass outdoor pavilion and impressive display of macaroons.
When we first walked into the cafe, I was a little overwhelmed by all the delicious choices on their seemingly endless menu. At first, I couldn’t decide between the toasted sandwiches, open flatbreads or their salads. Finally, I opted for a choice that I knew: the La Boulange sandwich. We chose to sit in their glass gazebo where we enjoyed a perfect view of all the crowdedness of University St. without actually having to hear the annoying sound of cars.
Although the food took a little long to arrive, it was definitely worth the wait. Our dishes were impressive because of the little details they added to the presentation. My sandwich consisted of just the right amount of bacon to not overwhelm the turkey and the avocado seemed to be the creamiest that I had ever tasted. Although it’s not usually the case, I thought the bread was the best part of my sandwich. It was just the right temperature with a mild seasoning that upped the dish to perfection. While enjoying my sandwich, I looked over to see my friends enjoy their dishes, too.
Although their menu is a little pricey, the quality of their food and atmosphere make up for it. This cafe is the ideal place to grab brunch with friends; every dish seems to be a candid food-stagram, and the food is nothing short of perfection.
