Healthy Eating Means Good Fortune at Fortune Cookies

Tired of Chinese food to-go? Want some fast casual AND healthy Asian food? Well I've got just the place - Fortune Cookies Restaurant.

Restaurant Layout

Fortune Cookies is not your typical cultural setting. First, it's located in a not so appealing plaza but don't be fooled by its externalities. Ignore the sign outside of the building seeming as plain as Times New Roman font; just take a peek through the glass window and you'll be curious to go inside and try the place out for yourself. It's set in a modern atmosphere with cushioned booths, tables for larger parties, and a sushi bar that runs along the wall. The ambiance is casual and the seating is spacious.

What takes the cake for this restaurant are the healthy alternatives they have to offer. There are:

-Heart Healthy options for those watching their cholesterol, blood pressure, and/or blood sugar levels

-Gluten free options on over a dozen menu choices

-Rice substitutions in addition to white rice (brown rice for a healthier alternative, red rice for a nutty, earthy feeling, and black rice for your daily dose of fiber and antioxidants.)

-Healthy sashimi and salad dressing options in any combination you choose and the entrée would be less than 250 calories.

Brown Rice Option

The Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy program helps promote better eating for students and families. Kudos to that! This has also become a tagline, or motto, for their website and restaurant. It works as a loyalty program using rewards cards every time they dine. A percentage of their meal goes to a child's school or if it's a family rewards card, points are accumulated and deals are offered from time to time. (For more info on the program check out the Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy tab on the main website.

Personally I like my Asian cultural cuisine to be experienced separately if the restaurant I'm dining markets as one specific type - though there are a few exceptions. Most of the dishes were Chinese, but then you get to the end of the menu and suddenly there’s a full sushi bar. Weird, but I guess it works out as people have told me the sushi was good.

Appetizer

I dined with a friend one night and our wait time wasn’t long at all. After being seated, our waiter took our drink orders and came back with a complimentary appetizer. Another kudos for that! Feeling the mood for seafood, we ordered the Veggie Lo Mein, Kung Pao Shrimp, and Fish Filet with Garlic Sauce. This place gave generous proportions so it was easy to share. Some dishes proved to be more authentic than others, though that would be because of the healthier option that was available. The glazes and sauces were not that sweet/savory, but they did add flavor to the dishes. I guess that’s where the healthy part kicked in. They weren’t drenched in soy sauce or sweet and sour sauce, just lightly coated. We also ordered brown rice for a healthy alternative. The entrées satisfied. The service was super efficient, considering we came during the dinner rush.

Veggie Lo Mein and Fish Filet

Kung Pao Shrimp

Overall, Fortune Cookies is a better alternative to everyday chinese food meals we eat. While you won't have that traditional deep fried goodness, you'll still delight in the taste of savory goodness from other chinese dishes. Just like their motto, Eat Healthy Stay Healthy, this restaurant is a great place for healthy eating and  happy living.

Fortune Cookies is located at:

18774 Brookhurst Street Fountain Valley, CA 92708

www.fortunecookiesrestaurant.com

They also have a second location is in Los Alamitos!

Pieology: The Art of Pizza

What do Subway, Chipotle and Pieology have in common? It's the freedom to make your food the way you want it. Subway with sub sandwiches, Chipotle with burritos, and Pieology with pizza... Yes, you read it right - PIZZA.

Pieology sign - seen on N State College Blvd in Fullerton, Ca

When you step into Pieology you get the same feeling at a Subway or Chipotle. The friendly workers, Employees, or Pieologists (as they like to call them), are behind the glass waiting for you to instruct them on how to decorate your 8" thin crust pizza. For my fellow crust lovers, sorry but they only do thin crust. Except the real deal about this place are the toppings of choice.

Prepared fresh everyday, choose from a varitety of meats, vegetables, fruits, and spices to top your pie. You control what to put on your pizza, the amount and placement. They also have seven Pieology creations that you can choose and even add on to if you can't decide where to start. Granted, pizza may not be the healthiest snack, though they have a gluten-free crust option, which I've tried once and is pretty darn good, and their ingredients are fresh. The fact that you're controlling your proportions should be considered a better alternative. Pieologists bake your pizza in a fire stone oven right in front of your eyes; the natural oils from your toppings are what you'll get out of it. Your pizza will be ready in less than 10 minutes - thought you'll probably consume it in less time than that!

Since Pieology is across the street from the Cal State Fullerton Campus (Go titans!) and I live in the area, I've spent quite a few times in this pizzeria. In the past, these were some creations I've made/ordered:

This was a Create Your Own concoction of mine. I was going for the meaty/hot theme with sausages and pepperoni then a nice drizzle of jalapeño and peppers. Then I added some red sauce, cheese and other veggies to balance out all the meat. 

I asked the worker one time if many people get 'the works' as Subway would call it. And they said yes, but the pizza gets pretty heavy/tall. Well that pretty much convinced me one time to get pretty much everything. And that's the result of this pizza. Well, every topping but I only asked for Pepperoni as my meat.

This has got to be my favorite thing to order at Pieology- #3 BBQ Chicken pizza. I've tried others but nothing compares to this. The BBQ drizzle is the right amount to balance out the sweetness of the sauce with the savory taste of the cheese and chicken. The thin crust adds just the right amount to 'fill you up', making this pizza perfection. That's exactly what this is - perfect.

The place is very casual with low couches, booths and regular wooden tables. It feels like a garage, being the main window in the front opens like a garage. It may be a bit messy at times because the place is constantly crowded, but you're meant to just stay there for probably 30 minutes to enjoy a pizza and a quick conversation with classmates/friends. I'm sure your friend's garage wasn't the cleanest, but it was still presentable. And that's what the inside of this place feels like.

What really caught my attention was the quote wall. It has nothing to do with the pizza, just something a quote freak like me would appreciate. Maybe what the owner was trying to say is to read these inspirational words, take control of your pizza choices, and take control of your life. Huh... It's possible that he WAS on to something when he added the quotes to the wall! Or you know, just to make the place look more hip and cool for the younger crowd. Either way, this place is a great hidden gem.

Pieology is definitely a place for happy eating. It's a great alternative because you get to control what you add to your pizza (not to mention fresh ingredients), and you leave the place with a smile on your face all the time. So it's definitely happy living too. And their philosophy works well with mine: "MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE ONE PIZZA AT A TIME." Watch out world because Pieology is the next big thing!

Pieology is located in Fullerton, Ca
516 N State College Blvd Fullerton, Ca 92831

*Pieology recently opened their second restaurant in Irvine, Ca. Check them out!

Sipz: A Vegetarian/Asian Fusion Experience

Happy New Year my fellow foodies! Hope you had a relaxing and food-filled holiday! I spent a good amount of my vacation in my hometown, San Diego. I love San Diego and everything about it- the people, the location, the lifestyle, and especially the food. It may not be the top metropolitan foodie city of California, but San Diego’s got its gems for sure. One of them is a mom and pop joint called Sipz - a vegetarian-Asian fusion experience. I come from an Asian culture and I know that the food can be hit or miss with being heavily vegetable influenced or meat influenced, especially with my specific culture. So I thought it was interesting going to a vegetarian/vegan Asian restaurant. Though I can vouch for others when they say Asian food is good but not always healthy (i.e. greasy, fatty, fried). I’ve heard great reviews about Sipz so before I went back to Orange County, some friends took me there for an early birthday dinner.

Let’s start with location. The one we went to was located on 30^th street in the North Park, a business district. That said, it’s street parking, but what can you expect at a downtown type of neighborhood? Sipz is on the same block as sports bars and other restaurants that are pleasing to the meat eater. But if you disregard the “Vegetarian” in the sign and actually go inside, you won’t regret it. The place was chic and had a very modern atmosphere. The service was of good quality. We got to experience it during rush and calm rimes since we dined right before and during the dinner rush. My friends were new to vegetarian restaurants and our waiter helped them decide what to eat. The waiter was genuine with his suggestions based on your personal food preferences and he didn’t push them to go for anything pricey; in fact, our waiter kept telling us the better ways to order some things (i.e. Get a FREE Mango Iced Tea with any entree paid for in cash, order a large option instead and share because it’s much cheaper). That sold me right there.

Japanese Fire Noodlez (Mild-Medium)

The menu was 100% vegetarian and I want to say about 40% was vegan (plus gluten-free options). It consisted of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese and Thai dishes. What I liked was how confident they were to write chicken or shrimp without quotations because obviously you’d know this was vegetarian and the taste would be almost the same. We ordered the Japanese Fire Noodlez and Tangy Orange Chicken to test out the meat. The chicken tasted pretty good and was pretty damn close to the real thing, but I guess the carnivore inside of me still knew it was imitation chicken. That would also probably be due to the fact that I’ve grown familiar to soy than tofu, that I recognized the difference in texture. Nevertheless, the food was delightful. Their ‘no meat’ dishes are packed full of veggies, like the Vietnamese Rice Noodle Soup we ordered, so I would so don’t fret about ordering something with no meat. Pricing is reasonable - less than $20 a dish and it’s a casual setting that happens to be located in a downtown-like neighborhood; so several factors are put into price. But you get what you pay for, which is good tasting vegetarian food for the healthy eater on a budget.

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Soup

Tangy Orange Chicken

Sipz was over all very good experience, even with figuring in my preconceived ideas about vegan or vegetarian ‘meat’. Like what another friend of mine who I was dining with said, the best vegetarian places are the ones where you can leave without feeling totally bloated or bloated at all and feeling good about yourself. Sipz did justice. I’d give it 4 out of 5 stars only for it’s downtown location (parking), but Sipz is definitely a place for healthy eating and happy dining :)

Sipz has 2 locations in San Diego (Neighborhoods: Clairemont and North Park)
www.sipz.com

California Chicken Cafe

Hey there foodies, it's been a minute since I last posted. Lately I've been eating at the same places and haven't really gotten around to trying something new. I visited a client and colleague in Santa Monica recently and I figured it would be the perfect time to explore a new gem. As I've said before, I'm familiar with the Los Angeles scene, but not much of Santa Monica other than eateries near the Santa Monica pier or the amazing food stands and hot dog trucks around. So I was very surprised to have discovered California Chicken Cafe!

I've had my fair share of visits to Peet's coffee on Woodward and that was the only shop I knew on the the street. I pulled in to Peet's then suddenly heard my stomach churn, demanding to put food in my belly. So I backed out and decided to drive down the street and randomly pick a place. It was rush hour so the first street parking I found, I parked. Cal it fate, but I parked in between CCC and Radio Shack. I took one look at the place and said "What the heck, let's try this place out."And I'm glad I did.

My first thought about the food and menu was "This place reminds me of Chicken Maison" (I wrote about Chicken Maison in a previous post). As much as I wanted to eat something light so I wouldn't feel sluggish during my meeting, I knew I had to eat something more than a simple piece of bread. So I ordered the 3-piece with 2 sides Rotisserie Combo with fresh fruit and chinese cabbage salad (red and green cabbage, green onions, almonds, sesame seeds, and sweet dressing).

While waiting for my meal, which took less than 10 minutes, I observed my surroundings. It seemed pretty crowded, but the dinner rush went by harmless. When my food arrived, I started with the fruit. Oh my word, it was sweet. I confirmed with one of the servers that the fruit was seasonal so every day it was different. The mix I had was ripe and flavorful. I took my time eating every piece of fruit because it was so juicy. Next came the salad. I've had chinese cabbage salad before and the best one I've ever tasted was homemade by an old friend who sadly moved to Florida. There was only one restaurant that had something similar to my friend's salad and that's a mom and pop in San Diego. So I kind of had expectations for this. You remember in the movie Ratatouille when Anton takes a bite of the food and suddenly nostalgia passes through his very soul, reliving a moment in his childhood? The thing about memories and when this phenomena happens is we quickly have a strong desire to go back to that moment and savor it as long as we can. That's what it felt like when I took a bite of that salad. It reminded me of my dearest friend in Florida and it certainly put me in an even better mood.

The chicken was far from dry (thank goodness), not it was appetizing. I asked the family sitting next to me if they would consider this place "healthy" because I've realized how light everything felt and even after finishing my combo and pita bread (they ask if you want white or wheat option!), I was just about full. The family next to me told me that this place was considered a healthier alternative to some of the eateries here and they like the menu and location for it as well. I couldn't agree more.

I was lucky to have found California Chicken Cafe on a last minute dinner rush and I'm glad I chose it over going to the nearest fast food drive thru. You really can't go wrong with any meal you order here. So, let's take my checklist out... Was the food delicious? Check. Was it healthy? Check. And did I enjoy my experience? DOUBLE CHECK. If you're ever out to eat in the West Los Angeles/Santa Monica Area and are looking for something fast, healthy and delicious, I recommend California Chicken Cafe. They are definitely a restaurant that promotes healthy eating and happy living :)

The California Chicken Cafe I ate at was located on 2005 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, Ca 90025. I also know there is one on 2401 Wilshire Blvd Santa Monica, Ca 90403.

www.californiachickencafe.com

I AM GRATEFUL for Café Gratitude

Meat lovers will appreciate this place. You can leave here and keep your pants buttoned!

On a side note: I've been meaning to write this blog for the longest. I really liked it that much that I kept writing about this blog. Now, after a long overdue wait, I hope you enjoy this blog!

Café Gratitude looks like a beachfront restaurant with the beautiful patio and clear window walls. The décor is cozy and simple inside, wooden chairs, giving it a natural but modern feeling. But this little gem is located on Larchmont and Melrose, pretty busy streets in Los Angeles. However, the place is just as quaint as you’d expect despite its location. I remember coming here with a friend whenever he took me to work but we’d only come for the drinks and desserts because work would tire us at the end of the day. He worked at Paramount and Café Gratitude was located right behind the studio backlots. Truth be told we were a little apprehensive about trying vegan food not just because we were meat eaters, but because of the stereotypes people label vegan/vegetarian atmospheres and the taste of the food itself back in 2009/2010.

I do need to mention that there is a theme to this place; call it a kind of ‘new age’ or anything you like.  So if this is a problem for you, then you probably will not like it.  But I’ll tell you right now, the workers are not pushy about it at all and don’t judge if all you simply want is to eat and go. It’s not just that new age feeling, it’s much more that they care that you are taking care of your body by choosing healthy meals. Café Gratitude may look new age/ hipster and may throw you off, but not once did they make me feel uncomfortable. Not that I’m not heavily into this theme but it is something I do appreciate to an extent. Don’t hate on people who do find enlightenment with things like this. Respect it because we all have your own way of self-satisfaction. And remember, you’re here for the food, which is amazing. After your meal, you feel good about yourself, and not like you just joined a cult or something because you didn’t. You just experienced great food and service.

While we’re on the service side of the blog, the staff at the LA Café Gratitude is friendly. I took two friends to dine with me and they don’t live in LA or SoCal in general. Neither are into the LA scene though but they willingly agreed to come with me because they trust my foodie knowledge. I don’t mind it because I’m a SoCal native and I’ve lived in San Diego/Orange County/Los Angeles my whole life. This is normal to me. Anyway, you can reserve a seat on open table but that should really be for dinnertime since the place looks amazing at night. But for breakfast/brunch, it’s easy to get a table.

What I love most about restaurants is their creativity. A lot of that comes from the food, but also the way they name their dishes. At Café Gratitude, dishes are named simply by how you’d feel after eating it. Kind of like the "you are what you eat" saying, except you won't be ashamed of what you eat here. Everything starts with “I am” and that supports what I mentioned that they care about what you think about yourself and your health. Ok, this may seem a little cheesy to some people, but I thought it was pretty cool. And when they serve your dish, the servers say, “You are” instead of “I am”, which was nice and still personal.

The beverages we ordered were (sorry, we forgot to take photo's of our drinks. They were just too good!):

I AM SPLENDID-ICED Citron Green iced tea. Green rooibos, lemongrass, lemon myrtle, bergamot, orange, tangerine and jasmine.

I AM WONDERFUL Fresh watermelon juice topped with mint

I AM INSPIRED Summer berry limeade with agave and sparkling water on ice topped with mint

The dishes we ordered were (In the same order as the photos above):

I AM BONITA. Rice/quinoa black beans, salsa fresca, avocado and nacho cheese topped with pumpkin seeds served with two corn tortillas

I AM FANTASTIC. Raw chia seed-banana crepe filled with fresh fruit and topped with coconut yogurt maple syrup and pecans.

I AM SUSTAINED. Steamed quinoa with fresh fruit, goji berries, cinnamon, maple syrup and coconut milk.

Our Dessert (In the same order as photos above):

I AM MIGHTY SUPERFOOD ENERGY BAR Made with hemp seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, goji berries, coconut butter, cacao butter, cacao nibs, & vanilla beans dipped in chocolate or spiced with ginger

I AM DELIGHTED SPECIAL CHOCOLATE OFFERING Chocolate truffle that is super rich and flavorful with different fillings daily

I AM SUPER DARK CHOCOLATE NUGGET An intense, bittersweet nugget of ground cacao nibs, almond butter & maca, minimally sweetened with low-glycemic yacon

The food took about 15 minutes. The three of us had a nice little chat and from time to time the waiter checked in on us for refills and to ask us their “Question of the Day”. Yes, you read it correctly. It may be a little tacky but you know what, it really turned our day around. Our question of the day was “What do you want to be when you grow up?” (Other times I went they asked “Who inspires you?” and “What is something you want to change about yourself?”). We don’t have to answer the waiter if we don’t want to, but they tell us their answers to start off. We did answer him and we started a nice conversation with him and each other. Our food came and need I say it was very delicious. Some food is raw, but you won't even know the difference. But you will notice the organic and natural taste. The fruit is naturally sweet, and the oats and quinoa grainy but in a good way. The rice and beans were warm enough to be nice additions to the actual dish (regarding the I AM BONITA) and the drizzle of honey, syrup and coconut milk/yogurt was just right. This is a vegan restaurant and I couldn’t believe the amazing food I was eating was all natural and organic. Need I say that the portions were just right? Think of the three bears. Some Vegan/Vegetarian restaurants offer too little at such high prices, others are cheap but fail in quality and taste. At Cafe Gratitude, you get exactly what you pay for and more. The second I felt like I was starting to get full, I realized I was on my last bite. Now that's a meal that's worth every cent.

Even after your meal [the plate] puts you in a happier mood. “What Are You Grateful for?” It’s really those little quirky things that Café Gratitude adds to your dining experience. It’s not new age; ignore the theme others label it as. That’s what I love about the new places I’ve been trying. The word associations to ‘vegetarian’, ‘vegan’, ‘hipster/new age’ and other ones I can’t think of mean less to me. In fact, labels never really appealed to me. They’re just words that everyone has an opinion of and that’s how it should stay. Sure there might still be that small feeling of insecurity when I try a new place, but as healthy and organic is fast becoming a popular trend in recent years, we all have to break out of our shells and just enjoy food as it is.

This is definitely one of my favorite places to go when I’m in LA. The drinks were always what pulled me in all those years ago, why didn’t I think to sit down any sooner? I come here every now and then for some feel good food and a nice time. I only wish they’d have another location south of Los Angeles, maybe in Orange County, or better yet, San Diego. Then I'd eat there everyday.

Give this place a chance. We all need some smiles every now and then. This place defines healthy eating and happy living. Your body, and mind will thank you for dining at Café Gratitude.

This Café Gratitude is located on:

639 North Larchmont Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA

www.cafegratitudela.com

Visit www.CafeGratitude.com for more locations.

You Don't Have to be Vegan to Love Native Foods Cafe

 

I was having lunch with a couple of friends and we wanted to try something vegetarian/vegan, to take a break from our carnivorous lives. Since we all worked in Costa Mesa/Santa Ana, we decided to take a hit at The Camp. The Camp itself is an amazing place, but right now I want to focus on a particular eatery there: Native Foods.

We’ve been to other vegetarian/vegan restaurants but by far, Native Foods was all around the best for a group of meat-eaters. Nice space, very open yet close, décor nice, no lights, just sun (this was lunch time) the cashiers were friendly and fast to sign us up, free drink right then and there, it’s a self serve refill drink station but servers are always kind continuously going to you and getting your refill for you. Ask for a to-go cup before you leave. One of my friends was going to ask our server for a to-go cup, but he beat us all to it and gave all of us to-go before she even got a chance to ask. Now that's what I call service!

Twister Wrap

Our asked us if we were first timers at Native Foods and if we were vegan or not. Usually people are reluctant to call themselves first timers, let alone vegan, so we were sort of hesitant to answer. It wasn't because we were shy or embarrassed, just usually whenever we dined at a healthy/meat free environment we got different vibes. (But as you've noticed in my blogs, I'm starting to shed out of that shell and be more comfortable wherever I dine out). We said yes but that did not stop him from giving us optimum service. He welcomed us, explained the first time friendly dishes and offered us his assistance if we needed any. We decided to try the twister wrap, nuevo nachos and chicken burger. These items for specifically marked as first time popular dishes, plus I've seen reviews of these particular entree's online as well. Our food came not more than 10-15 minutes later. The food looked and tasted great, wouldn’t even know it’s not real meat, wouldn’t even think it’s vegan, (some) gluten-free AND healthy. 

Nuevo Nachos

This was truly a great experience. I'm surely going to be a repeat customer. If you're on your meatless/healthy days and you're looking for something healthy and delicious, I recommend  you try out Native Foods Cafe. You'll barely notice this place is vegan. Native Foods gets 5 stars in my book for my healthy eating with their delicious entrees and 5 stars for leaving me with a smile on my face for happy living.

This Native Foods Cafe is located at The Camp in Costa Mesa (Next to South Coast Plaza). Visit their website at www.nativefoods.com for a location near you.

Fuji Grill: A New Way To Experience Sushi

Imagine your favorite sushi and all the contents mixed together in a bowl. Enjoy the authentic taste of sushi but experience it differently.

Fuji Grill is a fast dining restaurant with authentic Japanese food. Although their teriyaki and rice bowls are popular, it’s their sushi bowls that caught my attention. Yes, you heard me right. Sushi. In a bowl. I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to try an Alaskan roll in a bowl. I went here with my cousin for lunch one day after feeling the need to eat healthy since she went to the Orange County Fair the day before.

Half and Half Sushi Bowl

She and I ordered the Alaskan bowl (Alaskan Roll: Salmon (sashimi), Imitation Crab, Rice) and the Half and Half bowl (spicy tuna roll and a California roll in one: spicy tuna, imitation crab, sliced avocado, rice). Along with the bowl comes a side of edamame, which just hits the spot as an appetizer before moving on to the main course. It was a burst of flavor. I mixed the ginger and a dime size of wasabi (just the way I’d make a dipping bowl for my sushi) and sprinkled it with a few layers of soy sauce, sirachi sauce, and their house teriyaki sauce and dug in. WOW. It never thought I could love sushi even more. Yeah, it’s just as great in a bowl like it is as rolls. Granted Rolls as very much cleaner, faster and easier to eat, but if you have the time and want to eat portions of your favorite roll then I recommend trying Fuji Grill.

Alaskan Bowl

Fear not, they do have sushi rolls as well as salad bowls. I love sushi and all kinds of Japanese food. If their bowls are fresh, I would highly think the rest of their menu items are worth trying. My bowl, along with a drink (buy separately) came up to $10. About the same amount you’d pay for a roll, plus it was fast dining and a healthy meal. And to think they couldn’t be any healthier, you can substitute brown rice with any bowl.  Took a liking to brown rice, or at least now I tolerate it and appreciate how healthy it really is. But I tell ya, the brown rice is just a space filler to the meat/fish of your bowl. It’s just a filling, you’ll barely even notice the difference, you’ll just realize that you’re eating something healthy and delicious.

Fuji Grill is located in Orange County with 11 locations, 3 more coming soon. Find one near you, It’s healthy eating, delicious tasting and will surely make you feel the happy living J

www.fujigrill.net

Chicken Maison: Healthy Mediterranean Cuisine

Even though I’ve lived in the Orange County area for quite some time now, I only really exposed myself to the eateries in about a 5-mile radius from my house and CSUF. Since I work in Santa Ana/Costa Mesa, I asked colleagues where the good eats were. One of them told me to try Chicken Maison. Do you know a person whom you trust their judgment before trying something out?  Like a food maven? Well I’ve got a friend just like that. I told her about Chicken Maison and she checked it out for lunch one day. First thing she said was that the place was dubbed “Healthy Mediterranean” but we’ll be the judges of that. She could tell it was healthy because she said that she didn’t have that “super full” feeling after lunch but she was more than satisfied with her meal. That’s really all it took for me to crave it so the next day I had lunch with a colleague at Chicken Maison. 

Menu at Chicken Maison

We both ordered the ¼ chicken with 2 sides and pita bread for $7 (about $1 more for lemon or spicy-lemon flavored). We decided to get 4 different sides to try a variety. The sides were Greek coleslaw, potato salad a la Maison, hummus, and Maison whole rice. It was respectable to say the least. I asked the owner, who just happened to be my server, how he makes his food so tasty and healthy. His secret: he doesn’t use mayonnaise (which takes away about 1000 calories per 100g of food) but rather uses a tart and very light vinaigrette and his sides are always fresh. The chicken was very moist and flavorful even without the sauce (complimentary on the side), which made it better. It’s pretty cheap for the price of the food but the service was nothing short of friendly and quick.

So on to my checklist: Chicken Maison is in fact delicious. It really is healthy eating. And I left with a smile on my face and a satisfied belly.  Go try Chicken Maison for some Healthy Mediterranean Cuisine and add a check mark to your happy living as well.

Check out www.ChickenMaison.com for a location nearest you. They even do catering!

Healthy Eating. Happy Living.

In this day and age, when our stomach tells us it's time for some food, we're always faced with that dilemma: should I choose healthy or delicious? But why should we sacrifice one or the other? There are eateries out there that are more than willing to provide both healthy AND delicious. That's where I come in. I am here to help you find those places that will make you more than satisfied while savoring every bite without having to feel sluggish and guilty afterwards. My three-part checklist includes: healthy, delicious, and happy. To those of you who have restaurants/home town eateries near and dear to your heart (I sure do), fear not! I plan to blog about healthy eateries as well as finding healthier options at our favorite restaurants.

Join me (and my blog) for healthy eating and happy living. It's about time we have fun being healthy :)