Getting A Raw Deal!
FOOD
The idea of consuming raw food hasn't quite caught on among the local lunchtime set, but vegan chef I-Wara is determined to change that by providing healthy and attractive uncooked options.
"The benefit of eating raw food is that you get all the enzymes, which are destroyed when food is heated above a certain temperature," says the Rastafarian who operates the new vegan eatery Mi Hungry Whol'-Some-Food at The Marketplace.
I-Wara, a vegan for over 15 years, says he gained inspiration to change his diet after hearing Mutabaruka interview celebrated raw food enthusiast Dr Aris LaTham.
"After going to a presentation featuring Dr LaTham at the Altamont Court Hotel, I just decided to change the way I eat," I-Wara shares, noting that before becoming a vegan chef he worked at the Jamaica Social Investment Fund as a computer programmer. But I-Wara didn't commit to his passion until his friend who suffered from hypertension started to follow his diet.
"He did, ate what I ate, and his blood pressure stabilised," I-Wara quips. And before long I-Wara was using his "Empress' kitchen to fill orders".
The fare became a hit with his early clients, which included legendary music producer Sly Dunbar to whom he would deliver lunch at Tuff Gong Studios.
"I didn't know that it was he who had ordered... and before I knew it word got around," the chef says. Relying on his growing network of friends (or should that be I-drens?), I-Wara made an ambitious leap to set up shop at The Marketplace. The shop has been opened for mere weeks, but it's easy to see that greatness is not far off.
"Yes I, we have a good client base," I-Wara tells Thursday Food boasting of psychiatrists, lawyers and herbal lifestyle devotees who come through his doors daily for a healthy pick-me-upper.
The menu board presents offerings like various seed- and nut-based shakes, natural juices sans sugar and a variety of exciting fruit and vegetable meals.
Here, the traditional garden salad isn't the preferred bite, but rather patrons ask for delights like the 'irie' Nyamburger comprising a mixture of walnuts and almonds ground and dried to form buns that sandwich an ackee or mushroom-based patty served with tomatoes, lettuce and onions. The Mi Hungry Pizza is a burst of colour; laden with bright red, green and yellow peppers, pineapple, onions and lettuce, the crust is a mash-up of berries and pumpkin seeds.
Then, there's the nut cheese which is a paste made from ground nuts. The vegan burger retails for $500, while a whole pie costs $1,000, a half $500 and a slice $300. Mi Hungry Whol'-Some Food offers both savoury and sweet, which this time was the Paradise Pie. The pie crust is made from crushed almonds and coconut, while the filling consists of layers of sliced mango and papaya fused with a ginger-naseberry jam. A sweet slice of this fruity delight goes for $300. Wash it all down with a glass of fruit juice...cherry was the preferred flavour.
I-Wara believes his offerings are comparable to non-vegetarian options.
"Those guys use flour and all the nutrients cook out, here you're getting value and health because we substitute with nuts and fruits...no additives, just freshly prepared food."
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