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Last night, John and Alice (my in-laws) took Chris and I out to dinner at the Mandala Tea Room, a vegan and raw restaurant located in downtown Scottsdale. If I could eat like this everyday, I would have no problem eating an all vegan diet. Could I ever go all raw? No way! That would mean no oat bran in my life. 
We actually ate at this same restaurant when CD and I were in Arizona over the holidays. You can read about it here. You know it has to be a great restaurant if 4 carnivores were excited about going back for more raw cuisine.
Me & CD smiling after the food arrives.
I got the raw Pad Thai.
Raw Pad Thai
Spiralized daikon radish, carrots + zucchini tossed with spicy thai sauce, peppers, cherry tomatoes, cilantro + basil – served on a bed of kale topped with dehydrated teriyaki almonds.
Alice got the Tea Crumpets...I must recreate that artichoke spread.
Tea Crumpets
Rosemary spelt foccacia lightly toasted with a sampling of our favorite house spreads: artichoke + garlic, white bean hummus + sauteed green, and roasted tomato + fennel.
Chris and John both got the Live Chile Lime Nut Burrito.
Live Chili Lime Nut Burrito
Inspired by flavors south-of-the-border, these healthy + savory raw burritos are stuffed with a zesty walnut filling, organic guacamole, salsa fresca, olives + sprouts wrapped in a collard green leaf
I NEVER order dessert when we dine out, but I wasn’t passing up the chance to sample an all raw berry pie:
Berrylicious!
This item is not on the menu, but I’m guessing the crust was made from dates and nuts, and I did ask about the filling. It was raw coconut milk, coconut oil, and nuts blended with berries and bananas. TASTED AMAZING!
We also shared some vegan chocolate cake:
John was a big fan of the cake.
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: If you are ever in the Phoenix area, I highly recommend Mandala Tea Room. The food arrived looking like a work of art, and everyone cleaned their plates. What a fresh and amazing meal! Gena, can last night’s dinner count as my meal for next Wednesday’s Raw Challenge? Just kidding, I’ll be back home with Vita-Mix next week.
Polly and I were discussing the following…who do you think would win in a fight? Pa Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie) or Jay Robb? Personally, I think Pa would kick Sexy Hot’s ass…sorry Jay. Please vote in the poll below.
[polldaddy poll=1605728]
I’ve been dying to go to a Lululemon store ever since my mom bought me my first pair of Lululemon yoga pants, and there happened to be one right next to the Mandala Tea Room. We arrived for dinner at 6:02 PM, and the store closed at 6…which leads us to…
CD’s Random Comment of the Day:
Ahh, perfect timing…CD smiles as I give him the evil eye. No worries, Alice is taking me back later today. The store offers a complimentary Yin Yoga class every Saturday morning. So excited!
{ 43 comments… read them below or add one }
What an awesome restaurant! Those desserts look to-die-for. I have a raw restaurant nearby too, so I think I’m going to use this week’s Raw Wednesday as an excuse to give it a try.
I hope you get some awesome stuff at Lululemon today!
Your meal looks absolutely amazing!! I have never been to a vegan or raw restaurant before! Maybe next time I venture to London i’ll look some up…. bigger cities seem to have more variety I find.
I especially love the look of the dessert!!
Cute photo of the two of you by the way!
Oh my gosh!! I am very jealous of your dining experience! That looks awesome!
I voted Pa just because he lives on a farm – he’s got to be intense. Sure Mr. Sexy Hot can bench press me (twss?!) but Pa has to deal with the nitty gritty side of life!
You and CD are so cute!
Heather,
OMG! That looks awesome. I think some HEAB recipe duplicating skills need to be activated ASAP.
Have a wonderful Saturday darlin!
With Love,
Emily
Wow, that food looks amazing! I wish there were restaurants like that in this area.
I could never go 100% raw either, I would miss oatmeal too much!
ahaha you and CD are just the cutest couple, i cant take it!!
the Mandala Tea Room looks so amazing. i wish there was a place like that near me!! I feel like i should fly to phoenix JUST to go there and eat that pie:)
enjoy the rest of your trip!
That place looks amazing!!!
I seriously hope you guys make it out here this summer (or sometime soon) because there are SO MANY PLACES I want to take you!!
I am so jealous!!!! Me and Justin talk about going back to Az. all the time. Miss you!!!
~Justine
That is SUCH a cute picture of you and CD!!! What a cool restaurant. Love your raw pad thai (and of course all of the desserts). Clearly Jay Robb would win in a fight…I mean…hes Jay Robb..
Cool restaurant. The desserts look really good! I definitely want to check it out next time I’m home.
Hello peach crisp,
Can’t you just see Jay Robb woo-ing Mrs. Olsen into thinking he is stud muffin of walnut grove while Mr. Olsen rolls his eyes? I can just see Nelly with a big sign that says JAY ROBB ROCKS and Half Pint jumping up and down saying “Go Pa!!!” as Pa easily kicks Jay’s hiney. hehehe We need a NEW Little House Episode!!!!
Pa would say after wiping his tanned and sweaty brow…
“Mr. Robb… real men don’t DRINK their protein.” hehehe
CD and HEABs… cutest couple EVER. You are so loved, my friend! and YAY for raw yummies! Maybe we can start a restaurant to go with our massage/yoga studio… we’ll call it
Pa and Ma’s raw-except-for-oatbran-shoppe of smoosh and yoga.
Kinda catchy, no? XOXO
Wow, everything looks fantastic! What an awesome restaurant.
You guys are so adorable! And that restaurant sounds incredible. I’ve been browsing the menu for ten minutes, I love menus! Sounds like a place I could eat at everyday.
Enjoy your time in Arizona, it sounds wonderful!!
I’ve heard others talk about lululemon, but I’m out of the loop on it. Whats the deal with it?
what a cool restaurant! those desserts look amazing! i wish i could get my hands on that berry one!
Oh my gosh, I wish I could grab those cakes off the screen… YUM!
I like that you said you could never go all raw, I feel so strongly about one diet not fitting all and not getting caught up in the hype of things. Our bodies are all so different. But I’d definitely go for a bite of that coconut banana nut pie… hello, all my favs!! I am a little jealous I didn’t know about this restaurant when I was there last spring.
Hope you get some cute yoga pants today, I’ve never been to a Lululemon store but I’ve only heard great things about their clothing.
You and your hubbs are pretty dang cute
That restaurant looks awesome! I wish we had something similar around where I live. Maybe I should look harder?
I’m so excited! I’m going to the Mandala Tea Room this coming Thursday! The boyrfriend and I are driving up from Tucson to see the Chihuly exhibit at the Botanical Gardens and I convinced him (Mr. Meat and Potatoes) to try Mandala with me. But now I have a problem: Looking at all of the great pictures, I’m not sure what to order…! Excuse me, waiter? I think I’ll have one of EVERYTHING…
great-looking food
Wow!! That cake looks so amazing, and so does the rest of the meal! You guys look pretty darn cute too.
I haven’t tried any raw recipes yet myself, but one of the things I love most about seeing what you and others are up to, is the creative new uses for foods I already eat every day. I love the way those burritos look, and the same goes for the pad thai. I can see how trying recipes for foods like these would be a great way to get out of a rut with usual foods. Awesome!! Thanks for posting about your yummy meal!
Oh, and I love the poll. In addition to watching Little House on the Prairie as a kid, I’ve probably read every book in the series at least five times. Some of them many times more. Can you guess who I voted for, Halfpint?
You and CD are too cute!!! The food looks delicious, I’m especially eyeing that cake
My mom gave me two pairs of Lululemon pants over Christmas and I wear them ALL the time now. It’s a good thing I’m no where close to a Lululemon store. Have fun at Yin yoga!!
oh my gosh – that looks so cool! i should give the raw restaurant in san diego another try… it wasn’t very spectacular when i went in 07.
I so wish I could have gone there when I lived in AZ. Just gives me an excuse to go back
Every single dish looks PHENOMENAL! I’ve always wanted to dine at a raw restaurant. Mmm.
Have a great time at yoga, and get some cute new gear!!!
Wow, that food looks so delicious! Were you full afterwards? I’m sure the dessert probably helped in that department.
CD’s comment sounds like something my Chris would have said.
Polly’s comment is cracking me up. And it made me vote for…I’ll never tell!
Pa Ingalls all the way – he comes from the pioneer school of hard knocks, and no amount of protein powder or bench presses can top that!
What a wonderful dinner – how lucky you are to have in-laws that live such a healthy lifestyle!
Those desserts are looking awesome!
Lulu Lemon is HUGE here in Ottawa. I think the store originated in BC but there are quite a few locations in my city. I can’t justify spending the money on their stuff though! But the things are cute, absolutely. Last night at my first ever yoga class — and hot yoga at that! — probably 90% of the class was wearing Lulu duds. Note to self: never walk into a yoga studio wearing a Nike tank with a Nike bag… I felt ashamed. Oops!
Enjoy the shopping!
We have no raw restaurants here; I’d love to go to one. I bet those burritos were fantastic. I went raw for a month in summer of 2007, and I felt fantastic, but I didn’t have a dehydrator and had limited access to a variety of items, so I got bored. But I felt FANTASTIC. Enjoy your day!
YUMMMMMM!
That restaurant sounds and looks amazing! IF only there was one close by to where I live:) I may be vegan but I could never see myself going raw, even though I know it would be very good for me.
OMG!!!!! that burrito seems so delicious, seriously, im drooling!!!i could be a raw vegan if i could raw-veganize all my fave mexican foods
I voted for Pa. He rocks!
Do you believe I have NEVER been to a raw restaurant? Or eaten/made any kind of real raw meal? (Aside from salads, which I don’t count.) I need to find a place to try out.
Ahhh Lululemon
I don’t own anything from them because they’re so expensive… but that might change! I think we’re gonna go to Lulu today. Enjoy your day!
whoa! sounds like a freaking amazing place to me! you’re so lucky to have such an awesome restaurant nearby! I’ve always been wanting to try raw cuisine though like you, I could never go raw! I’d miss my oatmeal, and cheese, and yogurt too much!
but that burrito…it’s calling out to me! darn, I’m gonna have dreams about it now!
Oh. My. Gosh.
This meal looks utterly amazing! And be glad you ordered dessert, because it’s beautiful! Raw pad thai is definitely a favorite of mine, so I hope to post a recipe soon. I also posted a nut pate today that you might like!
What lovely photos, my dear! Enjoy the rest of your Saturday. Much love back at you.
xoxo
Whoa that looks and sounds awesome! I’m glad you had some dessert
Have fun at Yin! The best!
The raw dessert looks fabulous! So does the vegan chocolate cake. Mmm.
looks amazing!! raw pad thai sounds soooo good!!! i love seeing your beautiful face….you always look so fresh and healthy. does that sound weird?
Anyways, I love your shirt and that restaurant sounds soo fun!
Absolutely beautiful food! Any leftover cake I could sample??
wow berrylicious pie, WOW. im not too familiar with the raw diet. no oat bran you say? don’t want to become more familiar than.
I don’t think I would have a problem eating raw all the time if I had those delicious raw meal options every day! Everything looks so fresh and delish…and completely creative (especially the desserts). But….I could never give up my oats, either.
Hmm, I definitely say Pa Ingalls. I read all the books when I was a kiddie, and my mom made us have Laura Ingalls day, where we ate a ton of buckwheat pancakes and weren’t allowed to use modern technology. I don’t think my dad has eaten buckwheat pancakes since that day, haha.
Enjoy the rest of your vacation!
The world needs more delicious vegan restaurants like that (and parents to take us to them!)
OMG, I totally forgot to answer the big question. Um, I vote Pa Ingalls. Oh, how I always wanted to be his little half pint of cider, or whatever it was.
Looks like a wonderful dinner. I want to do a raw restaurant tour of the United states…It would be amazing.. I am definetely going to hit up Chicago soon to go to some raw restaurants..
Thanks for posting the beautiful pictures!!
whoa…those dishes at that restaurant look SOOOOO good. i want that vegan dessert. btw, i had a “heat the salmon butt” dessert this weekend.
Wow. wow. I think I would have ordered the exact same thing you got. That looks amazing! I hope you got to visit the LULU store….I’ve yet to purchase any of the goods, but their stuff is soooo cute…..and mucho $$$$! Hope you had a good weekend
Take care 
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