True Food Kitchen
1700 Post Oak Blvd., Ste 180 Houston, TX 77056
TrueFoodKitchen.com
281-605-2505
Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Friday: 11 a.m.-11 p.m.;
Saturday: 10 a.m.-11 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
By Jane Feehan
At True Food Kitchen it’s not about tasteless bean sprouts—nor fatty fries and
cheeseburgers—but healthy options for vegans,
vegetarians, meat eaters and all those in between who like good food. That’s
just about everyone.
Medical doctor, teacher and author Andrew Weil teamed up
with Phoenix restaurateur Sam Fox a few years ago to develop restaurants (Houston was number nine) offering
an anti-inflammatory dining concept. Inflammation, the result of a modern diet
overloaded with sugar, saturated fats and processed foods, is blamed for a
number of ailments including heart disease, several forms of cancer and even
Alzheimer’s.
Dr. Weil’s anti-inflammatory approach to eating blends
elements of Mediterranean and Asian diets with a Californian overlay of fresh
ingredients and presentation. The True Foods menu embraces this philosophy offering
whole grains (yes, even pizza) lean meat (try a turkey or bison burger), wild caught fish and plenty of fresh fruits and
vegetables. Kitchen wizards elevate health foods from dull to sparkling with healthful ginger, curry,
and other worthy seasonings.
One of their most popular dishes, Red Chili Shrimp, sums up
the True Kitchen approach. An artful
combination of shrimp, tossed with Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli), Shitake mushrooms and spinach over a bed of sesame noodles (a gluten free version also available) mildly accented with red chili
spice could compete with dishes of a fine Thai eatery.
Fellow diner ordered a
light meal of a caramelized onion tart and salad of spinach, blueberry, beet,
snap pea, cucumber, radish, goat cheese, and pistachio drizzled in lemon
vinaigrette. More a flatbread presentation, the onion tart is complemented
with thinly sliced fig. Bursting with
flavor, both plates deserve a curtain call. Another diner sampled Turkey lasagna, not particularly savory or a
good fit for the restaurant; it was recently (and wisely) removed from the menu.
Only
one of us wanted to venture into dessert nirvana with a strawberry-rhubarb cobbler.
Replete with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, this confection was made to order and topped with oatmeal granola. Guiltless pleasure …
The menu offers a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic
drinks—all with a healthy yet flavorful spin. Patronized by a youngish crowd,
and designed with high ceilings and open spaces, True Food Kitchen can get
noisy at night, especially when the music is upped a few notches. A totally
different fan club comes for takeout meals signaling hats off to their food if
not the ambiance. If noise scares you away, dine outside or visit for lunch.
Free parking is available and accessible from the front or the back of
Boulevard Place, adjacent to Whole Foods. (Post Oak and San Felipe)
Tags: Houston restaurants, Houston health food menu, Galleria area restaurants
