I’d been looking forward to Saturday’s date with Lynn since we first lined our lunch up last month. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to bed on Friday night until almost 4 am. Oops!
Clearly I woke up regretting that scheduling decision.
As much as I have matured in the party planning realm, one key thing I forgot about raging into the wee hours is how much of a worthless sloth I tend to be the next day.
Hangover aside, I’m a trooper (and I like food blogger meet ups).
So come noon, I found myself on the doorstep of Govinda’s Natural Foods, a restaurant (buffet?) attached to a Hare Krishna temple. Hare huh?
Lynn was nice enough to give me a heads up about the unconventional dining location, so I wasn’t totally surprised when I got there. Here’s more info if you care.
Upstairs is a gift shop with everything from Ayurvedic paraphernalia, clothing, and jewelry to hippie soaps and condiments (including Bragg’s liquid aminos and carob powder). Semi random.
We did browse the shop for a while, taking it all in. But first, we hit up the buffet.
There’s an all-you-can-eat option for $7 but I try to avoid putting myself in that situation. Moderation isn’t my strong suit and I don’t need any excuses to get my money’s worth. I chose to pay-by-weight instead.
Because I’m a (self proclaimed) Whole Foods hot bar specialist, I’m not used to going down the line once through…I’m more scattered when putting together prepared foods smorgasbords. This was a challenge because I didn’t know what was ahead. To save room or not to save room – that is the question.
After the salad bar portion, there’s a hot bar section. The menu changes daily, and they are all posted online.
See those yams? Those had my name ALLLLLL over them. Below it is the carob halavah.
I had no clue what halavah was, so in case you are in the same boat, it’s an Indian semolina pudding. Carob pudding? Yes please!
Lynn wasn’t kidding, this place is SUPER cheap. A whopping $3.83 for lunch seems unheard of…clearly Whole Foods has jaded me from what is normal.
Let’s see what we have here…
Salad.
Mixed lettuce, chickpeas, cucumbers, shredded carrots, raisins, and a marinated tofu dish with sweet basil dressing.
Carbs.
The thing in the middle is the carob halavah, which tasted so familiar, and yet, I still couldn’t identify what it reminded me of. I’m still racking my brain to describe it. I think it was like a cross between pureed quinoa and farina and polenta. Despite that awful description, it was really good.
Yams.
These were perfectly sweet…I think they were candied with a brown sugar kind of coating. The yams were probably my favorite part of the meal because they were the perfect solution for my weakened stomach. Yeah, I was a bit hungover. :P Like warm sweet potato pie…
After lunch we made our way upstairs. For having such cheap dining, they certainly had some pricey clothing. Eventually Lynn and I parted ways and I headed back to the Westside. You can read her review here.
The combo of torrential rain and my raging hangover lead to an afternoon of nothingness. Once I got home, I immediately changed back into PJs and snuggled up with Kyle on the couch.
phew! okay so i’m done catching up and i have 2 hours to get xmas shopping done before i must get back here for giants eagles but i need you to know that your hair looks amazing at that length hahahaha 🙂 and i’m book marking your peppermint fudge for when we buy candy canes because i honestly have no idea why we haven’t yet…
holy. cheap. food.
what a deal! thats a fully loaded plate for such a great price- especially compared to WF!
Sweet potatoes are awesome hangover food, I agree. I always crave carbs after a night of drinking. And 3.83 for lunch? Yeah, I wish Whole Foods was like that…
it was so much fun hanging out – i am so glad to have a new eating buddy. watch out, l.a. – here we come!!!
Neat! I went to the Govinda’s in Ottawa last month and even though the selection was fairly limited (there were just 4 or 5 dishes I believe) the food was so good and healthy! And certainly can’t complain about the price.
I took my friend to Whole Foods hot bar, and he ended up spending $18.00 for dinner. It was his first time. I felt bad…like I should have warned him or something!
I came across your site via The Actor’s Diet blog… and I am so glad I did 🙂 Where abouts in California do you live now? I’m guessing southern… since your meetup with Lynn. I lived in socal for about 10 years… followed by 2.5 years in norcal (bay area)… and am now in central valley. I move around a lot!!! Anyways, very nice to meet you 🙂
Wow, that same plate at WF would be at least $8! Whatta deal!
I am the same way with buffets…I can’t help the mindset of having to get my “money’s worth”! Buffets are definitely a rare indulgence for that reason!
That carob halavah sounds amazing!
I always want carbs…lots of carbs after a hangover!!! But one thing I notice too is nothing seems to satisfy me, haha
What fun! When are we meeting up? I still owe you some yoga classed 😉
Buffets are the best. Just looking at them makes me giddy.
Wow, super deal on food! I always end up spending so much at Whole Foods. 🙂 Ugh, the rain here is getting tiring, 4 straight days of it with no sign of letting up!
Govinda’s looks great! Food, clothes and Lynn? Perfect way to spend a morning.