SmartMonkey Foods in the Portland Mercury

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you can read it online:

 

http://www.portlandmercury.com/current/supper.html

 

or below (see photo online though):

 

BABY, I LIKE IT RAW!

Smart Monkey Foods Do Vegan Right

by Michael Svoboda

 

Smart Monkey Foods

smartmonkeyfoods.com

236-7878

 

Ani Phyo, co-owner of Smart Monkey Foods, is the

perfect spokesmodel for the raw and living foods

movement; she's intelligent, confident, friendly,

athletic, and absolutely stunning. She is exactly who

should be pushing foods that are claiming to be

" anti-aging. " Listening to Ani and partner Ede

Schweizer's story of how they made raw foods their

life's work (read the story on their website) made me

believe that a movement was actually happening. Simply

put, raw and living foods are foods that contain

enzymes, which are easier for your body to break down.

Conversely, all cooked food is devoid of enzymes,

thereby making your body do all the work. Living and

raw foods also have enormously higher nutrient values

than foods which have been cooked. For the curious,

every Wednesday night at Three Friends Coffeehouse,

the vegan raw food moguls Smart Monkey prepare a multi

course feast for anyone willing to foot the bill.

 

On the Wednesday I attended, I found a summer meal

like none I had ever tasted. I began with a dreamy

Cucumber Dill Soup ($6) served at room temperature

that glowed milky green against the white bowl. It was

an explosion of dill and spiciness with a creamy

smooth base and crunchy chunks of cucumber. I was

immediately impressed and tempted to lick the bowl

clean.

 

Between courses, I cleansed my palate with a purple

Blueberry Blast Smoothie ($5), served in a wine glass.

Its nutty vanilla bean deliciousness was countered by

a slightly sandy texture that led me to believe that

even the smoothie was adding to my overall nutrient

load.

 

Next I dove into the Portabella Mushroom Steak with

Gravy entrŽe ($15). Again this was served tepid--which

admittedly takes a little getting used to. But as soon

as the flavors revealed themselves, I completely

forgot about heat and relished in the complexity of

what I was tasting. The mushroom steaks were

thoroughly marinated, which gave them a fresh springy

juiciness. The gravy seemed to melt as I slathered and

dipped my steak in it. However, the real star of the

meal was the entrŽe's side dish, the Brazil-Broccoli

Mash--a grainy bright green half scoop of raw broccoli

and Brazil nuts blended with herbs and spices to

create a truly unique substitute for potatoes.

 

Dessert was a Blueberry Summer Soup with Cashew Cream

($6) that had the consistency of yogurt or custard.

This was gobbled in minutes, and I was contemplating

asking for seconds, even though I was verging on

popping the top button of my pants.

 

If you're interested in trying one of Smart Monkey's

dinners, reservations are a must. The food isn't

cheap, but it's an experience you're not going to find

elsewhere in Portland. They also package some of their

dishes and sell them at local natural food stores,

such as Food Front and Whole Foods (where,

incidentally, you can find raw and living foods

cooking classes). Ani says presenting these meals,

making the packaged foods, and teaching the classes is

" all about education. " What better way to change the

world than through food?

 

photo by Ede Schweizer

 

 

 

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SmartMonkey Foods

organic living cuisine

http://www.smartmonkeyfoods.com

503-236-7878