A Radiant Lunch At Real Food Daily

My dad recently visited me, so I made sure to take him to Real Food Daily, which is one of his favorite restaurants in Los Angeles. We had a couple of promotional gift cards that I received from a FARM event, which gave us a $10 off discount. We both decided to order items from the "Specials" menu, since these are typically better than the food on RFD's main menu.

My dad ordered the Green Goddess Salad ($15).

This salad was spectacular and unlike any I've had before. The mixed greens were very crunchy and the avocados were rich and creamy. There were edible flowers that were slightly bitter. My favorite part of the salad was the fried onions, which were perfectly crispy and salty. The dressing was very scrumptious and greatly enhanced the already flavorful salad.

I ordered the Mexico City Tacos ($16), which is my all-time favorite meal at Real Food Daily.

The taco shells were very crispy and lightly salted. The tempeh "taco meat" was very savory and juicy, mimicking real meat perfectly. The jalapeno cashew cheese sauce was very creamy and had a smoky, cheesy taste. It complimented the "taco meat" very well, providing an extra saltiness. The avocado chunks helped tone down the spices a bit. The accompanying rice was also very savory and had a hearty taste. The jicama salad was very refreshing and cooling. It had a lovely sweet flavor that contrasted the tacos and rice wonderfully.

For dessert, we had two scoops of ice cream: chocolate and mint chocolate (not pictured). Since it took so long, the waiter only charged us for one scoop. The ice cream was so smooth and creamy and decadent. I appreciated that it was not too sweet and did not have an artificial taste, as many ice creams do.

Overall, the meal was fantastic. I loved all of the flavors of the dishes and admired the use of unique ingredients. I always feel great after eating at Real Food Daily, as the food is very delicious, yet is still fairly healthy. I am glad that they keep the oil to a minimum and still are able to produce delectable dishes. With the discount, the meal came out to less than $30 total.