By Jennifer O’Neill and Thuy Nguyen

Tucked away in a Venice Beach strip mall, the tiny “seed” restaurant storefront could easily be overlooked, but you would be doing yourself a great disservice if this were to be the case. As a restaurant committed to ecological sustainability, seed engages in responsible business practices including the use of recyclable and biodegradable containers and paper products. The café itself is furnished with reclaimed wood, energy efficient lighting and soy candles, amongst other ethically conscious touches.

Owned by classically trained French macrobiotic celebrity chef, Eric Lechasseur, this light and airy rustic gem has charm in spades, which is equally rivaled by the tantalizing globally infused menu. His celebrity clientele has included Tobey Maguire, Madonna, Sting, and avid environmentalist, Leonardo DiCaprio, to name a few.

What differentiates seed from conventional restaurants is that the food is prepared according to macrobiotic principles. Considering the food doesn’t include any animal products, dairy, eggs, or refined sugars in its preparation, the natural assumption would be that the food would be bland and tasteless. Rest assured that quite the opposite is true. The menu is chock full of locally grown, organic takes on some of your favorite classics. Chef Eric blessed us with a delicious assortment of some of his most popular items for our tasting pleasure. First up was the house green salad. What stood out about this basic starter was the tangy and tart yuzu-ginger-carrot dressing, which exploded with a full-bodied citrus flavor with every bite. The fried tofu added heartiness to this otherwise simple dish.

The modest menu also boasts three separate types of curry: Japanese vegetable, Thai coconut red curry and Indian chickpea curry. We opted for the Thai curry served with organic brown rice and we weren’t disappointed. The coconut-curry sauce was seasoned with just a hint of spiciness, which offset the sweetness of the coconut sauce beautifully. The veggies consisted of broccoli, zucchini, potatoes, snow peas and carrots, all organic, of course!

Next up was the Southwest Burger, quite possibly one of the best “veggie” burgers we’ve ever tasted. It would probably rival most traditional beef burgers. The burger itself was made of bean and grain and served on a seven-grain sourdough bun, garnished with vegan soy cheese, guacamole and ancho chili spread. The spread was the key to creating the smoky southwestern flavor. We thoroughly enjoyed the vinaigrette coleslaw it was served with as well.

Sweet potato fries are always a must-order, and this time was no exception. Served in a biodegradable “take-away-style “ container, the slightly salty, slightly sweet fries were gone in a millisecond. The term addictive would be an understatement in describing them.

We finished this delightful meal with “Madonna’s coconut mousse” which we assumed was named after the iconic songstress. It was small but just filling enough after we had pushed our already full stomachs to the limit. Although the mousse was made without refined sugar, it was just what we needed to satisfy our lingering sweet tooth.

If you are looking to eat delicious, healthy and healing foods in an ethically conscious space, seed has been planted just for you!

Seed 1604 Pacific Avenue Venice, CA 90291 310-396-1604