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Raw Aura
Categories: Restaurants Vegan Restaurants Vegetarian Event Planning & Services Caterers Vegan, Vegetarian, Caterers [Edit]
94 Lakeshore Rd EMississauga, ON L5G 1E3
(905) 891-2872
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
6 reviews for Raw Aura
6 reviews in English
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Review from Alex K.
Toronto, ON
9/23/2010
I am a carnivore. Most of my meals revolve around a meaty centerpiece. And whether that is lamb, chicken, beef, pork or fish I don't really care, but rarely do I ever eat any vegetarian dishes.
Indian Food is the first thing that comes to mind when I think about things I've eaten without meat. Or a chunky Greek salad. A grilled-cheese sandwich. A mushroom-swiss omelet. Things like that.
Then my friend invites me out to dinner for his Mom's birthday. Awesome. Where are we going? Raw Aura. Uhhh... where?
So I get there, and the name says it all: all the food is raw. Yes. Raw. Hasn't been cooked. And no meat. And no dairy. Not only that but most of the dishes are either cold or warm.
As the four of us entered I was actually being teased due to my carnivore-ness, and under duress I decided I should appease the masses for the next hour or so, and we could go for burgers or ribs after for some REAL food.
To start my friend ordered a round of Nachos (veggiefied chips made from carrots, flax, and whatever else it needed to give it a crispy texture, because remember: everything is uncooked). The chips come with hummus, guacamole, a tomato salsa and another sauce.
While those were being prepared we ordered two of their Falafels (uncooked chick peas, filled with some veggie goodness and wrapped in a leafy green) a chickpea stew (that night served without chickpeas, but with mung and another bean instead), and a veggie lasagna.
They also had a impressive variety of fresh juices, with Mill St. organic beer available.
So we talk, and I nervously await our uncooked dinners I'm not too keen to try.
The nachos arrive. Wow. impressive! So the chips are quite tasty, as are all the sauces. Nothing is cooked and yet things are looking up!
Then the main courses arrive, and I was instantly impressed by the plating before I even try anything.
Each of our dishes - especially my Falafel - looks like great care went into its presentation. Not only that but the flavours are quite good, everything is fresh of course, and the portions are substantially sized for adults.
We're stuffed, but decide to share two desserts: Blueberry Cheesecake and Pecan Pie. And yes, remember that there is no dairy here, nor did the cheesecake taste like soy milk (which I actually like anyway).
Walking out of this place - after a single beer - I was absolutely stuffed. And did not regain my usual post-meal hunger until the next morning... as opposed to later that night.
Needless to say I was impressed by this place, enough to write this review. I have never done this. Not even for proper meat restaurants!
Veggies, you may not have convinced me that I need to give up meat, but you definitely impressed me with what you can do with uncooked food.
So Carnivores: give Raw Aura a try just to see how the other side lives, because there's really no better way.
All the mains are $15 or less, and there are enough options that you should find something to appease your palette.
Service is polite with a smile, the decor is comfortable and it's just a fun place to try - with or without your vegan friends. -
Review from Jean L.
Mississauga, ON
11/9/2011
I'm not a huge fan of raw food, so I wouldn't scream "tasty!" to any of their menu items. However, if I were to recommend anything at this restaurant - I would definately go for their pizza. Also, you especially cannot leave this restaurant without trying their gluten-free, dairy-free cheesecake. TO DIE FOR. I return to this restaurant specifically for their cheesecake. It's obviously on the pricy side, for the portion that you get, but considering how many almonds go into this delightful tasty thing, it's worth every penny.
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Review from Helen L.
Toronto, ON
11/14/2009 3 photos
If you are a fan of raw food, this is one to check out. The restaurant is really cute inside and there is a wide variety of items on the menu. I was there for a quick lunch and had a lasagna and avocado smoothie. The avocado smoothie was just what I wanted that day...something satisfying with just a hint of sweetness. The lasagna was hard to eat and I wish there were more zucchini as it felt like tons of tomato with too much cashew cheese.
I am giving Raw Aura 3.5 stars but do feel this place has the potential to have a 4 or 5 star rating as I don't think I ordered the best item for my taste. To be honest, I have no idea why I ordered the lasagna as I don't even like regular lasagna. That being said, the raw lasagna did start off tasting pretty good but by the end of the meal, I was getting sick of the taste as there was too much of the creamy cashew cheese. They have so many great sounding items on the menu and I will definitely try to go back to try them. Only downside is that they're so far from me! -
Review from Danielle N.
Toronto, ON
7/25/2010
A raw vegan menu doesn't necessarily scream "Tasty!", but I like a bit of adventure with my food. Especially if there's a "good for me" factor and it fits in the Elimination Diet. So, I opened my arms (and mouth) in an effort to embrace this healthy lifestyle and their food.
It all began when my girlfriend and I planned to meet for dinner. With her in Burlington and myself in Toronto, we picked a central meeting point - good ol' Port Credit. After hours of restaurant research, the plan was to stop by Raw Aura for an appetizer, then escape for Mexican. Before we knew it, we had devoured 2 apps, 2 entrees, dessert plus a few glasses of wine (at least they've got wine!). We never made it for Mexican. I've been planning to head back since, and being on this gluten/dairy-free thing gave me an excuse.
THE MENU: I was pleasantly surprised by the range of menu options. There are approx 12 apps and 12 entrees to choose from and prices range from $8 to $12. EVERYTHING on the menu is uncooked, gluten-free, dairy-free, meat-free and an added bonus, ORGANIC! They also haven't forgotten about our friends with common allergies. MANY items are soy and nut-free.
Our Order: When you first glance at the items below you're probably thinking "Holy cow, that's a lot of food for two people". I actually went to Raw Aura again with Keith (since it's Elimination Diet friendly), so I'm merging the two meals in this review to give you the bigger picture.
The Appetizers:
Orchard Salad ($12) - Kale, slivered apples and sun-dried tomatoes were the key ingredients. I'd never thought of having kale raw (one of the healthiest veggies by the way) but that's what gives this dish its cleansing quality. I swear I heard my body thanking me while eating this. The texture is odd at first but you get used to it, and the flavor makes up for it. This gets a 7/10.
Nori Roll Platter ($12) - Overall an 8/10. I love avocado (and you know how I feel about sushi) so no surprise this was a winner. The dipping sauce remains a mystery, but a nice complement. I learned afterwards that the "sushi rice" was actually sunflower seeds & almond ginger. Could have fooled me! It comes with 8 pieces but we were left with 2 when I remembered to take the photo to the left. THAT'S how good it was.
The Mains:
Pizza ($9) - This was #1 in our books (excluding dessert). An 8.5/10. Remember, this place is gluten-free. Crust included. The 2 slices were topped with sun-dried tomatoes, peppers, cashew and tomato sauce. As you can see, the crust is grainier than your usual Gino's pizza because it is made with sprouted buckwheat. The thought of grainy pizza might not sound appealing, but trust me, it's good. Heck, trust Keith! He is very particular about his pizza and he picked this as his fave.
Buckwheat - Don't let its name fool you. Buckwheat belongs to the rhubarb family and contains NO wheat whatsoever. Rice is typically the go-to when it comes to avoiding gluten, but little did we know that the alternative kicks its butt. Buckwheat has more than 3x the iron, calcium, fiber, and potassium. Buckwheat is also just shy of being a complete protein (containing 8 out of 9 essential amino acids), making it a protein powerhouse in comparison to wheat and rice. Buckwheat pancakes are calling my name!
"Lasagna" ($12) - I gave it a 6/10. Interesting, but didn't excite me like the others. Unlike the pizza and ravioli, not sure this deserves "quotes". Hardly looks or tastes like "lasagna", so it may have been better off named "the veggie stack" or something. Strips of zucchini replaced the standard noodle in this dish, which is smothered with the same cashew and tomato sauces used in the aforementioned. Keith and I agree that we would have ranked this higher had we known it was served cold. Not room temperature, but cold-ish. We warned the table next to us and that made the difference - they really liked it. Now you have the heads-up, so go ahead and enjoy!Listed in: Gluten-Free Spots
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Review from Sapna G.
Calgary, AB
5/13/2010
When we first walked into this place, it promised to be EXACTLY what we hoped it would be. We had HIGH hopes that the food would be as perfect as the decor, the ambiance, the service and the location.
While Raw Aura is a very cool place to have lunch, the lunch itself really did not hit the spot for us. While the food was super healthy and made exclusively from fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts (no gluten, sugar or cooking whatsoever), it didn't sit too well. After a couple of bites we were stuffed and then about an hour later, both of us were feeling a little sick to our stomachs.
While this place seems to have everything going for it, I didn't end up being a fan of the food. Maybe it's just not my thing, but you'll have to decide for yourself. -
Review from Tamara J.
Toronto, ON
1/4/2011
As this was my first time having a raw food meal, i don't have much to go off, but this was amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better meal. As far as vegan foods go this was the top of the charts. The atmosphere was deffinatly chill, aswell. I had the avo tartare, to start. It was very satisfing, i would compare it to almost a chutney, as i have never had another tartare. It was very flavourfull, i had the miso soup as a main, which i thouroughly enjoyed. My partner had the pasta bolognese, which he seemed to really enjoy and tasted excellent to me. I loved the 'crunch' that all these dishes had to offer. I also thought the plating really made the meal and the vibe of the resturant. I regret not getting the New Years Eve Prix Fixe, but i will be most deffinatly coming here again and widening my raw horizions.
