Quintessence-Raw food to warm the soul.

East Village
263 E 10th Street 
(btw. Ave A & 1st Ave)
NYC
(646) 654-1823


On a cold, rainy January day I walked quite a few blocks to make my way to Quintessence.  The thought of raw food on such a blustery day may seem out of place but don't be mistaken Live food can be very comforting.  Quintessence creates dishes that are truly comfort food as it should be. Healthy, yummy and satisfying. 


Exposed brick and soothing amber gold colored walls with the green of a cascading leaf plant by the window make it cozy and warm. Small but still able to sit about 20 people.

A good selection on the menu with an option for a Lunch Combo. The combo is well prices at about $12. 
I opted for a regular menu item...

The Indian Platter- 

Spinach saag. Mali Kofta, chic pea vegetables balls drenched with creamy almond curry sauce, topped with mango chutney and tamarind sauce. 

Served with kamut bread. 

$21 salad included.

The flavors of both sauces were outstanding. Each with deep layers of flavor and just the right about of heat. The Saag drenched the raw spinach in a rich and creamy curry sauce.  The Almond curry sauce was smooth and contrasted the sweet mango chutney that topped the Kofta balls.  The addition of the tamarind sauce completed the palate. So satisfying...so amazing that it is created with live ingredients.  A couple slices of kamut bread to dip into the extra sauce helped me almost clean the place. 

The lunch came with a mixed green salad and I asked for the tahini miso dressing..

.good and basic.

Ahh...dessert.

Coconut Cream Pie.

I was so full from the entree...and still I had to try one of their raw desserts.  I am not much a dessert person...but raw desserts have changed my mind.  It was just right...

not too sweet...creamy with the texture of the coconut intact.  The crust was dense and rich.

My server, Jessica was pleasant and sweet. We talked a little about raw food and when I asked about certain things, like how the Kofta was made she checked and was also able to answer other inquires.  She was attentive to me and also the other diners. She even told me that the chef offers classes and gave me a website to go to.

I can not wait to go back...if this small sampling is any indication of their offerings then it will be a delight to return.   I highly recommend Quintessence to anyone who wants to experience how food can be approached from the live/raw food perspective. 

It was a bit pricy...so the lunch combo might be better for lunch fare...but dining out should be unique...something you can't make at home...you can find that Quintessence.

Raw food for thought...Forget the terms, vegetarian, vegan and the like...this is about a way to think about eating and creating a balance.  Even if you don't consider being a "rawist"...Live food can be a bigger percentage of what we eat in general. Less processed and less over packaged foods for a healthy body and planet.

-Donna S.

How they explain their unique name....

We chose "quintessence" as our name because it epitomizes the quality of our food and the philosophy of our restaurant.

A good explanation of "Raw"-"Live"-"Life" food...from their website.

What Is Life Food

Life Food consists of fruits, vegetables and grains that are never cooked.  In fact, nothing is heated above 118ºƒ.  By not heating food, all the natural enzymes are left alive and intact.  This helps reverses the aging process by providing our bodies with all the enzymes we require to repair cellular damage and to create billions of healthy new cells every day. Persons who include more raw foods into their diet experience improvements in their general physical and mental status, including more energy, better health, detoxification, and a sturdier immune system that better resists and recovers from diseases. Eating Life Food also helps slows down your digestion, absorb food better and steady blood sugar levels in the body. This makes the body work more efficiently and helps eliminate cravings. Therefore, people who eat Life Food also loose weight.

*It must be noted that they added a small amount of cooked food to their menu.


Price scale $-$$$


Combo Lunch $
Regular Lunch item $$$




The Sensual Vegetable Pepper rating 1-4

 ...and a half.




http://www.raw-q.com/index.aspx

FYI....

quin·tes·sence

   [kwin-tes-uhns] 

noun

1.

the pure and concentrated essence of a substance.

2.

the most perfect embodiment of something.

3.

(in ancient and medieval philosophy) the fifth essence or element, ether, supposed to be the constituent matter of the heavenly bodies, the others being air, fire, earth, and water.