True Food Kitchen

Visually intriguing, I have meant to visit this place for a while. A series of unfortunate events landed me here today for a late lunch. The inside, with plants on each table, was as engaging as the outside but the wide open dining room and spareness felt industrial and cold on a winter's day. I imagine the aesthetics would play better in the spring and summer. The menu is large and has clearly marked vegetarian and vegan options throughout. The appetizers looked to be the most interesting. My friendly waitress said the portions were on the smaller side so I ordered three of the "starters" for my meal. I had the Kale Guacamole, the Edamame Dumplings and the Fig and Onion Tart. The tart was delightful. A magic mix of sweet, tart, chewy, creamy. Just the way I like it. The Edamame Dumplings were also quite good. Subtle and soft they were clearly made fresh. The dance of cilantro and green onion made for a nicely paradoxial pairing. And no, for those of those worrying, the Dashi here is a mushroom seaweed broth, not a fish broth. The only disappointment was the Kale Guacamole. It wasn't bad, it just didn't hit the mark. I'm thinking it needed more lemon, or red pepper, or something. The food came out very quickly, my water not so much. Price points were high. Ten dollars for each dish meant nearly $40 (tax and tip included) for a solid meal that didn't leave me stuffed. It's my own bias, but I don't expect to pay that much for three appetizers in the burbs. Bottom line: Food was good, servers pleasant and enough veggie choices to give me options. I would go again if someone else paid.

Restaurant with a focus on healthier food choices
Two locations, Mosaic and Bethesda, with a third one coming at Ballston in Spring 2019
https://www.truefoodkitchen.com/

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