Eating with John Chow – 118 Degrees Raw Restaurant

118 Degrees is a Vegan restaurant that serves raw plant-based food. They have one location in Costa Mesa, California.

The restaurant is the brainchild of chef and author Jenny Ross. Chef Ross wrote the book Raw Basics: Incorporating Raw Living Foods into Your Diet Using Easy and Delicious Recipes. Her new book, Healing with Raw Foods: Your Guide to Unlocking Vibrant Health Through Living Cuisine, will be out on January, 2015. Chef Ross opened 118 Degrees in 2006. The name of the restaurant comes from the temperature the food is cooked at (if it needs to be cooked).

The magic in what we do lies in not only what we make but in HOW we make it- we prepare all of our dishes at 118 Degrees or lower to maintain the nutrient density and enzymes in the food. We use “free” ingredients, dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, preservative-free vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and sprouted grains.

As far as know, 118 Degrees is the only 100% raw restaurant in Orange County. All the dishes on the menu are made with raw organic ingredients, and most cases, is not cooked. When cooking is required, the oven (or whatever they use) never goes above 118 degrees.

My lunch started with a complimentary stuffed mushroom, which was excellent. The Verde Tacos were the most creative tacos I’ve even seen. They used a big lettuce leave for the taco shell. I also got to try out the Chipotle Ranch Wrap, and a crazy “cheese” cake that had the cheese made with avocados!

Overall, I was very pleased with lunch at 118 Degrees, and I recommend the place if you’re looking for a healthy restaurant to try out while in the OC.

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