Wonderful, wonderful healthy food
My boyfriend and I walked into Cantina Panaderia last night, not knowing what to expect. At first we were greeted by a large, cavernous room which seemed almost like a temple, with the red lanterns and the large Buddha in the corner. Wonderful - except the music in the background struck a discordant note. Frankly, it sounded like a porn track. I'm a vegetarian, my boyfriend is an omnivore. Finding places to satisfy both of our palates is sometimes tricky. Finding places that offer vegetarian sources of protein, is equally tricky. I was not in the least dissappointed with the Cantina. My boyfriend and I began our meal with edamame, accompanied by tall, frosty, endlessly refilled glasses of tropical iced tea. The edamame, lightly dusted with sea salt, was good, but edamame is hard to screw up. We decided on the Buddha Bowl and Asian Grill. The Buddha Bowl, noodles and veggies in a fragrant coconut-lemongrass broth, was in my opinion rather bland. It would've benefitted from a little bit of zip or spice, perhaps a squeeze of lime. The noodles tasted like ordinary spagghetti noodles. The dish would've done well to come with tofu. The Asian Grill however was excellent: sweet potatoes, portabello mushrooms, eggplant, green beans grilled to perfection, and served with wonderfully nutty brown rice that was cooked Just Right - not too chewy, not too soft. Asian Grill came with grilled tofu, but we ordered extra. I couldn't get enough of the tofu - it was fantastic. I've never had tofu that good before. It was marinated and then grilled. The Cantina is trying to get a liquor license. my boyfriend and I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, we would love Cantina to get all the business it can get, but on the other hand alcohol might turn the Cantina into the type of crowded, noisy Pacific Beach monkeypit we tend to avoid. Nonetheless I will sign that petition next time I'm in, and there will be a next time. I highly recommend Cantina.
Recommended: Asia Grill
Food: 10
Service: 8
Ambiance: 6
Overall: 8
- Wonderful, wonderful healthy food