On a flight to the US I learned that The Mad Radish was created by the founder of David's Tea. Coincidentally enough, I had eaten a salad there the week before. I was working on an event downtown and realized I hadn't eaten breakfast and needed to have something and fast. It was busy every where and I don't have the patience to stand in line. I guess at that point since I'd been working since 6:30 am, I was a bit hangry. As I turned the corner, I saw a sign I hadn't noticed before. The blue colour was appealing. Amazing the things that catch my eye, but whatever. It looked quiet so I figured why not? The restaurant is quite nice, clean, very modern and simply decorated. Reminded me of Europe. The menu was different, not your average salad bar.
The options were diverse and it was hard to decide which one to have. The staff greeted me right away and offered to answer any questions about the menu. I finally decided on the Falafel Salad. It includes baked falafel patties nestle in a bed of greens with pickled radishes, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, garlicky chickpeas and herby quinoa tabouli, tossed in a sherry vinaigrette, then topped with a creamy tahini dressing. For those that like spice, you can get a side of their Mad Hot Sauce. This was not your average salad. The bowl was misleading, there was a lot more food in there than I expected. I could barely finish it. You get 4 falafel patties, which pretty much filled me up. Falafel can be hit and miss. At times I find it too dry and salty, but these ones were different. They had a bit of a bite to them and were very tasty. The thick and creamy tahini dressing helped to tone down the spice a bit and enhanced the flavour of the salad. I loved the pickled radishes, never had these before, and the quinoa tabouli was delicious.
It was just what I needed and given how hearty and filling it was, it would get me through the rest of the day and well into the evening since I probably wouldn't have time for dinner. No doubt I'll be going back. Working downtown it's easy to get to and allows me to stay close to the events I work on at Parliament Hill. Next time I'll probably ask them to only put on 2 falafel patties as I hate to waste food and I could barely finish my salad. As they say waste not, want not!
Price is average, but I'll tell you the ingredients are fresh and very diverse so I expected to pay more. The salad combinations are very unique and loaded with protein so you will most definitely feel full and satisfied. Portions are very generous. For me my salads have to be cold and crispy and that's exactly what I got. The falafel patties were warm, but they didn't heat up or whilt my greens. It's great to have this healthy fast food option. I'd pick this over a sandwich or burger any day. By the way, they don't just have salads, check out their warm bowls too. With winter just around the corner, that's what I'll be trying next!
Enjoy!
Carm the Foodie
