COMMENT 97767
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2010-08-14 10:34 AM |
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Yech. Still waiting for some actual dining discussions here, rather than food and drink descriptions.
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COMMENT 97778
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2010-08-14 11:10 AM |
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Sounds like an interesting place for good human food. I've never been there but will give it a try. I noticed they have raw, too.
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COMMENT 97791
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2010-08-14 11:33 AM |
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Never heard of this place, thanks for the heads up! Looks like cheap healthy food.
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COMMENT 97810
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2010-08-14 12:46 PM |
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Looks like Lean Cuisine or the like - I would have trouble paying more than $2 for that.
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COMMENT 97791
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2010-08-14 01:40 PM |
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97810 Looks like your stuck with Micky D's.
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COMMENT 97821
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2010-08-14 01:48 PM |
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As a single man, I'm a hunter/gatherer of tasty, cheap take out. This looks great, and I would have never ventured into this place! Thanks Lemonjelly.
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COMMENT 97827
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2010-08-14 02:21 PM |
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We LOVE Spiritland (and you, LemonJelly) but would never in a million years call the dinner menu "cheap." Pricey but always very worth every penny.
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COMMENT 97837
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2010-08-14 03:21 PM |
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I just tried the Bentos in the last month too and agree: they're the bomb. Healthy, but you still feel like you're getting away with something for all the flavor. And for the sophisticated commenter who mentioned Lean Cuisine, Yeah, I wouldn't pay more than $2 either for frozen carbs in monosodium glutamate either. This ain't that.
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COMMENT 97767
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2010-08-14 05:08 PM |
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Flavor usually comes from high sodium, and in oriental foods from high forms of mono-sodium glutamates for the umami savory taste sensation. They myths about "healthy" are as mythical as the myth itself. Even Accent is natural. Julia Childs said once: American, they are so afraid of their food. And even better: If you don't like butter, substitute cream.
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PATRICK
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2010-08-14 06:29 PM |
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We've eaten dinner there a few times and have been quite happy with our not cheap meals. I, too, have a thing for bento's, so I'll grab lunch there sometime --thanks for the tip: Linch sounds reasonable, delicious and interesting. They also have (monthly?) pre fixe wine dinners, when the diners bring wine to share. We went to one last summer and the food was great, the wine was interesting, but the guest winemaker/speaker was bombed --a very awkward evening.
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COMMENT 97868
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2010-08-14 07:18 PM |
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Spices & herbs are what make food flavorful & add the cultural dimension, not salt. The Bento Box lunches are NOT Asian food, they just use the concept of bentos. It's brilliant, tasty, healthy, & cheap (not to mention organic & fresh).
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COMMENT 97767
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2010-08-15 09:26 AM |
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Who said anything about salt? The discussion is the addition of sodium or umami mono-sodium glutamate flavoring enhancement to "natural" foods. One more "healthy food" myth busted.
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SEEDLADY
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2010-08-15 09:35 AM |
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comment # 97767--try chowhound.com's California board, for discussion about SB food venues, farmer's markets, wineries, bars, nighlife, etc. Details and opinions exchanged freely in a (mostly) civilized manner.
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COMMENT 97957
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2010-08-15 02:19 PM |
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"Who said anything about salt? The discussion is the addition of sodium or umami mono-sodium glutamate flavoring enhancement to "natural" foods. One more "healthy food" myth busted." There's no 'discussion.' Obviously SpiritLand of all places does not use MSG- Panda Express does not even use MSG. I've eaten SpiritLand's Bento lunch about a dozen times now and loved it every single time -- and their Hi Spirits Vegetable Juice is spicy delicious and energizing. My favorite boxes are the California Dreamin and Little Italy.
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COMMENT 97965
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2010-08-15 02:42 PM |
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Awesome Spiritland comments from the folks who've been and those now inspired to check it out. Thanks!
For reference, btw, the Bento called California Dreaming is the third photograph down, with the salmon and brown and wild rice. Coincidentally, I was chatting with a vendor at the Saturday market and midway through, he said he wanted to show me a great lunch someone brought him, and he pulled a Spiritland bento out! Since the veg comes from the market, that's some cool full-circle community action. :)
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INFINIDBOND
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2010-08-15 03:48 PM |
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My first thought too was that the bento looked more like a Lean Cuisine container! The food did look good, but would seem l would need two of them to be satisfied. On reuse before recycling, when I visited Tokyo, my hosts ordered by delivery sushi. A delivery person brought dinner which came in very beautiful looking bento boxes. After dinner my friend washed the boxes and placed them outside at the bottom of the steps to their flat. A day or two later they were picked up by the restaurant. There was no concern that these trays would be stolen.
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COMMENT 97767
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2010-08-15 04:07 PM |
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How can you have oriental flavoring without umami? (aka monosodium glutamate = savory, now recognized to be one of the five taste sensations along with sweet, sour, bitter and salty - umami is the new fifth flavor and it is beyond "salty")
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COMMENT 97992P
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2010-08-15 08:24 PM |
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97976 you're misinformed. Umami can and does happen without adding sodium or MSG.
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COMMENT 97767
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2010-08-16 09:04 AM |
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Plenty of natural MSG in "natural" food. That is the whole point of umami. Not sure why MSG got so demonized when it occurs naturally and is a simple flavor enhancer widely used for centuries in oriental cuisine. There is so much mythology in "natural" and "healthy" food choices and so much smugness among those that think they are more virtuous in their food choices than others. Reminds me a lot of the failings of to many organized religions. Venerated objects - "natural food". The devil or evil - "unnatural" foods. Life of virtue - choosing only "natural" foods. The life of sin - choosing "unnatural" foods. And like most religion, myth becomes holy writ and the world is polarized into superstition believers and non-believers. Chill folks and realize all that celery in your "natural" veggie shake is loaded with sodium and your flavor bombs get their kick from msg.
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COMMENT 98069
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2010-08-16 10:17 AM |
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@98033 You beat me to it. MSG gets an unnecessary bad wrap.
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COMMENT 97868
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2010-08-16 10:20 AM |
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All these digressions about salt vs msg vs umani are quite interesting, but let's get back to the subject of this article. Not all bento sauces here are Asian-derived anyway (e.g., marinara & tamari). The tagline of this restaurant is "organic world cuisine", & if you check out the dinner menu on the website you'll see it's indeed global. Regarding portioning, these bento-inspired boxes are quite filling & satisfying. There are yummy inexpensive side dishes on the menu if someone is a big eater. And reduced-guilt vegan cookies too. Besides, overeating at lunch isn't conducive to a productive afternoon!
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COMMENT 97767
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2010-08-16 10:26 AM |
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Oh groan, here we go again. "guilt reduced vegan cookies". Can't you "natural" people just have a cookie without all the religious overtones?
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SHOREBIRD
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2010-08-16 10:34 AM |
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To be fair 98073, it does have "Spirit" in its name. What else would you suspect to be served there?
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COMMENT 98111
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2010-08-16 12:43 PM |
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This is off topic but something I've been wanting to ask someone for awhile... that hot ginger tea at Pattaya in Goleta - does anyone have a similar recipe?
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COMMENT 97767
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2010-08-16 01:11 PM |
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What else expected to be served at SpiritLand: Wafers and wine?
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COMMENT 97868
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2010-08-16 02:08 PM |
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Let's focus on reality here folks. If you want tasty, organic, locally-sourced food at a fine dining level, with an eye towards dietary needs, SpiritLand is THE place to go. These tangents about msg, religion, etc are missing the point of the article. Regarding the wafers & wine comment (obviously a person who hasn't dined at the restaurant), if you don't believe it's a place with gourmet fare, check out this week's 3-course dinner special on the website: alsatian onion tart with shiiitake "bacon", pistachio-crusted halibut with french curry sauce over farro pilaf with zucchini fritters, & grilled stone fruit napoleon with creme anglaise. I've been eating at SpiritLand for over 5 years & I'm not going to let comments by the uninformed sway those who are thinking of trying the place for the first time.
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COMMENT 98140
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2010-08-16 03:06 PM |
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Omg, 98131, that meal sounds delish. Ok, I just looked at the deets on the website and see that this is also the menu for the BYOB Wine Night on the 25th. It's $49, *including* tax and tip, and also a first course of cheese from C'est Cheese (best cheese selection in SB!).
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COMMENT 97767
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2010-08-16 04:45 PM |
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Yuck - shitakke "bacon" (uh oh, sodium) and "french curry sauce" -- oh yeah, the French are really known for their curries. Sounds way too overly contrived and cutesy for me. I think I'll pass. But I know there is a market for this stuff, so go for it food faddists. If flavors can't stand up on their own, then by all means tweak them beyond all recognition and jack up the prices and give them some ersatz label. I have never understood why there has to be the association with fake foods that substitute real ones. If you like bacon, eat bacon. But to call a mushroom (msg umami loaded as it is) fake "bacon" seems to demean the whole intent of real foods and real flavors. Again adding that touch of fake virtue to let you think you are getting away with something (ummmmm ...... bacon .....) but you are not (yech ....... fake bacon.....) But I forget this is a food description column, not a dining column.
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COMMENT 97810
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2010-08-16 06:18 PM |
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97810 Looks like your stuck with Micky D's. You couldn't pay me to 'eat' there.
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AKIMBO
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2010-08-16 10:10 PM |
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Mmmmmm, can't wait to try Spiritland bentos!!!
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COMMENT 97767
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2010-08-17 10:21 AM |
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If you want a really good, far better priced bento box go to Sakura in Paseo Nuevo. Amazing what they put out for the price - the best in town. This place is a little gem and many do not know it is even there.
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