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Let me tell you something, Darlings: contrary to popular belief, healthy food isn’t restricted to carrot sticks and cardboard-like crackers … we’ve come a long way over the past few years to banish the stereotype that food that’s good for you doesn’t taste great. Over the weekend, I attended the opening of GORGE, Joburg’s newest fresh food café, which proved to me that eats and drinks that are healthy and nutritious can be downright delicious!
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m very much about all things fresh, raw, organic and the like … the problem I have, though, is finding cafés that offer a healthy menu that’s both tasty and affordable – that’s why I’m so excited about GORGE! This upmarket owner-run eatery is devoted to providing fresh, healthy meals to the people of our city at very reasonable prices.
Their menu is extensive (I’ll get to that in a moment), and all of the ingredients they use are locally-sourced, organic whole food products, meaning that they’re unprocessed as well as free from hormones, food colourings and sweeteners. They also accommodate all dietary constraints, including gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and Banting.
Off their exciting menu, I first ordered up a Bulletproof Coffee. GORGE is one of the only cafés in Joburg to offer this energy- and immune-boosting brew, which is blended with healthy fats like grass-fed butter and MCT oil. Don’t let the sound of it put you off – once you try it, other coffee will be ruined for you … trust me! Other beverages they have on offer include organic teas, organic craft coffees, smoothies, freshly-squeezed juices and iced teas.
Once I grabbed my coffee, which was rich, creamy and satisfying, I took a seat at the counter on the breezy deck out front. I perused their selection of breakfasts, salads, sandwiches and wraps, then decided I’d order two wraps to taste … when you order a sandwich or wrap, you can choose from whole-wheat, rye, seeded, white poppy seed or Banting bread and a whole-wheat or cauliflower wrap respectively.
With everything sounding so tasty, the decision was tough, but I ended up going for the Chicken Herb (free-range chicken, avocado, hummus and roasted red pepper topped with fresh coriander for R47) on a whole-wheat wrap, and the Smoked Salmon Trout (smoked salmon trout shavings with homemade citrus mayo and crisp baby spinach leaves seasoned with Mediterranean black sea salt for R49) on a cauliflower wrap.
Both wraps were fresh and flavourful with a generous amount of filling. I enjoyed every mouthful! Then, to finish off my meal, I tried out two smoothies – the Banana Nutter (peanut butter, banana, milk and honey for R32) and The Hulk (avocado, apple juice, milk, yoghurt and honey for R34). Both smoothies were velvety and decadent – I especially loved The Hulk, which is certainly one of the best green smoothies I’ve tasted (and I’m the ultimate green smoothie drinker!).
If you’re in a rush and don’t have time to sit down and eat, you can grab something ready-made from the fridge. They have everything from fresh green juice to power oats jars. And, as if that isn’t enough, GORGE also has a selection of homemade goods on sale that you can buy to take home with you, like white poppy seed bread, black cherry and pink champagne jam, and raw cacao truffles. I must also mention that they stock nut butters from our best local brand, Jozi’s Nut Butters (the toasted coconut cashew butter is to-die-for, I might add!).
Overall, I had a very pleasant experience at GORGE. The ambience is vibey, the service is warm, welcoming and attentive, and everything they have on offer is simply divine! I can’t wait to go back to try a few more things off the menu.
GORGE is also the perfect spot for entrepreneurs, flexi-workers or freelancers to stop in at to get some work done. With excellent coffee and unlimited speedy WiFi, they certainly meet the criteria of a trendy “coffice”!
Darlings, this is a place you need to check out for breakfast or lunch, or have them deliver something fresh directly to your office or home at http://www.gorgesa.co.za. It’s already getting popular amongst the coffee lovers and health connoisseurs of the city, so don’t miss out! GORGE is open from 7am to 5pm on weekdays and 8am to 1pm on weekends.
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