Week 86: True Food Kitchen & E-40

Week 86: August 18th-24th, 2024

This week, my boyfriend and I tried something supposedly "healthier" than other restaurants. True Food Kitchen in Fashion Valley mall (arguably one of the best malls in San Diego County), claims to use organic ingredients in their health-conscious dishes. I know it may just be the gimmick of corporate greenwashing, but I figure it couldn't hurt to try.

Since retail therapy is a tried and true way of life, I obviously go to Fashion Valley mall a lot. I have walked past True Food Kitchen many times, but never realized how large the interior space is. I stole the photo below from Joel E. on Yelp, so thanks Joel!

Very big circular lamps!

I ordered the chicken sandwich and my boyfriend got the turkey burger. The regular side options for each dish were different salads. It was strange when our server made it a point to mention they do not offer fries or soda, but I figured they were just getting ahead of any requests. I was happy to eat salad, but it never feels right to have a burger or sandwich without some type of potato side. My sandwich was not cute enough for a photo, so here is a (still a bit mediocre) photo of the turkey burger. I realize now it is not my best work. It is a bit blurry, sorry!

My camera skills need work

As someone who loves eating good food, trying good food, and finding good food, it can be a bit frustrating to have a pickier, non-foodie boyfriend. It means a lot when he actively tries somewhere new with me, so even if the food wasn't the greatest, I had a good time.

Our server, Hazel, was incredibly friendly and kind, and recommended we try the blueberry crumble sundae at the end of our meal. I figured why not, since Hazel was so nice, and who doesn't love a good dessert?

The Blueberry Compote Sundae!

Overall, I'm not sure if I would rank True Food Kitchen as a "must-try," but it was decent. I wasn't too thrilled with the food, but Hazel's friendliness and the blueberry sundae were great.

Bonus: This week, I also went to Las Vegas with some of my friends and got to see E-40 perform at Drais! There were tons of people from the Bay Area in Vegas because of the Raiders/Niners pre-season game. E-40's performance reminded me of home, which was nice since I haven't been back to the Bay Area in a while. Our table at Drais was also right next to Juan Toscano Anderson's table, which was a fun treat. I didn't bother him or say hi, but it was fun to be nearby. I can't wait for NBA basketball to start again!

See you next week.