The Simple Kitchen

After a few too many days of chili and margaritas, I needed a detox. I needed a nice, quiet dinner out that wasn’t too expensive or too indulgent. That’s how I ended up at The Simple Kitchen. 

This tiny Chelsea Restaurant, hidden off a side street, specialises in local, organic food. All of the cheeses, meats, vegetables, and even wines come from organic and often local producers. Though it isn’t vegan or even vegetarian, there are many vegetarian items available.

The restaurant really is tiny-this is the whole thing. It is relaxed but still nice and very quiet – perfect for a relaxed dinner with a friend or a meal at the bar with a great book.

Scarlet Quinoa with Beets, Spinach, and Lemon-Dill Dressing

What a refreshing way to start a meal. The quinoa is sweet and nutty – cooked perfectly until it is no longer crunchy, but is still a wee bit al dente. The small chunks of beets are tender and sweet, and the bright, herby dressing brings a lightness and acidic touch to the salad. This is a light, refreshing way to start a meal.

Butternut Squash Soup

How is something this creamy, deep, and satisfying VEGAN?! If I didn’t know better, I would swear there was cream in this – it is that rich and buttery. The soup is served piping hot, with enough salt to counteract the squash’s natural sweetness. It manages to be incredibly savory while still tasting of that earthy, sugary butternuts quash. If you like butternut squash ravioli, you will love this. 

Hell, if you are alive, you will love this.

Asian Cabbage Stir Fry with Bell Peppers, Soy, and Tofu

This is like something I would make at home. Crisp cabbage, sweet bell peppers, ginger, and soy sauce thrown in a steaming hot skillet until the vegetables wilt and become a warm, pleasantly salty, Asian-inflected amalgamation. Though this could use a few birds eye chiles to bring out the bell peppers’ sweetness, it is a good dish. The tofu was especially nice – creamy and substantial.

Moroccan Carrots

The standout of the night. Plump nuggets of carrots, cooked still with a bit of bite to them, coated in a spicy, zesty spice mixture. Cumin, coriander, a bit of red pepper flakes, and more spices I could not decipher make these carrots an incredibly rich and flavorful. The spices are all very savory and earthy, which help bring the carrots’ rich, deep flavor to the forefront – since carrots are naturally so sweet, this is a unique and delicious interpretation of a classic root vegetable.

The Simple Kitchen is just that – simple food, in a simple setting, that is simply what you need after a few too many indulgent nights. The prices are very reasonable, the service is relaxed, and the best part is, since I ate so well, I had room for half a pint of ice cream for dessert. 

So much for being virtuous.