Welcome to Playa Vista, Tocaya Organica!
While I would never consider myself a Foodie, I'm starting to think that living in Los Angeles might be turning me in to one. The amount of restaurants and dining experiences flooding the streets of this beautiful city can honestly turn anyone into a Foodie. Even the strictest of eaters (which let's be honest I would probably put myself in this bucket).
I'm not kidding though, there's something for EVERYONE here. Whether quirky coffee shops are your thing, or vegetarian, even vegan cuisine down to the most fried concoctions you could dream up, Los Angeles has what you're looking for.
As a result, I've started adding restaurants to my list of things to "explore" in LA. Since I am so strict about what I do and do not eat however, a lot of times the success of a restaurant for me is determined by the ambiance or overall experience.
This last week I checked Tocaya Organica off the list after dining at their newest location in Playa Vista with a girlfriend.
First of all - the interior is to DIE for! Filled with bright blues and greens and succulents galore, I felt an immediate sense of zen when we walked through the doors. A lot of restaurants in LA seem to have very dark lighting and loud music - AKA if you don't feel like talking and would rather not look at the person you're dining with, this is perfect for you. Tocaya Organica was the complete opposite. I was in love!
They immediately welcomed us and asked if we'd visited before to which we both replied no and then got the whole spiel. They offer bowls, salads, burritos and tacos (it's Mexican btw if you didn't pick up on that) and everything is vegan based but you can add any meat and cheese that you want. This is a great feature especially if you have vegan friends! Everyone can enjoy their own dish without feeling like they're being forced to eat from a limited number of Vegan only options.
I chose the shredded kale and quinoa salad while my friend got tacos and her choice of two sides. Thank god she went with this option because this allowed me to try the guac which dear god in heaven is the GREATEST quac I've EVER had. Not only is it super fresh and delicious but it's served with homemade plantain chips that are sea salted ANDDDDD pomegranate seeds on top. WHAT!!
I'm honestly still recovering from this guacamole. STILL RECOVERING!
Back to those plantain chips. Since doing Whole30 (although they were just recently eliminated from the Whole30 approved foods) I'm all about a good plantain chip. I pick them up every time I'm at Whole Foods - my boyfriend can attest to this - as they fulfill my "crunch" craving. These plantain chips were on another planet. To the point where I almost asked the waiter if they could throw some in a bag for me to take home.
THAT GOOD.
I can't say enough about Tocaya Organica. It's now become the restaurant I want to take everyone to and introduce them to. Everything was served quickly, it was super fresh and beyond delicious!
In addition, the interior (as well as the food) was so Insta-worthy which is the biggest win of all in my book.
The only thing I'm worried about now is that more people will start discovering Tocaya Organica (it's kind of hidden in Playa) and I won't be able to walk in as easily as I did on my first visit!
(Originally Published August 11, 2017)