An East County Eater review for East County Magazine
By Henri Migala
Photos by Miriam Raftery
July 25, 2023 (Julian) – If you live in San Diego, you have probably taken a leisurely country drive to enjoy the historic mountain town of Julian. But now there’s another exciting reason to visit Julian – Kali’s Garden Café &Juice Bar.
Open just a few weeks ago in a charming little cottage with relaxing outdoor seating at 1921 Main Street, Kali’s Garden is already enjoying nearly 900 followers on Instagram, a 4.5-star rating on Yelp – and a 5-star rating from this reviewer.
The restaurant features entirely plant-based foods, such as jackfruit-based tacos and mock-pulled pork sandwiches with jackfruit. I love meat, but found jackfruit an entirely satisfying substitute with the taste and texture of real pork. The jackfruit tacos came with mangoes and more for a delicious burst of flavor.
I also sampled jackfruit fries, which had bold flavors and were the best fries I’d ever had. I left feeling satisfied, but not overfull.
Kali’s Garden also has a variety of gluten-free options, even for deserts.
Established by Rosy Wade, a young, enthusiastic, inspiring and worldly chef/owner, Kali’s Garden specializes in fresh and nutritious gourmet plant-based foods, drinks, juices, smoothies and desserts.
“I’ve been cooking since I was very young, 8 years old,” says Wade. “My mom never took us to restaurants. I’m from the Fiji Islands, and when we moved to Canada was the first time I ever went to a restaurant. I was 23 years old.”
Wade has lived in five countries: Fiji, Canada, China, Mexico and the US. Her parents were from India and Fiji, giving her a unique cultural heritage reflected in her cuisine. The menu at Kali’s Garden offers an exciting array of internationally inspired, plant-based food and drinks that reflects Wade’s global adventures and experiences.
Reflecting on her travels, Wade recalls, “It was all very inspiring. I think food is amazing everywhere - doesn’t matter where you go. Especially if it’s authentic, and it hasn’t been frozen” and is free or preservatives, she adds.”If you really cook authentically, the food is so different.”
Wade comes from a unique background for a restauranteur. “I was a behavioral therapist before this,” she says, “working with kids living with autism. And my friends would say, “Hey! You need to open a restaurant.” I was always cooking and feeding my friends. And my friends are not plant-based at all. They’re all meat eaters. But they would all say, “This is so good! I really like it! You need to put it out.””
During the pandemic, when many of the restaurants were closed, Wade’s partner encouraged her to start cooking. So, she started catering executive events around San Diego, back when there were no plant-based foods services for events.
Wade then met a woman who owned a resort. “She hired me to be her chef for her gourmet packages. So, I started making meals for her. And I got big clients ,and my clientele grew after that.”
Wade was surprised at the enthusiastic feedback she was hearing about her plant-based menus, and the early and rapid growth of her business. “It was amazing because all the people who were coming to the resort where not plant-based,” said Wade. “The people who were coming to the resort loved my lasagna, which is egg-plant lasagna with vegan cheese. There’s no meat in it.”
Wade takes great pride in sharing that all the food served in Kali’s Garden is made fresh daily and never frozen.
“I make everything in-house here,” stated Wade. “All the salsas and chipotle sauces, we marinate everything here, and everything is made fresh. All the pastries are freshly baked daily.
“You can eat well and don’t have to break your bank or spend a lot of money,” Wade notes.
All about Jackfruit
The basis of Kalil’s Garden’s menu is Jackfruit, an amazing “super-food” packed with a surprising variety of nutrients. According to Healthline.com, “jackfruit contains some of almost every vitamin and mineral that you need, as well as a decent amount of fiber.”
The website breathewellbeing.in, claims that jackfruit has a variety of health benefits, including boosting energy, strengthening immunity, reducing risk of cancer, helping with weight loss, eye health, and diabetes, has anti-aging effects, aids digestion, and is beneficial for bones, thyroid metabolism, skin problems, anemia, asthma, and more.
Vegans and vegetarians often use this fruit as a meat substitute due to its texture, which is comparable to shredded meat.
According to Healthline.com, jackfruit is part of the Moraceae plant family, which also includes fig, mulberry and breadfruit. Jackfruit has a spiky outer skin and is green or yellow in color. It is the largest tree fruit in the world Webmd.com states that jackfruit -- sometimes called "jak fruit" or "jak" -- can be up to 3 feet long and 20 inches wide. Jus
t one fruit can weigh as much as 110 pounds!
One cup of sliced fruit provides the following nutrients, according to Healthline.com:
Calories: 155
Carbs: 40 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Protein: 3 grams
Vitamin A: 10% of the RDI
Vitamin C: 18% of the RDI
Riboflavin: 11% of the RDI
Magnesium: 15% of the RDI
Potassium: 14% of the RDI
Copper: 15% of the RDI
Manganese: 16% of the RDI
If you’r
e looking for food that’s both healthy and tasty with an international twist and creative flair, I highly recommend stopping in at Kali’s Garden Café & Justice Bar, which is open for breakfast and lunch.
Location: Kali’s Garden is at 1921 Main Street in Julian.
Instagram: Kalisgarden21