Khepra’s Raw, D.C.

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On Wednesday, my friend V—the lady behind the awesomeness that is Gouter, D.C.’s own raw tonic and treat company, which I reviewed here—took me to Khepra’s Raw for a lunch/study break. I was grateful; I’ve been putting in a lot of monotonous study hours lately, and even my student lunchboxes aren’t doing much to liven up the days.

Khepra’s is on H Street in Northeast DC. It’s tucked into a wellness center that sells musical instruments, shea butter, natural body care products (notably, the Nubian Heritage line), chocolate covered cacao nibs, and fabrics —all in one place. It’s eclectic and original. One eats at small tables that are decorated with small sculptural pieces, and people watching consists of observing customers come and go from the store.

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And don’t forget the sea moss. There was enough to last someone years.

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Khepra Anu is the founder of Khepra’s raw, and I was excited to shake his hand while I visited. He was friendly, but also clearly hard at work, moving around the small kitchen space and preparing food with the rest of his staff. As we were choosing what to order, organic vegetable deliveries were rolling in, and Khepra was directing it all with an unshakeable zen.

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I decided to get a small entrée (served with two sides) and V got a large entrée so that she could share some with her partner. You can check out the menu options here. I was most excited about all of the sides, and the abundance of fresh coconut water being sold!

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You can check out the menu here. I went with the entrée of the day, which was an avocado and nut burger nori roll. For my sides, I chose the raw kale and the creamy collards.

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V got a smorgasbord of sides and the same wrap:

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The wrap was tasty, the nut burger well seasoned. I have to admit that, overall, this wasn’t really my kind of cuisine; dearly though I love me some healthy fat, everything was a little too nut-tastic for my taste. The kale was also really oily and (I thought) overly seasoned with salt and garlic. I was tasting the garlic for the rest of the day–V and I joked about slaying vampires! But I really liked the wild rice, and I’ll be using the tasty little broccoli bites as inspiration for a recipe soon.

Overall, I am really glad to see another raw place in D.C., and I totally applaud Khepra’s on sticking only to organic produce. I’d personally have liked food that was a little lighter, fresher, and crunchier—to me, that’s what raw is all about—but I did appreciate the flavors and the bounty on offering. Plus, it’s always a treat to try something new!

Speaking of trying new things, V brought me an awesome treat: a new Gouter tonic!

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It’s empty because it did not last long. This is a coconut lemon mix, and though it surprised me conceptually, it was outstanding.

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I love the Gouter tonics, and this is a new favorite.

See you all back here tomorrow!

xo

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    9 Comments
  1. You know, Gena, I’ve been reading your blog for several years now. And I always get something new that I need from you. At first your writing truly encouraged me to take the full leap into veganism, and as a vegan in NYC I often took your recommendations on places to go…. And now it looks like DC is calling me, and thank goodness I’ve kept up with my Choosing Raw because there’s vegan food and yoga to be had and you’re guiding me once again. Love you!

  2. Looks like a nice place, my daughter would love this. Wish there was more gems like this in my neck of the woods. The seaweed wrap looks really nice, what a brilliant idea I’d like to try that myself.

  3. Thank you for keeping tabs on raw food in DC for me! So few options but I love hearing about new stuff popping up 🙂

  4. Wow, the nori roll looks amazing (although you didn’t like it that much). I wish I could buy food like that here in the Netherlands – I always have to make it myself. Maybe I should move to the States someday. ^^

  5. Gena, you make everything look wonderful, even the ones that are not your favorites. Somehow you make me envious, even though I live in NYC with all our options! I’ll be in DC for four days the first weekend of May. Introduce me to your favorite DC vegan/raw restaurant?

  6. Super nut heavy raw entrees aren’t my thing, either. I think proprietors often think they need to prove to omni customers that raw food can comprise a real meal.But we already know it can!

    Still nice to have another raw option! I love those uber crunchy places… sea moss and all 🙂

  7. more vegan options in DC! yay! food is always too oily when I go out. I guess that’s how regular people like it. hope they read this and take note.

  8. Love seeing more healthy / vegan / raw options in D.C.! There were fairly limited options when I was living there. I’m looking forward to making a visit this year and exploring, eating at new places like this! Cheers!

  9. Glad to see another post reviewing D.C. restaurants! I’ve been researching vegan eats in the area since I’m going to spend my summer there interning with an animal rights organization. Perhaps I’ll see you around! 😉

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