Prasad Cuisine – Eat. Inspire. Unite.

I love the concept of synergy. The word alone suggests a union of majestic proportions, like when symbiotic and energy collide. Say it, syn-er-gy! Do you hear how it nearly explodes off the tongue? It’s more than just the working together of two or more things, people, or organizations. Synergy is actually described as ‘the phenomenon in which the combined action of two things is greater than the sum of their individual effects’. When I stumbled upon Yoga Pearl and its adjacent natural food café Prasad, I’d surely found an expression of this phenomenon. Yoga Pearl is a holistic wellness hub in the downtown Pearl District of Portland, Oregon. It boasts of more than just a carefully assembled program of yoga classes. The space is host to a collection of monthly workshops and resident healing arts specialists who practice Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese and Naturopathic Medicine. Each field, through it’s own principles, is committed to an integrated approach to wellness. When I read that Yoga Pearl offers an introductory special of two weeks unlimited classes for only $20, my mouth began to water. I was in a full on drool situation when I saw the adjacent Prasad eatery with its inspiring menu.

The tag line for Prasad is ‘eat. inspire. unite.’, and from the praises of this post, I have experienced all three. I’m sorry to say I did not discover Yoga Pearl with enough time to eagerly succumb to a rejuvenating yoga session. Prasad’s cuisine, however, was the perfect amount of refreshing. I was so undecided between lunch entrees that I chose two, and took one to-go. The hearty African Peanut Bowl came with protein dense quinoa (or red rice) in a delicious warm peanut stew; much like a saucy, pasta-free version of pad Thai, plus steamed kale and broccoli. The raw Love Pasta was equally appetizing but for completely different reasons. Noodle shaped zucchini was tossed in basil pumpkinseed pesto, with sun-dried tomatoes, carrots, broccoli and spinach, toped with cashew ricotta. It was the perfect light, vegan, gluten-free meal. I was too full to order a specialty drink, fresh juice or smoothie, but don’t think I didn’t dream about them all day.

The collection of handy helpers that make Prasad possible, from produce to local baked good suppliers, are outlined on their website as ‘Friends’. With food that good, this is synergy at it’s best. What I most appreciated was the conjoining of yoga studio and nutritious lunch spot that make this business a savory success. This collaborative effort towards wellness speaks highly for unifying like-minded businesses and leaders on a global scale. What can you do to dish out a taste of synergy and become one part of a whole that makes phenomenal things happen?