Review: HONEYBRAINS in NoHo for Great Food with a Mindful Concept

There are many wonderful reasons why you'll like Honeybrains, the new fast-casual restaurant on Lafayette Street in NoHo. There's nothing else in the city like it. This is a spot that caters to your cravings for delicious food while keeping it totally healthy. Honeybrains is cuisine for your complete wellbeing. Their meals can make you feel invigorated in body, mind and spirit. The restaurant concept encompasses food for brain wellness and so much more.

Honeybrains began when three siblings, Alon Seifan, MD, MS; Galit Seifan, MFA; and Tomer Seifan, JD took their understanding of ingredients, health, and recipes and teamed up with Christophe Jadot, the Co-owner of Yves Jadot Restaurant Group and Amy von Sydow Green, MD, MS, RD and a Nutritionist within the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Along with and Executive Chef and Chief Culinary Officer Kevin Chun they created the Honeybrains concept. The team started by understanding the nutritional values of ingredients. They collected a list of superfood ingredients and identified the five categories that were good for wellbeing and had underlying benefits for the brain. It was at this point that they began creating original recipes that were full of flavor and equally great for the body and mind. This Honeybrains process today is referred to as the L.I.F.E. process. And each of the menu items has easy-to-understand nutritional content labeling so you know just what you're eating.

The Honeybrains setting is comfortable and relaxing. With windows looking out on Lafayette Street, there are individual tables and an expansive communal table. In the nice weather, outdoor seating is available. The interior design has an attractive backlit honey wall and a VAMOS honeycomb design ceiling installation. Even the circadian lighting system has been carefully selected for a healthy atmosphere that can stimulate the brain.

We stopped by on a Wednesday for lunch. While the restaurant was bustling with customers, the service was excellent. Some food items are grab and go and others are prepared from scratch in their open kitchen area. Explore the menu. You'll find something suit all tastes and dietary preferences. We savored The Avocado Crush, one of their signature toasts, with the freshest crushed avocado, lemon, hemp, chia seed salt and olive oil served on wholesome bread. Meat lovers will enjoy the Wake and Steak Sandwich with coffee and herb crusted skirt steak, almond buttered potatoes and baby greens. You can substitute gluten free bread with your dishes for a slight additional charge.

Salad choices abound with items like the Mediterranean Mind Salad with baby spinach, HB Hummus, Chickpeas, quinoa, cucumbers, tomatoes and spiced walnuts. There are also add-on items like their Lemon-Soaked Tuscan Kale, 8 Minute Egg, or Honeybrains Spiced Nuts.

Did we mention beverages? Honeybrains specializes in juices for memory, focus, mood, balance, flow, boost, endurance and recovery. Selections like Sage Thinking combine pineapple, gala apple, pear, kale, lemon, walnuts, white miso, fibergum and sage. Their Athlete's Milk & Honey has organic whole milk kefir, raw honey, dates, fibergum, cinnamon, vanilla, turmeric and nutmeg. And now with the cold weather, they offer some of the best hot chocolate you will find in the city. Inspired by Co-owner Christophe Jadot's traditional family recipe, it is made even more scrumptious by eliminating cane sugar in favor of honey.

We'll be back for a morning meal. Tempting choices include Power Oatmeal, Pique Performance Fritatta or the Four-Berry Parfait.

Honeybrains also offers a special "HoneyBar" with a unique assortment of delicious raw honeys that have been carefully researched and selected from local and international apiaries, as well as its proprietary collection of raw honeys, many of which are used in Honeybrains' food and juices.

If you're looking for a breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack that is absolutely satisfying and nourishes the total you, visit Honeybrains. It is sure to become one of your favorite casual restaurants in NoHo.

Honeybrains is located at 372 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10012. They are open everyday from morning to late evening. For more information, visit www.honeybrains.com or call them at 646.678.4092. You can also follow them on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @honeybrainslife.

Editor's Note: Check out the Thursday night lecture series now being offered free of charge at Honeybrains. Read about it here: /bwwfood-wine/article/HONEYBRAINS-in-NYC-Introduces-Thursday-Night-Talks-20170118.

Photo: Courtesy of Honeybrains

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