Prasad - Pearl District

This vegan restaurant shares a space with a yoga studio and is very open and nicely decorated with indoor and outdoor seating. I ordered a smoothie with banana, pineapple, marionberry, etc and a dragon bowl. The food took very long which may have been due to a full restaurant so maybe it is not always like that. The bowl I got had brown rice, beans, seaweed, kimchi, steamed greens, and miso sesame dressing. The food was delicious and healthy but a little overpriced.

I really love that Prasad is located in the Yoga Pearl Studio in the Pearl District. It's so nice to take a class and grab a juice or a delicious meal. Both times I have been it has been busy but I could find a seat, and I like the atmosphere of the studio and cafe. Most recently I had the Dragon bowl (rice, veggies, sea vegetables, tahini miso sauce, beans) and it is very good and the portion size is large. The menu is predominately vegan. The breakfast menu looks very good, so I will make a point to check that out the next time I'm in Portland.

I got the Buddha bowl from here and it was great, as well as the atmosphere. It shares a building with a yoga studio, so seating is a little crammed. You'll also be waiting for a bit if you come during a busy time. But it's worth it. Yummy smoothies too!!

I loved it!! the breakfast scramble...I think I got the BBQ one or chile one, was just amazing. It was the one that wasn't the basic one. Mine had more bang in the taste. In either case, I just loved my tea, the banana bread and scramble! This is actually mostly all vegan. They say that they sometimes use honey, but all the baked goods were vegan on that day. I asked what wasn't vegan on the menu that day, but they said it was all vegan, so it's really more vegan than just vegetarian. Loved the chilled out vibe and wooden ambiance. Totally awesome that they had filtered water there. Super nice people too!

Kaelen/Sahai was very quick to assist my first trip to restaurant and staff is amazingly smiley, friendly and helpful. Food was fresh, seems organic and tasty beside being good to body-soul. Four of us being new ordered different bowls and really had a great dinner (and spend 2 hours sitting and chatting in this high energy environment). I am definitely coming back for more.

And, going back. So fresh & tasty. Granola to die for and chipotle chili bowl is worth copying when I return home from vacation.

We traveled to Portland this past July for a conference, and after sucking our of a presentation found we were in walking distance of Prasad. He had the blue cornmeal waffle, I had smoky tempeh scramble with black bean chili. Oh man- we could have split one entree, easily. It was SO good!!!

This place isn't really expensive, but what they are serving you could be made at home for less than a dollar and they are charging 9 bucks. One might also say it is on the bland side and that the portions are small. Additionally, they often have a long line and little seating. If you are reading this review, you are probably visiting from out of town, and thus I recommend you eat at a food cart or do yourself a huge favor and explore the Eastside.

This place makes high quality, organic food and juices. There are many raw choices and cooked vegan as well. I have had their warm bowls which are pretty delicious! There is always a choice of either a raw or cooked soup. The parking is the only "con" really. Oh I guess I should add it's often very crowded. Most people working there have been friendly towards me-except there was one gal a while back I felt seemed like she had an "attitude". Wifi is free and accessible.


Updated from previous review on Wednesday February 13, 2013

I enjoyed the peaceful place and my lunch choice was tasty. Pretty different kind of menu, but really tasty and healthy :)

Delicious Chili Bowl, and juice, nice people and a great location. I'll be back!

I had the opportunity to visit prasad earlier this month during a visit to beautiful portland. My dish, the brahma bowl was very tasty and nourishing. Just perfect. And while i had the opportunity, i also had to try one of their smoothies. I chose the retrospection for its combination of ingredients with mint. Yum. Both my lunch and dessert kept me going all day. I also loved the bright and open space and the fact that it is shared with a yoga studio. Nourishment all the way around!

This is my kind of eating: lots of veggies, legumes, whole grains, and healthy fats. Minimal cooking, natural and simple. As plain as this might sound, I had lunch here twice during my short stay in Portland and enjoyed it both times. The food was well seasoned and tasted great. Granted, it wasn't anything that I couldn't construct in my own kitchen. I actually see it more as a place for travelers like me who don't have access to one but still want to stick to their eating routine while on the road. The downtown location is an added bonus.

That said, it's a small space with very limited seating, which could be a bit of a problem during busy lunch hours. Order line could get long, so could the wait time for your food (I waited 30 minutes for mine on my second visit). So, try to avoid the crowd and enjoy!

I was surprised by the small size of Prasad, especially after how much I heard about it. It was really quaint inside, with long wooden tables for everyone to have room to sit without feeling crowded in the small space. I wasn't very hungry, but my husband ordered their Dragon Bowl & when it came, I ended up eating half of it! It was delicious!

Not much seating here, as it is literally nestled next to a yoga studio. However, some of the meals were really good. I really liked the soul salad. The noodle dish with the peanut sauce a bit lackluster (and not too many veggies) and I wasn't that impressed with the dragon bowl (although I had it as leftovers). Their homemade chai latte was very good, though. They also sell chocolate truffles which were very good and very rich.

The food was super. I love me some vegan eats! I brought 1 vegetarian and 5 omnivores along and we were all well fed! The space had a great feel too. I felt more athletic just sitting there.

A small step up from a food truck - stand in long lines during rush hour to order and often have to wait for seating and talk is kept to a minimum due to the yoga in session...
BUT the food is fresh, healthy and very tasty. Love the wraps and bowls!
A bit high priced - but I keep going back.

This restaurant is connected with a Yoga Studio which confused me a little at the beginning, but after having our first meal there, I loved the connection. Small but busy, and all dishes were incredibly tempting. We ordered the Shiva and Soul salads--both were fantastic. The salads averaged around $9 each, but you got a lot of value--they were not holding back on the tempeh or other more expensive ingredients--these were not bowls of green only, they were very filling and very, very tasty. On our visit, this is the only place we visited more than once--and we also took wraps to-go, as we knew we would get nothing like this in the airport. Even the wraps were incredible hours later! [They have both wrap options available to-go in the deli case.] Our second visit was for breakfast and we ordered the Chipotle tempeh Scramble and the Chili Scramble--again, very tasty and very filling. Perfect!
We just loved the food here, we didn't get any Juices but they have a fantastic juice/smoothie menu. And if the food and atmosphere wasn't fantastic enough, they also have their produce delivered by a local sustainable urban delivery company "B-Shares" [http://www.B-shares.com], who makes deliveries by bike. Awesome that Prasad supports this other local business, and cares about it's impact on the environment! Also, I loved that the trash is split out in to Trash / Recycling / Compost. Very cool. Love this place!

I'm vegan, but I do not generally eat raw foods besides fruits and salad. That being said, I was really impressed by Prasad. I ordered the 'Love Pasta,' which was zucchini noodles tossed in basil pumpkinseed pesto, sundried tomatoes, carrots, spinach, and topped with cashew ricotta. The meal was delicious and filling, the atmosphere nice (although small) and the people were really friendly. Plus, the meal was decently priced for what I ordered.

The sweet carrot and avocado raw soup and the lentil stew were both incredible and reasonably priced. Almost everything is vegan except some things which have honey.

This place looked like it had a lot of good food on the menu. I had a smoothie that was very good. The price was over the top at $7, so i wouldn't get one again, but i was worth trying. The food didn't seem quite so over-priced. It was very busy and there weren't many tables so i couldn't sit down, would have been a bummer if i wanted to eat a full meal.

We went to Prasad for breakfast and had the Chipotle Scramble. It was made with fresh vegetables with.excellent flavor. To say ity was tasty would be an understatement. The presentation was excellent. The bread is tops. You have to try this restaurant! We're going back tomorrow to try something else!

Revival = apple-lemon-ginger juice spinach, blueberries, spirilina. Best I think

Tempest = mango, spinache, coconut oil, avocado, date, cyanne, hemp or rice milk

Warrior = strawberry, avocado, maca, date, vanilla, hemp seeds, hemp or rice milk

Wraps pre made cold super tasty

Shiva salad = pasta & lettice peanut noodles

Dragon bowl, chilie garlic soup, baktiva pasdta (raw zuchini pasta)

Prasad has done a good job of filling the space that blossoming lotus left open. Their food is a bit healthier and a bit simpler than BL's but it can sometimes be a welcomed change. I will say that their prices are high for the portions you get, especially on the wraps.

Also, I think they should just cut out the 2 items that aren't vegan and call themselves vegan... The bowls are a little bland, but hearty and all they need to do is add a few more sauce options to make the bowls better. By far, they are the best option for some vegan organic dishes in the pearl. I also appreciate that they use organic ingredients, but I wish they would specify what is and what is not organic.
P.S. I don't know why it says you need reservations in the description. Prasad is inside a yoga studio with self serve seating.
Updated from previous review on Saturday May 29, 2010

Stopped in a few weeks ago and they have definitely worked out their sauces. Lots of good options. Soul Salad is one of my favorites and the dragon bowl is excellent as well. Still a bit pricey.

My husband and I went to Prasad for breakfast on our first day in Portland. It is one of the only veg places in the downtown area. Luckily, it was great! Large portions of deliciousness.

ORDER THE EL DORADO SALAD!!! By far my FAVORITE salad everrr :)

Below is my previous review:

I ordered the Bhakti Salad (made w/ zucchini noodles and cashew "alfredo" sauce) and the Gaucho Wrap. For non-vegans, these dishes might be too vegetable heavy, especially the salad. Although large, the Bhakti Salad felt very light. The salad + 1/2 the wrap was perfect. I felt full, satisfied, but not weighed down by oils. My bf ordered one of the bowls w/ red quinoa and a tahini sauce. He loved it! I tried it and I agree, it was great! We'll definitely head back soon. I'm anxious to try their other raw dishes (a couple of the salads are served on a bed of yam rice -- yum!).
Updated from previous review on Thursday April 07, 2011

Prasad is a lovely space that is located in the lobby of Yoga Pearl. As such, the space is very clean and quiet, with conversation at a soft level.

The vegan and raw options are beautifully varied and well presented, with very fair prices (especially for those of us who have eaten at One Lucky Duck in NYC or Cafe Gratitude in SF.)

I have had their juices and their smoothies- all fresh and amazing, but for the upcoming spring may I suggest the Tempest, a green smoothie that will strengthen and energize the body or the Revival, which will put a spring in your step. Have a light breakfast with Teff toast with sprouts and avocado- perfect with Alberta Street Chai. As for dishes, the raw or cooked soups are great bets- get a bowl with a side of quinoa for a great lunch for $5. If you need a bigger lunch or want an early dinner, try their bowls or raw pastas. The Bhakti Pasta is rich and flavorful and satisfying- get it to go and have with a good Riesling at home.The Love Pasta is very good, but I feel it is best in summer, when the natural ambiance warmth of the sun brings the aromas of basil, carrot and garlic to play! The Chili Bowl is delicious- it's the chili with the addition of three sides and very zesty sauces! The Dragon bowl is awesome- three sides PLUS sea veggies and zesty sauce. The food is gently cooked, nothing is fried and the ingredients are top quality. As I said before, the space is very, very clean and calm. Service is under 10 minutes from order to presentation. To finish, have an awesome dessert: raw chocolate truffles, raw vegan cheesecake, glory parfait, house made lemonade or cowboy cookies that are gluten free!

A couple of caveats: If you are not used to eating unprocessed food or raw foods, the food may seem a little bland at first. Trust me, it's not! And because it's such a quiet space, rambunctious little ones may not be the best guests here (there's a child friendly bowl and plenty of desserts for little ones!)

And my one gripe-Unless you get the wraps early, they start to get a settled flavor that is not always appetizing! So get them starting at 11 am, and get the Vida wrap in Collards.

My first visit there was great. The wrap I purchased was very good. Since, we have eaten there twice more with not so great results. I wish the wraps weren't pre-made. I think they'd be better fresh.

Prasad is new and still developing. Taking this into consideration, the restaurant is on the path toward excellence, so I give it 5 happy cows. I love the many options on the menu, with a variety of raw and cooked vegan options, and many gluten-free items. It is probably one of the BEST places to eat in all of Oregon if you are gluten-free. Take-out items are fresh and delicious, but often expensive for the quantity (such as the salads).

My favorite dish is the dragon bowl. While many other restaurants charge extra to add avocado to their own versions of this meal, Prasad includes it as part of the bowl and if you're lucky, will even sprinkle black sesame seeds on them on a good day. Their vegan dressing options are delectable, and I think they should probably sell them on the side. If you are low on funds, the spring water is always free with your meal, and on the side you will find seasonings like "real salt" and wheat-free tamari sauce in case you want extra flavor. They have many deserts to choose from, and their famous wraps of course. I notice the menu is growing. Personally, I like this place better than Blossoming Lotus.

The staff are always incredibly friendly and seem to care about the food and customers a lot. Also, the place is clean, unlike some other vegan joints in Portland.

One thing I've noticed is that the portions have gone up and down a bit since the restaurant started, and I'm not sure if that is because of financial issues or not, but hopefully the restaurant will not decide to skimp on portions in the future. The last two times I ate there, the portions were ample and everything tasted fantastic.

When they first opened I was pretty disappointed. No vegan pastries, lots of stuff I couldn't eat, some of Blossoming Lotus' old menu items but not as good. They've gotten a lot more vegan-friendly. Now all pastries are vegan and most of the food is too. Some things still have honey and butter. I really wish they would make vegan strawberry lemon aid. The salads and wraps are good, the parfait is awesome! If you are in area, you should come here and try it out.

Healthy, gluten-free, 90% organic, some honey (otherwise vegan), some raw items. Bowls, wraps, two daily soups (hot and raw), salads, juices, teas, smoothies (using nut milk or organic rice milk). Vegan desserts: sorbet, lime raw cheesecake. I had a Dragon Bowl for $8: white beans, quinoa, kale, arame-wakame-dulse bits, alfalfa sprouts, avocado sprinkled with black sesame seeds, choice of two out of four sauces - I had lemon-ginger and garlic-tahini. Breakfasts include chipotle tempeh scramble.