The deliciousness that is freshii

Photo credit: freshii

Jessey is a writer, digital communications strategist, and the founder of Local Tourist Ottawa.

Okay, I have a confession to make.

More often than not, I’m so busy that I eat lunch at my desk. I know I’m not alone, but lately, I’m so so busy that I haven’t been doing a great job of packing a lunch (or grocery shopping, for that matter).

freshii is located at 98 Sparks and 50 Laurier Avenue East

Enter freshii, on 98 Sparks – a (relatively) new resto that offers customizable, fresh, healthy food – fast…so I don’t have to feel like a food failure for depending on the limited amount of takeaway available in the Queen/Metcalfe area.

Local Ottawa XPress journalist Colleen Johnson summed up the freshii phenomenon perfectly, when she wrote:

“A new type of restaurant has become popular in recent years. It fills the void between fast food joints and fine dining and it’s called the fast casual restaurant. These new eateries aim to offer tastier food fast, and they do it at mid-range prices, often by skipping table service. It’s a restaurant style that’s popping up in sprawl malls all over the place as people become more health conscious.”

I’m actually eating my lunch as I write this: a delicious rice noodle bowl, with grilled tofu, avocado, edamame, grilled peppers, almonds, cucumbers, carrots, sprouts and a spicy (but light) peanut sauce.

Instead of a photo of my messy lunch (it’s almost gone), check out this deliciousness, courtesy of the company’s flickr stream:

Custom bowl. Photo credit: freshii

Looks good, right? Check out the menu. They also make salads and wraps and breakfast and soup and more…oh, and they have meat: contrary to what Toronto Fresh lovers would assume when they first hear the name.

With chains as far as Dubai, it isn’t exactly unique to Ottawa – but it is definitely something in Ottawa that made me feel happy today. Oh, and the service? Super friendly.

So, do you work downtown and you’re getting a little tired of those Starbucks and Subway sandwiches or the chip truck? World Exchange Plaza sushi just not doin’ it for ya this week? Check out freshii: they also have a location on Laurier.