The revolution of “food as medicine” is brewing across California, and it gracefully enters the San Diego food scene as Chef Lan Thai’s erudite medicinal foods concept restaurant, Enclave Adventurous Superfood. Chef Lan spearheads this movement by fusing her restaurant with a wellness apothecary, knowing that, we are what we eat, and the potential for food to prevent, limit or even reverse disease is something we should all be paying attention to.
photos by Lucianna McIntosh
Located inside, JuneShine Ranch, Enclave, bridges the gap between culinary restaurants and healthcare industries by making delicious and nutrient-dense foods approved by functional medicine doctors. Inspired by Chef Lan’s Southeast Asian upbringing, Enclave’s meals are consciously made with medicinal ingredients loaded with antioxidants and rich with nutrients.
What we love most about Enclave is its plethora of programs. Chef Lan truly invests in your education in understanding how food is medicine. On top of having the restaurant open 7 days a week, Enclave also holds workshops in the form of hands-on cooking classes, panel discussions, and family style dinners. The best part is that you get to eat after you’ve learned how to nourish your body and soul with superfoods! Most recently, the theme was FAM style hot pot with the guest chef, Stefani De Palma, a Michelin star chef. It was so good, it reminded me of my childhood, sitting around the steaming pot, throwing in my favorite vegetables and meats.
Next week, there will be a dumpling making workshops with Chef Lando, but no surprise, it’s sold out (yep, it’s a popular one). The good news is, there will be another one on Feb 11th, so don’t miss your chance!
Another amazing concept that Chef Lan has rolled out is her postpartum meal program. This really resonated with me, because it is a deep-seated part of my roots and the Asian culture to have a very special diet cooked for the postpartum mother (my grandmother also forbade my mother to wash her hair for 30 days after she had me… she would sneak in showers when my grandma napped… but that’s a story for a different post!)
The time immediately after a mother has a baby is the most crucial for her and newborn’s life, yet momma’s self-care is often overlooked. Let’s be real, after all that stress on your physical body and nervous system, new mothers need proper rest, recovery and nutrients, and this is a long-standing tradition in almost every Asian culture. Chef Lan’s postpartum meals profess to help purify toxins, strengthen bones, restore blood, rejuvenate, improve circulation, build breastmilk production and strengthen overall immunity health, as well as provide nourishment through easily digestible foods. Postpartum recipes are created from traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic recipes that have been used for thousands of years, mixed with modern and seasonal ingredients. Plus, they just taste good. What more could you ask for postpartum? Eat well, be well. Also a great gift to give to your dear postpartum friends. A small price to pay for having just created human life!
And what at Enclave I am personally most excited about? Enclave’s Meal Delivery Program. Subscriptions for meals to be delivered right to your door. Monthly and weekly plans are delivered three times a week, ensuring max freshness and the meals are gluten-free, with no added sugars. They also cater to any/all food allergies. This is one that I, personally, will partake in. (And my parents too!)
photos by Vivian Kim
So, we here at EatDrinkBeSD are joining the growing movement of using Food as Medicine. Because yes, we are what we eat, and we are eating at Enclave. Consciously prepared foods, immunity building, and health improvement. All while you eat!
Enclave Adventurous Superfood is located inside JuneShine Ranch at 10051 Old Grove Rd, San Diego, CA 92131. They are open 7 days a week from 11a-9p, and you can order their postpartum or food deliver services 24/7 on their website https://adventuroussuperfood.com/. High five, Chef Lan! We’ll see you there!
