Downtown Culver City’s become an eco-foodie’s paradise in recent years, with Tender Greens, M Cafe de Chaya, and other green eateries all in a row. But if you need a break from the busy downtown lunch crowd, powerwalk a mile east to find Culver City’s new organic spot: Raksa Cafe.

Here’s a great lunch or snack spot for locavores seeking health and wellness. This cute, sunny cafe offers a simple Thai-influenced menu with a focus on macrobiotic, aruyvedic, and vegan eats — made with organic, local ingredients.

For a quick lunch, try the soup of the day — above’s the rich and thick herbalicious vegan carrot squash soup ($3.95) I enjoyed — and pick out a few options from the salad display (below; $3.95-$12.95 each). Selections vary by day, but I especially loved the slightly spicy root vegetable salad. Sandwiches and fresh juices are also available.

These eats aren’t made at Raksa Cafe, which doesn’t have its own kitchen. Metro Cafe — a restaurant down the street which has a completely different menu — specially cooks up Raksa’s mostly-eco eats. Unfortunately, I discovered after lunch that the grilled salmon at Raksa’s actually farmed Atlantic salmon — which is on Seafood Watch‘s avoid list! I’ve recently noticed that L.A.-area restaurants that support local, organic produce often don’t include sustainable seafood in their eco-sourcing practices, so don’t make the fishy assumption I did, here or elsewhere.

Raksa Cafe also offers organic, fair trade loose leaf teas (above) that are as fragrant and beautiful as they are delicious. For snacks, try the healthy, vegan pastries specially baked up by Platine Cookies next door ($3.75 each), or ayurvedic bars (below; $4.25 each) handmade by Allison King, who also happens to be one of Raksa’s aestheticians.

After all, Raksa Cafe’s just one part of an entire wellness center that includes a spa offering relaxing arurvedic facials, a movement center with yoga and tai chi classes, and a long list of healing treatments for the mind and body. Stop by for yummy eats and a class, workshop, or beauty and wellness service.

Raksa Cafe. 10846 Washington Blvd., Culver City. 310.559.7200.

Also: Raksa: Explore everything from Tai Chi to tarot in an eco-friendly space

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