Chef Does Vegan Soul So Good I Almost Gave Up Meat! #MelaninFood

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When Donald Trump called Haiti a #$%#^$@! country, like many others, I was outraged, embarrassed and puzzled. I also realized how vastly ignorant #45 is on culture, community, and of course culinary offerings. With his bad cholesterol off the charts, his Neanderthal diet of baby animals grilled blood-ooozingly extra rare has obviously ruined his palate. This unfortunate reality has prevented #45 from enjoying the seasonings, spices and flavors of folks with melanin.

This had to be the case, because if he had just one crumb of Haitian bread or a spoonful of legume, he would immediately have Congress establish stronger relationships with the magnificent island of Haiti.

Fortunately, I have not only dined in various Haitian eateries across this nation, but quite possibly, have discovered one of the cuisine’s most underrated chefs. CHEF JERRY DOMINIQUE, has been making delicious food for his family for over twenty-five years, and within the last five, he and his lovely wife opened the doors of KC Healthy Cooking located at 11900 Biscayne Blvd #103, North Miami, FL 33181 (located right next to Wholefoods, on the first floor of the 2-story office building).

 I usually give you guys a taste of my insanely humorous writing, but honesty, I don’t have time for that with this article, because this sh@t is serious. This food is serious. Most offerings have a Haitian culinary footprint with an incredibly healthy twist. Each entrée left me feeling rejuvenated, refreshed and satisfied.

Yes, Lord. To be refreshed and rejuvenated was in God’s New Year’s plan for me and our people!  Thank you Lord and the universe, for Chef Dominique and his ability to have our bodies reinvigorated with his delicious cuisine, vegan options, natural juices, and shakes. Continue to bless his hands in feeding your people as we enter this 2018 with healthy aspirations and goals to attain. Amen. Gotta go to church on you when the food is this damn good.

The meal started off with Organic Buckwheat Soba Noodles ($9.95), served with sautéed broccoli bell pepper, onion, in sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Soba noodles are Japanese noodles made from buckwheat flour. Their thickness is easily comparable to that of spaghetti, and they can be served either hot or cold. Here the noodles take on a bit of a nutty taste working with the Asian flavoring elements. This unique pasta fits into any calorie-conscious diet without sacrificing taste by any means. I found it both flavorful and filling.

Following the first dish, we then ordered the Djon Djon Rice with Salmon ($19.99), made with delicate Haitian dried black mushrooms and served with wild caught salmon in coconut curry sauce. The sauce was absolutely amazing with tender pieces of perfectly seasoned salmon cutlets all honoring the mound of Djon Djon rice centered on the plate paying homage to its culinary homeland. Djon Djon mushroom rice will give you LIFE.  The rice is a standout of this dish given its expensive preparation including the prohibitively expensive import of mushrooms only found in Haiti. This is what allows for the beautiful black color displayed by the rice.

Now, if you are expecting a super authentic flavor, then this rice lacks in that area, but makes up for it with its own healthy twist. (You would have to visit D’vine by 9701 in Miami for that super grandma version of the rice.) Nonetheless, this was a dish I thoroughly enjoyed. The curry sauce was made in house and had me licking the plate.

Realizing that our greedy asses went right into ordering, entrees, I switched gears and ordered a soup and salad combo for back dated appetizers. We settled on the Tropical Salad ($12.95), mixed greens, bean sprouts, red onions, cilantro, mango, avocado and grilled chicken, large Chicken Soup ($6.00), a large Vegan Soup Joumou ($6.00).

The salad was acceptable given the heaps of freshly cut avocado and succulent chicken cutlets. Adding his homemade salad dressings transforms the salad from acceptable to exceptional! I found myself literally taking sips of the dressing just to get my fix as I drove to my next destination following this review. I spilled some on my pants, which had me smelling of salad dressing the remainder of my day. Not a good look, but just thankful it wasn’t the soup that spilled.

Each soup was INSANELY DELICIOUS. The Vegan Soup Joumou is a break from the traditional. I will act the purist for a moment and insist that the Soup Joumou beef, omitted here, is an essential part of the experience, and that the KC Healthy’s version may lack the heartiness, but that would be an absolute fallacy. KC finds room for both flavor and health in his innovative take on this Haitian New Year’s staple.

The Chicken Soup featured freshly cracked black pepper and house made chicken stock, along with fresh cut veggies putting their neighbor, Whole Foods, soup bar to shame. I feel terrible saying that, given how much I love Whole Foods Soup bar, but KC Healthy’s Chicken Soup has them beat by far. I could honestly eat the chicken soup with a piece of Haitian bread and call it a day!

To wash everything down, we tried a couple of their fresh squeezed juices and smoothies. Just three words to describe their refreshing taste: Lord Have Mercy. Lord, I absolutely love when my people open spots like this. Delicious and healthy at the same time. Each juice and smoothie had such unique character spanning from veggie dominated, to fruit dominated, to an incomparable balance between the two.

With most being under $5.00 and the highest being only $7.00, we ordered a couple to go so that I could give them a little shot of gin at home, to get me right. Yeah, if you haven’t tried to create cocktails using fresh, cold pressed, or hand squeezed juices then you should pinch yourself. Go ahead, just get it over with. I honestly didn’t have a favorite because they were all amazing.

Next was a super creative dish that was filling, scrumptious, healthy, and fun to eat! The Seda Cupcake Quinoa ($15.95) is constructed with quinoa, avocado, tomato with coconut flavor served with tuna salad or chicken salad or tofu or legume. I chose the chicken because someone else in the restaurant had ordered it with vegetarian legume, and I was in the mood for some meat after those smoothies. What a great choice. The components of this cupcake formed a food tapestry of healthy delectableness that had me contemplating yet again, life decisions.

How the hell did I eat that quinoa without gagging. I mean, Chef Dominique is talented, but this is an entirely new level. I have a specific way quinoa must be prepared for me to enjoy it, but somehow, he had me take that narrow view and shove it.

The chicken salad was classic and simple with a HOUSEMADE mayo and fresh cut veggies. The fresh avocado topping low key had me wishing for a slice of bacon, but I was already in too deep with chicken salad instead of the vegetarian legume (which is incredible by the way), so I just went and had a seat.

Now, for the grand finale! The very best entrée on the menu also my last. The Double Portobello Black Beans Burger ($16.95) served with lettuce, tomato, avocado with basil pesto. All I can say, is this would place in a competition of top burgers in the nation. Vegans you can stop acting crazy now, we found all you need. Nothing else. Eat this every damn day. I promise you won’t get tired of it.

Chef Dominique’s 25 years of culinary experience can be felt, seen, and tasted in this unique and one-of-a-kind creation. His pesto uses fresh picked garden herbs and garlic to form an unforgettable flavor. The house made black bean patty may just have you kicking beef to the curb! I mean, this should be the dish that vegans have in their pocket to convert people, since they have turned into evangelist and Old Testament style prophets with their meatless gospel. Like for real though, what’s up with vegans in 2018 though? They’ve gotten real aggressive, so I’m trying my best to cover more vegan friendly spaces like Healthy Cooking.

Finally, the desserts. Cindy Lou is the dessert sorceress behind the cookies and banana bread, both of which come in a vegan and gluten free version at your request. Each dessert is award worthy. Let’s put it like this. I loved the cookies so much, I tracked down Cindy Lou and will be doing a dope review on this amazing cookie maker, who quite possibly has the best cookie in Miami-Dade County, and possibly all South Florida.

At Healthy Cooking, it doesn’t matter what you order. Everything is truly delicious. The spot has something for everyone! From vegans, to fish and chicken only folks, this eatery transforms Haitian comfort food into a sophisticated, healthy and vegan wild ride brandishing flavors so incredible you forget that you’re right in North Miami and not on the coast of the beautiful island of Haiti.

Call them at (786) 502-4193 for reservations or to simply go check them out. This place is Hungry Black Man Approved!