San Luis Obispo resident Randall Gesdahl, 71, was walking down Chorro Street in downtown San Luis Obispo when he decided to visit Vraja’s Kitchen, the first completely vegan restaurant to be established in the city.
“I didn’t know what it was, and I consider myself a food connoisseur,” Gesdahl said.
So he asked owner Vraja Sauer what happened to the bakery that used to be located there.
“It used to be Cowboy Cookie, but now I am just a cowgirl of international vegan food,” she said.
Sauer who started cooking for her family in Brazil when she was seven years old, moved to San Luis Obispo three years ago. To support herself, she started to sell her food at Farmer’s Market. Before moving, she lived in several countries, including India where she lived and cooked on an Indian monastery as part of her religious duties. By outstretching her arms, she compared the pot she used to the size of the larger counter where the register rests and said how excited she was to be a part of the kitchen there. She channels that experience into the food she prepares now.
“I find dishes from all around the world that have meat and I remove the milk, the flour and the egg and I put in my own personal touch in the way I spice,” she said of the international mix of flavors that she creates in the kitchen. “I do not use garlic or onion because of spiritual values. My food is much like the food in the monastery so it’s kind of like a comfort food. Also it’s easy to digest and makes you feel good.”
Sitting atop colorful pillows on a platform in the front-window was nutrition sophomore Anna Sitkoff. Sitkoff has been vegan for over a year and came to the restaurant with her friend, Shannon Dillon, who was visiting from Santa Cruz.
Sitkoff spoke about the difficulties of eating out in San Luis Obispo and also described many misconceptions that she has encountered from people trying vegan food.
“When everyone thinks of vegan food, they think you won’t get full and that it’s a salad, but that’s not how it is at all,” she said. “It’s super hearty and delicious and there is no animal cruelty involved. (Vraja’s Kitchen) is just inspiring one person at a time to know that you are not killing an animal for lunch.
“I like that she doesn’t use any garlic or onion, so it doesn’t screw with your emotions at all, and it’s very neutral food so you can really taste all the flavors without any really intense flavors getting in the way,” she said about Sauer’s cooking.
In order to provide customers quality food, Sauer said she purchases all organic produce, 75 percent of which is from local farms. She currently resides at Clark Valley Farm, an organic farm in San Luis Obispo. She is working on a contract with the farm to purchase their produce to supply fresh ingredients for her dishes.
Along with the unique trinkets that Sauer has acquired from her travels — such as a collection of colorful Indian tapestries hanging from the ceiling and a clay sheep that has a cauliflower body — the restaurant also holds unique events that add to the atmosphere. Every Friday, Brasility is held and Sauer cooks Brazilian-inspired dishes while music is provided by DJ Mano Gil. After dinner the tables are cleared so customers can dance. Many of those who do attend are known to perform Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian art that combines dance and martial arts.
“I am not trying to create anything, I am just trying to express myself and give others a place to express themselves,” Sauer said.
Like the music that varies from samba to live performances, the restaurant’s menu adds new dishes everyday depending on the produce available. Dishes include Indian, Italian, Greek and Brazilian cuisine ranging from $7 to $10.Vraja’s Kitchen also offers $1 discount for customers who bring their own plates, cups and utensils.
“The environment is very eclectic,” Gesdahl said before leaving Vraja’s Kitchen. “I feel like I’ve just been on a world-wide food tour … It is an environment that embraces (you) here even before you sit down and you get caught up in it.”