M.A.K.E.

Please open another one and soon! Make out and plant food are awesome, but miss the sit down all raw experience… and especially the kimchi dumplings !

Just to let you know this restaurant is officially permanently closed. Taken from LA Weekly:
The new restaurant will be opened in partnership with Ilan Dei, founder of Ilan Dei Studio, the Venice design and manufacturing studio that’s known for its work with Lemonade, the healthy fast-​casual chain. While there isn’t a name or location for this new concept quite yet, Kenney and Dei hope to be open by this fall. The restaurant, like M.A.K.E., will focus on raw foods. Reps for Kenney tell us that it will be «marked by its moderate pricing, casual, welcoming design and approachable culinary offerings.»
Kenney adds, «People want healthy dining options that are reasonably priced, and a setting they feel good in.»
I wonder if my review had anything to do with it?

Ok, so the first thing you’ll notice when you walk into the marketplace at Santa Monica Place is the overwhelming smell of a broken sewer pipe. No my friends, it is not a broken toilet, that is the smell of the vegan cheeses that M.A.K.E. makes. I promise the smell will subside once you’ve tried the food, don’t let it deter you from trying something awesome.
Let’s get one thing straight, I am by no means a vegan. Do I eat and love and appreciate meat, heck yes! Am I a vegan appreciator, yeah! This being said, I know good food when I see it, taste it, and allow myself to indulge.
We tried:
THE VEGAN CHEESE PLATE… ummmmmm woah, so fascinated by how cheese like this dish is, but wait it’s not real cheese… no way! The cheese plate is surrounded by accompaniments like sweetened pickled fennel, mustard seeds, marinated beets with a cinnamon or spice of some sort bite to them, and vegan crackers. This you must must must try.
THE KIMCHI DUMPLINGS: a burst of flavor. My mouth got punched inside in a way it never has with vegan food. All sorts of flavors that melt in your mouth. I kid you not. It’s super fascinating that such an appetizer can be made and it’s vegan. Yet again, very shocking. The shell of the dumplings is made with dehydrated coconut meat and Basil and accompanied by cilantro micro greens, and cilantro blossoms. I died trying these!
THE RAMEN: Look, here is the thing, I’m half Asian and grew up cooking Thai food, so ain’t no vegan ramen ever gonna compare to the real deal. A little disappointed here with this dish. The presentation was lovely, but the flavors were a little lack luster, needed more miso and a hint more of salty and sour to make this dish perfect.
SPICE C JUICE: Orange, Pineapple, Jalepeno, and Cilantro make up the mix of this drink. Pretty tasty, reminded me of a non alcoholic jalapeño martini
SEASONAL ICE CREAM: Seaweed, Orange Tarragon, and Plum Blueberry. I am highly impressed with the flavors and textures of these vegan ice creams. A must try.
Overall, I would highly recommend M.A.K.E. The service was interesting. They brought each plate out one at a time after each time we finished one, kind of a multiple course fine dining type of experience. The only thing I wasn’t found of was one of our servers was weird, she had a strange air to her and was slightly snotty, but the food makes up for her attitude.

66% OF OUR PARTY VOMITED BEFORE THE LUNCH WAS OVER!
This story begins yesterday, March 26^th at 2pm, with a business meeting and the lasagna and kelp noodles. It ends with 66% of my group vomiting in the bathroom before the meeting was over. The young woman we were meeting with is a Vegan so we tried to pick a place that was close in proximity, and that also allowed her to keep to her diet. Both her and I ordered the lasagna and kelp noodles special. I also ordered a blueberry smoothie (which was never delivered). Twice during our meal we had to ASK for water which isn’t a huge deal. But again, we are writing about what I would aptly describe as the worst dining experience I’ve ever had. Ever. Literally. Ever. Anywhere in the world.
Anyway, back to the story. We ordered our meals and the smoothie. Midway thru our meal, both myself and the woman we were meeting with began to feel sick. I left the table first and made my way to the bathroom. After 15 minutes in the bathroom I came back out and realized that the woman we were meeting with had excused herself from the table. She was in the bathroom for about 15 minutes as well. She came out looking very sick and very very frustrated.
This is where it gets good. We came out to our waiter assuring us he would refund us for the lasagna. This begged the question «Why the lasagna?» Had it made other people sick? And being that EVERYTHING came up, why not the salad as well? But wait! It gets better!!!
The waiter eventually refunds both the lasagna meals and salads. Needless to say, our meeting was OFFICIALLY OVER! And without any of the goals we had for the meeting accomplished. So very unfortunate. I instructed my co-​worker to not leave a tip. The waiter was given a zero tip for being inattentive to our party (despite there being only one other table) while he himself ate lunch at the counter next to us.
What happened next is what really took the cake. As I made my way to the bathroom a second time, the waiter proceeded to approach my co worker demanding to know why he wasn’t given a tip. Now, I’m no expert in tipping, but it’s my understanding that gratuity is the sum of money customarily tendered when a patron is satisfied with a dining experience. Even if we hadn’t spent our afternoons vomiting, the tip would have been in question. Going your entire meal without the smoothie you ordered or any water because the server has decided he’s going to go on his lunch break right next to you, I imagine, would (at least) call the amount of the tip into question.
It gets better! When I confronted the waiter about his accosting my co-​worker and explained to him it was my decision he began telling me how great his service was and how he needed to pay his rent. This to me seemed like a conversation more suited for the guys in the kitchen making the food. As he began to get closer and closer to me, and as I watched a Senior Associate from one of the world’s largest PR firms try to wipe vomit off of her shirt, I found myself getting extremely frustrated. What stood out the most is that he never even asked how we were doing. We had resolved that this was just a bad experience to be chalked up to chance. But what took place after our bathroom visits let us know that this is a dining style this establishment is not only OK with, but also promotes. The waiter confirmed as much when he informed us:
«We’re closing this place down and moving across the way. Your Unilocal review won’t matter!»
Well sir, you may be right. And it’s unfortunate how liberal you allowed yourself to be with someone else’s business. You single-​handedly gave us the worst dining experience any of us has ever had. Ever. Anywhere in the world. And that includes communist Belarus. And 25% of it has to do with the food that made us vomit. I doubt you are representative of this company at all. But again, unfortunately, we didn’t catch your name. So the email that went out this morning read like this:
«Dan, add M.A.K.E in Santa Monica to the blacklist. Include a small write up in the RECAP so that we don’t lose anymore business that way. Include the address: 395 Santa Monica Place #333 Santa Monica, California 90 401. Also include a small note about their moving to a different location under a different name. Document it and send it out.»
You didn’t talk to me or my party about HOW WE WERE. You don’t know who we are or what companies we work for. You allowed your pride to get in the way of your better judgement. So what started as an unfortunate situation ends as something much different.
Maybe the manager and owner will read this. Maybe they won’t. Either way, you managed to redefine «terrible dining experience» for all of us. I hope this message finds you well. And you really really consider if customer service is for you.
Good luck M.A.K.E. You’ll need it. Under any name!

Wonderful place! Raw Vegan done right! Each dish was plated beautifully! Very gourmet feel to the dishes. The location felt odd being in a food court atmosphere but it didn’t bother me.
Top left: Napa cabbage salad. Good flavor and nice little taste of Apple!
Top right: black pepper kelp noodles. Delicious!!! Tasted like Alfredo
Middle left: flatbread pizza. Flatbread was similar to pumpernickel.
Middle right: but cheese app. Good! Very filling! The crackers were a nice texture and the cheeses had a variety of flavor.
Bottom left: kale ceasar! Wonderful!!! Would definitely get again.
Bottom right: chocolate layer cake! Amazinggggg!!!

Overall: The food concepts are interesting with beautiful, colorful plating. The execution is a hit or miss. But it’s a good place to bring a date because it’s quiet and the staff is really friendly.
Tip: Sit at the bar so you can watch food being made and, perhaps even better, the head chef. He isn’t particularly talkative because he’s busy running the restaurant in a frantic one man show, but he’s fun to watch and he’ll answer any questions you have, even if he won’t really start a conversation on his own.
Food (Chef’s Tasting Menu): 3
Fennel Cracker with Plantlab Cheese: Flavors were on point, but the cracker was too hard and kind of stale.
Beet Salad consisted of radicchio, beets, and blood orange (fruit and vinaigrette form). Plating was beautiful, and I liked the balance of acidity, sweetness, and bitterness.
Sweet Potato Hummus: The flavors were good, but there was too much of it. It was dense, so a little less or a little more variety would have made it a much more exciting dish.
Lettuce Taco was a nice little bite of well balanced flavors.
Kimchi Dumpling was totally vegan but it tasted exactly like the real deal, in a more interesting form.
Kelp Noodle: They convinced me to like «alfredo» sauce. I like the refreshing crisp bite of the noodle with fresh snap peas. I don’t usually like cold pastas, but I think it’s very appropriate in this case.
Heirloom Tomato Lasagna: They said it was the dish that originally made them famous, so I was a little disappointed by it. Zucchini takes the place of pasta, sandwiching layers of macadamia ricotta, pesto, and sundried tomato. The flavors were on point, but it was missing texture (it was all too lumpy for me). Plus, it was hard to eat, even if it was beautiful.
Sprouted Farro: It had all the right flavors, but it missed a roundness of flavor (umami, I guess).
Pecan Pie: It was a little dense and it lacked some acidity, but it was good.
Box of Chocolates contained gingersnaps, gingerbread, and chocolates. The gingersnap was good and the chocolates were delicious, but the gingerbread didn’t taste like anything.
Service: 3.5
The waitstaff resembles volunteers rather than hired servers because they’re more friend than server. They’re friendly, and they’ll strike up a conversation with you. Nothing wrong with that as long as they can do their job. They can’t. The only actually competent waiter AND chef was the head chef. There was one other competent waiter who was a favorite until he put me off by reminding us to pay the check. To be fair, he qualified it by assuring us that we were free to stay for as long as we like afterwards, but I hate being rushed to pay, especially when I was clearly still eating dessert.
Ambiance: 4.5
It’s located oddly in the forgotten food court of Santa Monica Place inside «The Market.» Most people wouldn’t expect to find artisanal shops and fine dining restaurants on the mall’s third floor, so there isn’t much of a crowd and you can enjoy a quiet dinner. It’s the kind of place that has the potential to attract a foodie crowd, so enjoy the peace while you can.

My husband and I ordered the chef’s tasting menu and we could not have been more stuffed and satisfied! Each dish was presented with such flair, and had a truly unique taste.
Now, on to what we ate.
Beet salad
Such a simple, yet fresh spin on a beet salad – it was so tangy and delicious!
Carrot soup
Warm, comforting, and full of flavor. A must order.
Fennel cracker with peppercorn cheese
This was served with a cherry tomato and avocado. Another tasty bite
Kimchi dumplings
Holy mother of god these things are bursting with perfection! My palate is very happy. I must have this by the truckload
M.A.K.E. salad
While this was nice, it was weak compared to the rest and seemed to be more of a palate cleanser. The coconut bacon stood out though! It was crispy, smokey and yummy.
Mushroom pâté
This was served with crackers and a cherry tomato that was infused with a pleasingly sweet flavor. The actual pâté was rich, but a little too subtle on the flavors for me. Still a nice dish
Sprouted Farro
I think I’m just not a Farro person, this fish didn’t appeal much to me both texture wise and flavor wise. But I’m sure this dish would be a winner for those who enjoy this particular grain
Lasagna
So creamy and delicious! It’s also incredibly filling. Would get again :)
Black pepper kelp noodles
My absolute favorite main course, hands down. The texture is perfection, the flavors really blend well, and the pea vines and olive crumbles really add so much to this dish.
For dessert, we were served a variety of sweets as well as their pecan pie. The maple flavors and coconut whip were absolutely divine.
I cannot wait to return to this establishment, I want to try every item here. My favorite items so far were the kimchi dumplings, black pepper kelp noodles, carrot soup, and the beet salad (in that order). I even want to take lessons here.

I guess I’m not really understanding this raw food deal. Costs too much for what you get.
I ordered mushroom tacos and some carrot soup. They both tasted like they were loaded with salt. Salt, salt, salt… Gross. And good luck finding the mushrooms in the tacos, I saw 1 or 2. For $ 15 you get 3 salads cupped in romaine lettuce. The soup was 1.5 to 2 cups for $ 9
And a place like this doesn’t have San Pellegrino, Perrier, Voss or similar water available??? Seriously M.A.K.E.?? Okay.
I could understand the cost of these food items if I weren’t in a mock food court, but yeah they are in a food court. Get over it. It seems kind of pricey here for what you get.
This review is based on the food taste and value or lack thereof, not the service, which was fine. And the male host is «phyne»…wow

The idea is great and the food was actually very good, but the service on our visit was pretty bad. Seated and served by a fairly unwelcoming human, we made our orders and waited quite happily for some great, fresh, clean food.
And we waited. Still, it’s lunch time, and although the restaurant is REALLY quiet, we’re happy enough chatting and waiting on a relaxed Saturday. We saw our food come out from the kitchen, and it was placed on the counter ready to serve… cool, food time!
Oh, maybe not — it just kinda sat there, someone came out from the kitchen and took some photos with his phone, before wandering back into the kitchen. The food sat there a little while longer, until the initial unwelcoming human swung back around again and served our lunch.
Um, thanks, I think. I always wanted to go to a place that I could see my lunch on Instagram before it’s served to me… #notgoingback
For all their snootiness, it’s still in a mall/​food court. Get over it. On the plus side, everything tasted pretty good.

Very nice for a treat but a wee bit on the pricey side. That being said, there is a heck of a lot of labor involved in making raw food so the expense is somewhat justified.
The main reason I dinged them a star was they were supposed to be open until 10 and they were turning people away at 8:45 (including some folks that made a reservation on OpenTable)
All and all its really worth checking out but it may be a good idea to call to make sure they are actually open their posted hours before heading down.

Came here REALLY excited to try what raw, fresh, and seasonal is really all about. Made a reservation for dinner but surprisingly, we were the only table seated for that hour and a half that we were there, and it was a Saturday night.
Food: Kimchi dumplings were absolutely AMAZING. The dumpling wrappers (likely made of spinach) were paper thin and the filling was soft and tender. I’m not sure what was inside since it was dark, but oh em gee, it just melted in my mouth. Served along with the ginger foam, it gave it that airy feeling even more. It was light but delicious.
The pistachio guacamole was served on radish chips which helped to serve as a contrasting texture to the velvety guacamole. It was sweet and slightly tangy. The guacamole was processed so well that you couldn’t even tell that they used pistachios for the base. The chili on top helped to tie the dish to give it a good kick.
The Young Coconut Ceviche Tacos came with romaine lettuce as the «taco» base. It was topped with loads of young coconut meat, radish, lime leaves, and cherry tomatoes. It was an absolute burst of flavor in each and every bite. The young coconut really helped to mock that texture of raw fish due to its slimy goodness. The lime leaves gave it that perfect acidity.
The Roasted Maitake which was served with quinoa, was quite disappointing though, however. The mushrooms had that kind of funky taste to it like how some mushrooms reek when they’re not washed or cooked properly. The entire dish also had a slightly sour cream/​sauce to it which didn’t help the dish out either.
The Seasonal Ice Cream Trio were all cashew based – pumpkin pie, coconut, and coffee. The flavors were extremely distinct and sweet. On first bite, the ice cream just melts in your mouth and you wouldn’t suspect that they were cashew based ice cream, but after a couple more bites, I could start tasting that cashew nuttiness.
The Persimmon tart was a deconstructed tart – with pistachio crumbles glued with honey as the tart. The tart itself was very chewy and sticky and wasn’t super tasty. The persimmon weren’t quite ripe yet either. It also originally was served with a macadamia mascarpone cream even though their online and physical menu both said it was served with a miso mascarpone. I told the waiter and he said that it was correct. I then showed him the menu on my phone and asked him to change it – which he was more than willing to do for me. But, I was disappointed in the fact that they didn’t serve what their menu stated – and also, for the fact that they didn’t know what their menu said.
Service: The waiter was friendly and attentive. He explained what each dish was made of and refilled our water consistently over our meal.
Ambiance: Classy, intimate – an excellent place to bring a date.
P.S-For those of you allergic to nuts, make sure you inform them ahead of time!

Located on the third floor of the mall inside The Market. Pretty empty on a Sunday afternoon. Laid back atmosphere w a smaller menu but really full of items that all sounded good. Only downside was they were out of a few things we wanted to get :/​service was good though. Awesome that they source locally.
Plenty of parking in the garage attached to it and free for up to 90 min so u can skip the nightmare of looking for parking on the street.
The kelp noodle ramen was really flavorful but I love all things warm so it threw me off a lil that it was room temp. Still good. I’d get it again. Juice was just ok nothing particularly memorable about the clean greens and the Spice-​C was too sweet. The portions looked really small but between the juice n the food I was stuffed for the remainder of the day. However, if ur more accustomed to eating heavier foods then you may still feel the need to grab some more grub soon after. Fortunately, options are plentiful nearby but you’d prob be sad since you couldn’t get full off the 30 $ u paid for ur dish n drink: P

This was definitely a «treat yo self» kind of dinner. In addition to catching up with the lovely Jeanie C., I also wanted to celebrate my new full-​time job (yay!) by treating myself to a fancy raw vegan meal.
I came here a couple years ago for a Unilocal event and I had every intention to come back. So this dinner was a long time coming. I’m happy to report that the wait was worth it!
We started with the Kimchi Dumplings which had beautiful contrasting colors. Bold ginger flavor!
The name escapes me for the entrée I ordered but it involved stuffed squash blossoms, hummus, tomato, squash, and crackers made of nuts. The portion looks small but it’s super filling because of all the nuts.
I traded one of my stuffed squash blossoms for one of Jeanie’s Baja Ceviche Tacos. Once again, the portion looks small. Especially with that flimsy lettuce «taco shell.» But all that coconut was hard to finish since I already ate so many nuts. Great taco flavors!
Despite feeling pretty stuffed, I couldn’t resist ordering the Stone Fruit Tart for us to share. Made with a pistachio crust, the filling was a smooth cheesecake-​like texture and it was topped with thin slices of plum. Delicious!
Service was excellent! Our waiter was helpful, friendly, and kinda looked like the male lead in Grease 2.
Yes, our bill was on the pricy side. The freelancer/​part-​timer me would cringe at the charge on my credit card. But now that I’ve got that steady income, I can afford to be fancy once in a while :)

M.A.K.E. is my raw food mecca.
I fell in love with the philosophy of raw foods in college. But since I was broke, I couldn’t fully integrate in to the lifestyle. I did a ton of research instead. I first read about Matthew Kenney about 8 years ago and was extremely impressed by his art.
You must come with an extremely open-​mind. Raw food does not provide you the comfort of a plate full of food. Portions are light by American standards. The food is innovative. When you see familiar words such as lasagna, cheese, flatbread, ice cream, etc. you need to erase your usual expectations and really experience how living and natural foods can provide similar tastes and textures. The way his dishes are crafted is amazing.
The Kimchi Dumplings, Nori Rolls, and Ceviche are a must. If you’re curious about MK’s style and ingredients that may be used in his dishes, check out a few of his books to get a feel: PlantFood, Everyday Raw Express and Desserts. Great food (ie) for thought!

M.A.K.E. is an interesting case — the portions are small and you need to be open-​minded about the food — but the end result is surprisingly delicious with a delicate presentation that is terrific.
M.A.K.E. is located in the top floor in the ‘Market’ area. If you come at night, it may seem kind of weird because a lot of shops around it closed but MAKE is definitely open in the corner. Come in and there is plentiful seating (especially at night). The service by the way was spectacular. All the dishes were well discussed; a lot of great suggestions with reasons why and a lot of good check-​ups without seeming too intrusive. (Kudos to the service!)
Here are the items we got (items ranged from about $ 8-​$ 20 and were a mix of small, tapas items and small entrees):
–Kimchi dumplings: Surprisingly delicious — they looked like mini mochis. Just a shame we couldn’t have more in one purchase.
–Pistachio Guacamole: Reminiscent of Bazaar funny enough — its simply okay.
–Heirloom Tomato Lasagna: Surprisingly tasted like lasagna although lacking obviously the carbs. Still worth a look-​see for the curious.
–Black Pepper Kelp Noodles: My favorite dish of the night. Again, small but each bite gave off a subtle but terrific flavor of all the ingredients.
–Cheesecake: Fairly small with a scoop of ice cream. Our least favorite dish of the night.
I also had the house red wine which tasted a little odd but worked. Park in the structure near the Santa Monica Mall near Colorado for easy access.
Again — M.A.K.E. is a different experience worth trying for the adventurous. Check it out!

This is the kind’ve place that has «Foodie» written all over it. A state-​of-​the-​art chef (Matthew Kenney), raw food, a nouveau-​industrial setting (exposed pipes and more glass than «Minority Report»). It has all the hallmarks of a food-​snob haven. Yet… This is NOT that kind’ve place. The food is incredibly approachable and simply scintillating. If you feel trepidatious about the whole raw food experience, throw caution to the wind. This place is all about flavor. Great flavor. It makes a healthy lifestyle seem not only livable, but actually appealing (though kidnapping the M.A.K.E. staff might not be so easy).
Simply put, the dishes look like works of art and they taste as good as they look. Using seasonal ingredients, every component on the plate has a reason for being there. Each element complements and enhances the others. These plates are the definition of harmonious perfection. To coin a Food Network phrase, every bite was «a party in my mouth.»
So, yes, I guess this is a restaurant for foodies, but it’s a restaurant, first and foremost, for anyone who simply appreciates good food and wants to experience flavors that are truly inspired. One taste of a dish here will make you say, «I had no idea raw food could taste this good.» Well, it can. And at M.A.K.E. it does.
Would i go back? Do pandas like bamboo? Is there salt in the sea? Are there stars in the sky?
Try keeping me away.

Matthew Kenney is a legend in the raw foods world as he is one of the innovators of living cuisine. As the founder of the Matthew Kenney Academy, a school that has produced some of the top raw foods chefs in the world, his latest venture, M.A.K.E. promises to be a success as well.
Amongst the shops and restaurants in the open-​air Santa Monica Place mall, there lies the upscale raw foods café. M.A.K.E. is beautiful with its brown wood walls, exposed ductwork, and white lamps. I took a seat at a table against the wall. There appeared to be only a few servers working on this weekday afternoon and the café was fairly busy.
To start, you have your choice of juices, smoothies, and boosts. I was somewhat surprised to see honey and bee pollen in some of the drinks, but that seems to be the trend at these «bee-​gan» restaurants. I will note that the café would be fully vegan if it weren’t for those items. I wasn’t in the mood for a smoothie so I started with the Spice-​C. This spicy, citrusy juice was made with orange, pineapple, cilantro, and jalapeño. Yum!
I wasn’t too hungry, but I wanted to try at least two things. My first course was the California Kale salad. It sounded like a simple kale salad, but turned out to be so much more. This lacinato kale salad had quite the twist as it was complemented by sweet valencia oranges, sun-​dried olives, wild dulse seaweed and almonds and was topped with fresh sunflower sprouts. Oh, how I love sunflower sprouts! The dulse and olives really made this dish. And I absolutely adored the salty dressing. Pure perfection.
For my main course, I saw an item on the menu that brought back memories of the famous raw restaurant in New York — Pure Food and Wine. So I ordered the Market Tomato Lasagna. To my surprise, it looked very much like the one served at Pure Food and Wine. A copy? Maybe so. Thinly sliced zucchini took the place of noodles with layers of nutty pesto, macadamia milk cheese, and tomatoes. But, unfortunately, the lasagna was a bit dry and not nearly as good as the one in New York. The unfortunate part of this is that had I not had the one in New York, I probably would have loved this dish, but it paled in comparison to Pure Food and Wine’s. I think a finishing of basil oil would have made a world of difference in this dish. But, it was still pretty good.
That entrée was incredibly filling so I didn’t have room for a full dessert. I did, however, have room for one of their goji macaroons from the take-​out section of this restaurant, which was delicious.
Afterwards, they showed me the school which turned out to just be a room filled with aspiring chefs next to the café. It was a fairly small space filled with state-​of-​the-​art raw foods preparation tools.
In sum, I really enjoyed the food at M.A.K.E., but it was very pricey and the service was extremely slow. The lunch cost $ 35, which is pretty high for a weekday lunch for one. But, I will say that salad was delectable. I’ll definitely be back in the future. And I also aspire to attend their school one day.

After a weekend of great meals, we just felt like eating light and fresh. Thanks to Unilocalers we found this wonderful restaurant in Santa Monica. We are so happy we stopped for lunch at M.A.K.E.
Every dish was artfully presented and delighted our taste buds. To go with our Rose wine, our server recommended the cheese board. Chef Peter created an extra special one for us.
We shared two of the most recommended entrees — Black Pepper Kelp Noodles and the Heirloom Tomato Lasagna.
The Banana Split was the perfect sweet to end our meal.
We can’t wait to go back again!

Was so beautiful sitting outside in the sunshine eating beautiful raw fresh food! My dad is no way near considered a vegan or even plant based but even he loved it!
The kimchi dumplings, black pepper kelp noodles and lasagna are the main stars. My sister didn’t want to touch the lasagna at first saying it looked bad but afterwards devoured it and said it was the best thing.
Was a wonderful lunch post Santa Monica farmers market trip!

I will never forget the amazing lunch I had at MAKE. With only an hour to spend in Santa Monica, I made the right decision. My bf and I had the prix fixe lunch, with a choice of appetizer and entrée, and $ 5 add-​on smoothies. (Chai malt, tasted like a caramel chai milkshake, so delicious.) It was a great deal considering the quality and presentation of the dishes. The waitress was friendly and patient, and gave us great recommendations.
We had the kimchi dumplings (yum) and the portobello salad with coconut bacon to start. If you want a bigger portion, go with one of the salads to start, but if you want an experience, try the dumplings. Delicate flavors and not spicy at all, just the right balance.
For entrees we had the carrot gnocchi (right choice for me!) and kelp noodles. The gnocchi was beautiful, shaped like little carrots and a little sweet, in a pea and mint sauce that made the dish. I need to recreate it somehow. The noodles in his dish had a perfect consistency, not rubbery but, well exactly like real noodles. The dish was fresh and lemony, with a pepper kick and creamy sauce that meat-​eating bf approved of. If you want to end your meal on a high note and have a Little more room, try the Churro ice cream with chocolate ganache pieces. Especially if you like cinnamon. It’s not filling, but you will never forget the flavors and creamy texture of this dish. It might be the best dessert I have ever had, raw vegan and regular meals included. I can’t wait to get back to LA someday and experience this cuisine again.