Simply walking into Koinonia Organic Juice Bar, Cafe and Nutrition Shop was a very tranquil and relaxing experience.

Bare wood tables spaciously filled the cafe. Zen rocks were stacked on the far table, plain light bulbs and large glass balls were arranged in the middle of the ceiling, basking the room in a soft glow. Plaques with good karma messages — such as “do all things with love” and “love is beautiful” — adorned the walls and gave the room a warm inviting vibe.

The stand-alone cafe, which just opened in January and was started by the Koinonia Center of Health and Koinonia Fayetteville Athletic Club, above Taste of India on Dell Street, seems like it will be the perfect addition to the alternative and diverse food culture adorning Westcott Street.

As a juice bar, I had to try out the extensive and organic juice and smoothie options and ordered the tropical vacation smoothie and mondo berry juice. They come in small and large sizes.

The tropical vacation smoothie — a blend of pineapple, banana, coconut and coconut ice cream — tasted just like a non-alcoholic piña colada. It was deliciously sweet, but thanks to the coconut ice cream, it achieved creaminess without being too heavy.

The mondo berry juice combines goji berries, blueberries, strawberries, banana and both pomegranate juice and coconut milk. It had a slight bitterness from all the berries, but it was extremely refreshing. I felt a little healthier with every sip.

I ordered the chicken spiedie wrap for the main course. It was packed with raw spinach and organic chicken spiedies, which I was told is a particular type of chicken special to New York. The rainbow vegetables listed in the menu were a finely chopped medley of raw carrots, red onions, red peppers, cucumbers and tomato in a light yogurt-based sauce.

The wrap came with the option of either whole meal or spinach and the fresh, raw veggies tasted like summer — light, crispy and crunchy.

I followed this with the bison meatball wrap, which is offered either as a small or large portion. I ordered the bison in large — a good move on my part, as it was divine — and I asked for it on the spinach wrap.

With chunky bison and organic beef meatballs smothered in red sauce, the wrap was thickly packed. It was paired with quinoa, spinach and fresh basil pesto sauce — perfect flavor pairing for a rich, warm and chunky meal on a cold winter night.

The menu also offered soup of the day, which that day was a vegetable broth and two salads — one chicken and one vegetarian.

And of course, there was dessert. A protein-packed brownie, protein pudding and power balls were displayed in a glass cabinet at the front of the store by the counter. I couldn’t resist grabbing a hemp seed-coated peanut butter power ball and a granola-covered almond butter power ball on the way out.

If you are looking for something on the go, the cafe also has coffee, hot chocolate and herbal teas. The wall on the far side of the store is lined with an array of protein bars, protein powders and nutritional snacks. The cafe also accepts Off-Campus Meal Plans and allows customers to text orders in advance.

Due to the healthy options and the lengthy walk to Westcott, I came to the conclusion that Koinonia is the solution to the freshman 15 — I just wish it was closer to campus.

Published on March 2, 2015 at 12:01 am