Originally published January 2 2006
Tahitian fruit the latest craze in U.S. restaurants
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Noni, a fruit from Tahiti found to be high in antioxidants, has created a small industry of café foods, including teas, syrups and juice, that can be found in an emerging line of Polynesian-style of eateries popping up in the U.S.
THE STORY: While we were busy gobbling multivitamins, drinking wheat grass smoothies and eating bran, a segment of the population has discovered the magnificent health benefits of the fruit called noni, a Tahitian delicacy containing immune system-boosting antioxidants.
The rise of noni juice, teas and syrups has given rise to a new chain of Polynesian-style cafes, found in Japan, Brazil, Atlanta and now Dallas.
The cool fish and sweet fruit were paired with cream cheese, within a particularly sticky rice exterior filled with sesame seeds and reportedly some noni leaf, the latter in no way detectable.
A salad topped with a trio of petite crab cakes ($9.75) had its high points.
The crisp greens with crunchy carrots and macadamia nuts came with a lovely, tart citrus dressing containing the mysterious noni leaf; the crab cakes held good flavor but were on the mushy side.
A dessert of banana crepes ($5.50) was good, if a bit baffling.
Paper-thin, eggy pancakes were advertised as having a frozen yogurt filling, but ours held a rich, thick cream cheese or mascarpone concoction.
Sliced bananas mingled within, while the drizzled syrup on top tasted more like Hershey's than the alleged Tahitian Noni Premium Syrup detailed on the menu.
THE MISSES: The vegetarian sandwich ($5.95) was a pretty presentation, but its effect was a certain disappointment.
The promised toasted focaccia was a cool, dry bread, and the fillings of noni-leaf goat cheese, tomato and greens were just plain boring.
A sun-dried tomato pesto and the side of mango chutney were nice, but these couldn't save the plate.
A two-ounce shot of noni juice ($3.60) was bitter and musty, even when jazzed up with a berry blend.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD: Next door, an expensive boutique sells health and beauty products incorporating the Tahitian noni fruit.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml