If you stay in Kauai long enough, you’ll hear locals talk about the power of Hawaii’s oldest island. There’s a sense of wisdom and spirituality in the soil, and it makes its way into the lush, abundant produce grown here.

The best place to experience the bounty of Kauai’s harvests this fall is the Blossoming Lotus. The vegan and raw food restaurant is a mainstay in Kapaa, a coastal town on the east side of the island. It offers gourmet world-fusion cuisine made without meat, eggs or dairy products. In the restaurant’s raw or “live food” dishes, nothing is heated above 116 degrees, which preserves key enzymes.

The Blossoming Lotus is the first green-certified restaurant in all of Hawaii. There are no Styrofoam products, and the proprietors use nontoxic cleansers and recyclable goods. At one point, they had biodegradable cutlery made from corn and wheat.

Their recipes have won awards from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Gourmand Magazine and VegNews, and their vegan chefs are considered among the best in the world.

High society and Birkenstock-wearing folk alike flock here for the food.

“It’s not one of those dirty hippie places,” said Lanaly Cabalo, food writer for Kauai’s hometown paper, the Garden Island.

In fact, it’s a favorite celebrity hangout. Pierce Brosnan, Leonardo di Caprio, Mike D. from the Beastie Boys and the Red Hot Chili Peppers have trekked down from the exclusive Kauai Princeville resort in the north to feast on healthy food into which you can sink your teeth.

Head chef Mark Reinfeld grew up eating beef and poultry and has reinvented comfort foods like enchilada casserole that appeal to a heavier palate. He uses familiar textures and flavors like barbecue and peanut sauce to win over customers.

One of Reinfeld’s favorite dishes is spanakopita. The savory Greek pie is made with marinated tofu and organic island greens layered between flaky phyllo and drizzled with a sun-dried tomato and sage sauce.

“Foodies can appreciate it just as cuisine,” Reinfeld said. “And the fact that it’s food for your soul and you feel great afterward is just an added bonus.”

Other ingenious creations include an all-vegetable lasagna and pad Thai noodles made with julienned young coconut flesh.

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