I wouldn't call myself a healthy eater.

I'm more often inhaling greasy burgers and fries than salads and vegetarian wraps.

So when my friend suggested Red Ginger Cafe & Gift Shop in Manoa Marketplace for lunch yesterday, I hesitated.

It's healthy, right?

Outside the cafe in Manoa Marketplace.

The daily specials. One patron raved about the grilled garlic portobello mushroom salad.

Inside Red Ginger yesterday during lunch. It's like eating lunch in a bookstore; I wasn't sure if I was talking too loud.

Yes, Red Ginger, which opened last year, prides itself on healthy alternatives, using organic and local ingredients whenever possible. The menu boasts a variety of sandwiches, soups, salads and wraps, including a turkey cranberry delight sandwich ($6.95) with organic cranberry sauce and cream cheese and a grilled garlic portobello mushroom wrap ($8.95).

What I like about this cafe is the eclectic extras such as its stuffed pretzel with grilled cheese or spinach and feta ($3.95); PB and Banana Toast ($3.95) made with whole wheat bread and organic peanut butter topped with fresh island-grown bananas, honey and lemon; and selection of smoothies ($4.95) that can be turned into parfaits.

But like a growing number of cafes — think The Wedding Cafe at Ward Warehouse and Jewel or Juice in Kaimuki — Red Ginger doesn't just sell soups and salads. Part of the decor is a gift shop, where you can purchase Encore Bags (made from recycled juice boxes) and Ecojot Stationary.

Here's one of those Encore Bags. Very cute — and eco-friendly.

I bought two of these pendants made from Scrabble tiles. Clever!

The products add to the decor of the cafe.

Here's what we ate:

Literally a cup of soup. This is the soup of the day: cream of portobello ($2.50 for a cup, $4.50 for a bowl).

It was packed with nice-sized chunks of mushrooms. Great flavor.

My friend ordered the turkey avocado wrap ($6.95), which came with tortilla chips.

The sandwich came with a healthy serving of sliced turkey and avocado, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, shredded organic carrots and clover sprouts.

I got the cafe's signature chicken salad sandwich ($6.95) with grapes and almonds.

Yes, there are literally grapes and almonds inside the sandwich! And it was good! Very refreshing and unexpected.

For dessert we split two different kinds of Coldfrye Cookie Cremes ($4.50). These are locally made gourmet ice cream sandwiches. The vanilla and coffee flavors were definitely our favorites.

Though I love my bad foods — pizza, burgers, fries, onion rings, chicken katsu curry over fresh white rice — I can still appreciate the healthier fare that a place like Red Ginger Cafe offers. Simple, stylish and good for you? Sign me up.

Red Ginger Cafe & Gift Shop, Manoa Marketplace, 2nd floor, 2752 Woodlawn Dr. #5-213. Hours: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. Phone: 988-0588.

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Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish, send her an e-mail at cat@thecatdish.com, and now watch her every Thursday at 6:45 a.m. on KHNL News 8.

Tags: food, fuud, hawaii, Manoa, Manoa Marketplace, Red Ginger, restaurant, salad, sandwich, toth

This entry was posted on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 1:11 am and is filed under Hanging out. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.