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Everything should be made with intention. That’s the philosophy of Susan Mussaffi, owner of the newest bar to hit Boca Raton — juice bar, that is. Apura Juicery opened in the fall of 2014 and offers cold-pressed juices, cold-brewed coffee, espresso drinks and handmade nut “mylks” alongside whole, plant-based cuisine that is minimally processed for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Everything at Apura is handmade daily with all natural ingredients, little to no processing and lots of TLC. Their goal is to serve food and drinks that not only look and taste great but make you feel great, too. And let me tell you, I definitely did feel great after trying a handful of their juices and healthy fare.
You won’t find a hint of dairy, GMOs, soy or gluten within the walls of Apura, and organic fruits and vegetables are used as often as possible. You can dine in or take out — the atmosphere has a very “chic cafe” feel to it. I can almost envision it being inside of a Nordstrom or Bloomingdales. You’ll most likely meet the owner, Susan, during your visit, so make sure to say hello! The mother of six learned about plant-based cuisine in 2013 and immediately gave up meat and animal products, resulting in a loss of 20+ pounds. Her initial goal was to write a cookbook on this particular lifestyle but instead opted for a different route — opening up a health-minded restaurant to serve her community. She has a deep passion for healthy living and is committed to sharing this passion with others.
Apura is known most for it’s cold-pressed, unpasteurized juices, but there are also cold-brewed coffees, smoothies, and a wide variety of raw and vegan food offerings ranging from raw oatmeal and chia pudding to faux sushi, various specialty salads, and faux noodle dishes. Most of the dishes, although raw and vegan, resemble and taste like popular dishes you’d find at any restaurant.
Apura also just started offering raw food and juice cleanses, which are a little different than those juice-only ones you see at other juiceries. You don’t have to forgo solid food while participating in Apura’s juice program — instead you get a few juices, nut “mylks,” smoothies, soups and raw-plant based entrees. Cleanses can last anywhere from five to 21 days.
I was recently invited to try a bunch of the juices and food offered at Apura — and I am totally in love with this place! I only wish it wasn’t so far west, otherwise I’d be there everyday!
I sampled a variety of juices, including the signature Apura (cucumber, celery, spinach, apple, lemon, ginger and kale), the Sweet Heart (carrots, red beet, celery, spinach, apple, lemon and ginger), Purple Haze (purple cabbage, apple, celery, and radish), Pear Mojito (romaine lettuce, mint, pear, lime, apple and celery) and my absolute favorites — the Can Elope (cantaloupe, golden bet, carrot, apple, orange) and Honey Do (honeydew, cilantro, kiwi, cucumber, lemongrass, spinach and apple).
I also tried the Almond Mylk, a blend of almonds, pink Himalaya sea salt and water, the cold-brewed coffee and the Apura White Gold, the cold-brewed coffee blended with almond mylk and dates for added sweetness. Deeeeelicious. I could totally wake up to that kind of latte every morning!
I was most excited to try the raw, vegan fare during my Apura experience. Susan brought me out the cutest little sample trays of some of her best and most popular items. First up was the sushi made with a date and walnut pate rolled with avocado and crisp vegetables in a raw nori roll and topped with cashew mayo. At first look, you would think this was a tuna roll, but nope — no tuna! It was super tasty though — that date and walnut pate appears in a few of Susan’s dishes and is quite the hit. The Raw Asian Spring Roll also uses that date and walnut pate paired along with sprouts, cabbage, carrots, avocado and mango stuffed inside a rice spring roll with an Asian dipping sauce. This was super yummy too.
I tried two different salads — the Caesar, made with romaine lettuce, almond Parmesan cheese, and goji berries (totally my new favorite berry!), and the Cheezy Kale Salad with marinated kale, purple cabbage, peppers, hemp seeds, apple cider vinegar, garlic and nutritional yeast, which gives the taste and appearance of cheese. The kale salad packed a lot of flavor, my guess from the vinegar and nutritional yeast, and was a little much for me. The goji berries in the Caesar salad won me over — and I don’t even like Caesar salads!
On to dessert!! I tried the French Tart made with nut custard, nuts and dates and topped with seasonal berries — mine had blueberries. This was delicious — so much flavor and very much the texture of a smooth and creamy pie. It totally feels decadent and indulgent. You’d never know it wasn’t made with any dairy at all…
The best thing I tried was the oatmeal. I know, sounds so simple right? No way. This is some absolutely amazing oatmeal. It’s served cold and mixed with diced apples, blueberries, dates, cinnamon and raw almond mylk. I could not stop going back for more. I would go back to Apura just for this oatmeal alone!
Boca Raton may have it’s fair share of health food stores and juiceries, but Apura is definitely worth checking out. There is a huge variety of made-to-order smoothies written up on a big chalkboard, so many tasty juices, and lots of really delicious food.
Apura Juicery is located at 22191 Powerline Road in the Palms Plaza in Boca Raton.
Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest of the restaurant to sample Apura’s juice and food items. All photos and information have been provided by The Gab Group on behalf of Apura Juicery. No monetary compensation was received for this review. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.
