We’ve officially made it through the first week of 2019, but as the hype of the new year dies down, you may find your commitment to resolutions waning. With that “new year, new me” mantra nagging at you, now is the perfect time to re-acquaint yourself with healthy food options around Hoboken. Enter: Shaka Bowl. Whether you’re trying out Whole 30, Keto, Paleo, or just trying to bounce back from indulging over the holidays, Shaka’s wide variety of options {and brand new menu items} have got your resolutions covered 10 times over. Here’s more about this health lifestyle café {with two locations at 720 Monroe Street and 110 Washington Street}:
Menu Items You *Must* Try
Though acai and poke shops seem to be a dime a dozen these days, Shaka Bowl differentiates itself from other spots around town by offering healthy-and-delish items like tacos, chicken and shrimp bowls, toasts, smoothies, avocado eggrolls {insert drooling emoji here}, and much more.
Soy-Free and Dairy-Free {Almost} Everything
Shaka’s diverse menu provides endless options that make it a breeze to stay on track with your health-conscious goals. On top of that, Shaka’s founders {NJ natives and sister duo Kiersten and Krista} are passionate about creating fresh and thoughtful cuisine, noting “the quality of food is high, clean, and we’re honest. We use no soy or fillers in anything we make. Everything is house-made from our sauces to our baked goods to our granola.” {HG note: A-M-E-N!}
Shaka Bowl takes its commitment to creating fresh and honest food very seriously; everything down to the batter {which is gluten-free, btw} is made fresh daily. Most menu items are dairy-free and soy-free and adhere to most dietary restrictions and, if you’re looking for a quick and healthy lunch, all of their soups are soy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, and most of them are vegan. Not to mention, Shaka’s menu is fully customizable to meet customers’ preferences.
The Evolving Menu and To-Die-For Buffalo Shrimp Tacos
Another thing we love about Shaka Bowl is its commitment to evolving cuisine and introducing creative new menu items for their customers. The HG team stopped by to try Shaka’s brand new buffalo shrimp tacos. With crispy shrimp, crunchy slaw, and just the right amount of heat {offset by the genius addition of fresh strawberries — promise you’ll love, just note there’s Bleu cheese dressing for our dairy-free guys and gals}, we feel obligated to tell you to run, not walk, to order them.
^Buffalo Shrimp Tacos, nbd.
While Shaka offers fresh and creative cuisine, the focus on cultivating a healthy mindset is what really sets them apart. After all, the concept of Shaka Bowl was born after the founders returned from an eight-month trip to Hawaii where they fell in love with the simple way of life.
The Aloha Lifestyle
Shaka’s emphasis on that positive Hawaiian lifestyle is not only clearly reflected in the café’s décor {where it feels like you’re nestled amongst the trees of a tropical rainforest — complete with an actual tree stump from Hawaii on the ceiling [don’t worry, no trees were harmed in the making]}, but also in the food.
Offering classic nutritious staples such as kombucha, acai, and pitaya is a given, but Shaka is also rolling out other menu items that helps customers live their best lives.
The most recent introduction? Celery juice.
About Celery Juice
Celery juice has crazy health benefits and just one cup in the morning on an empty stomach (instead of your coffee) can help with things like acid reflux, constipation, bloating, acne, eczema, and other inflammation issues in the body. Help in reducing bloating? Um, sign us up.
CBD Oil-Infused Drinks + Eats
As our readers know, the HG team is passionate about CBD oil for its anxiety-reducing and mood-regulating properties, so we’re super excited that Shaka has recently debuted CBD oil to their repertoire of lifestyle-conscious options. While not your typical menu item, CBD oil is offered at Shaka as an addition to any smoothie, bowl, or even their nitro-brew coffee. Shaka also sells CBD oil retail. Yes, please.
About Shaka’s Founders Krista + Kiersten
As driven entrepreneurs, Shaka founders Krista and Kiersten Gormeley are passionate about facilitating a healthy lifestyle for Hoboken residents, but there is also a much deeper meaning for the pair of sisters. Before founding Shaka Bowl, both women found themselves facing precarious and life-altering health concerns. Kiersten had been diagnosed with Thyroid cancer while Krista was suffering from debilitating anxiety. Their respective health issues helped them recognize what they saw as truly important – living a simple, healthy, and positive lifestyle. Shaka Bowl became a symbolic extension of that realization, allowing Krista and Kiersten to fulfill their passion of educating others through serving quality and creative cuisine.
Both women are now healthy {and thriving}, but their past encouraged them to push harder toward creating a lifestyle café where locals can feel empowered – not weighed down – by the food they’re eating.
{Just a moment of appreciation for Shaka’s gluten-free poundcake.}
Love Shaka Bowl and want to share it with the world? They’re offering 500 points – aka $5.00 –for any positive feedback/ways Shaka Bowl might’ve impacted your life in a positive way {weight loss, eye-opening to new food, cultures, cuisines, skin regimens, etc.}
Shaka Bowl is open every day of the week. The Monroe location is open M-F 7AM-9PM, Sat. and Sun. 8AM-9PM. Pop into the Washington location M-F 7AM-10PM, Saturday and Sunday 8AM-10PM.
Have you been to Shaka Bowl? What’s your favorite dish? Comment below!
** This post is sponsored, but many on the HG Team are regulars at Shaka and love so many of its unique dishes, especially the Buffalo Shrimp tacos and HiLo smoothie if we’re being honest. **
