Escape Winter Weather And 'Eat Pretty' At NYC's Beachy Broken Coconut

Manhattan's new cabana-style restaurant, Broken Coconut, proves once again that fast-casual dining is the tidal wave of the future. At this NoHo spot, NYU students, SoulCyclists, and foodies alike can munch on health-conscious fare that will transport them straight to the beach.

The restaurant is a collaboration between a number of buzz-worthy restaurateurs — the roster includes seasoned nightclub proprietor Scott Sartiano of 1OAK; Will Makris from Cipriani's Socialista; and Cobi Levy of Little Prince, Black Seed Bagels, and Babu Ji — and Broken Coconut already shows the charm and verve to build on those successes.

Fruit and exotic flowers line mirrored cubbies behind the cashier's tiled wall space — a decorative nod to Miss Chiquita Banana. Straw and woven hats hang from white-washed brick on the opposing side, a pleasant reminder of sunnier times as New York City temperatures continue to drop. Tables sport wicker chairs, and there are pinstriped booths for lounging. A coconut flowerpot makes a cute centerpiece.
 

Smack-dab in the middle of a monotonous back wall is a millennial-pink fluorescent sign with the restaurant's charming motto: "Eat Pretty." The hanging love seat swing, faux fur throw, and surrounding tropical foliage provide the ideal foundation for chic photo-ops.
 

"'Eat Pretty' is what brings the concept of our restaurant full circle, emphasizing the beautiful food that you'd find at the beach," Makris told The Daily Meal. "All of our dishes are inspired by the beach mentality — an outlook that wellness means making fresh, nourishing choices regularly — and we hope to empower our customers to feed their mind and body beautifully."

Broken Coconut's baby-pink menu offers protein bowls, salad, poke, and artisanal toast. The café's most popular breakfast item (and rightfully so) is "Mr. Pink" — pink and white dragon-fruit, gray chia, and house-made, dairy-free, probiotic yogurt topped with coconut flakes. Its neat and vibrant presentation is sure to bring any Instagram feed to life.
 

The "Dusted Avocado" is served on airy seven-grain bread from a local bakery. Crushed, spicy almonds contrast with mild avocado purée — a conglomerate texture friendly to the palate.

The "Shrimp Sesame Soba" bowl — with pickled ginger, Asian pear, carrots, cucumbers, and peppers — employs an oil-based marinade, fresh salad, and flavorful shrimp to vitalize buckwheat noodles that might be bland on their own.

For sushi addicts like myself, the "Sweet Sesame Salmon" poke bowl shoots right on target. Raw salmon, carrots, cucumber, pickled daikon, and Asian pear unify atop a generous mound of sushi-grade rice. The fruit and fresh fish make the perfect complimentary pair of sweet with savory.
 

Broken Coconut isn't all gentle tropical breezes, however. The spicy tuna packs a fiery punch (though, admittedly, my eyes water at the taste of a mild chicken wing). The salad uses sushi-grade big-eye tuna, spicy shoyu — which is similar to soy sauce — pickled ginger, avocado, and red cabbage-apple slaw. For those who can withstand a little heat, this salad is as scrumptious as it is attractive.

Each juice on the list is pressed in-house and packed with proteins and superfoods including E3Live brand algae, collagen, and activated charcoal (careful, that one might turn your mouth black — or worse). No soda allowed.
 

If this type of food is your thing, then Broken Coconut should definitely be added to your rotation. Its fast-casual set-up allows people to pop in for a quick, inexpensive bite to eat, but the overall vibe is inviting for students and professionals to linger over a healthy dinner.

For more nutritious eats, here are 17 nourishing grain bowls that will make you feel healthy AF.

Taylor Rock is the East Coast news editor at The Daily Meal. You can follow her on Twitter @taylorlrock.