M Cafe de Chaya

The juxtaposition couldn't be more delicious: Around the corner from the perennially mobbed Pink's, where hot dogs come slathered in fluorescent chili, is a jewel box of a cafe serving macrobiotic food to the health-obsessed. The fare at M Café de Chaya is so full of color and flavor that the adjective that comes to mind is vivid. To go along with the clean-living cuisine, the atmosphere is modern, fresh and simple, and it can get crowded and cramped – especially with all those scenesters vying for the prime outdoor tables. There is no refined sugar, dairy products, meat, poultry or egg here, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in flavor. There are hearty rice bowls, salads, wraps, sushi (with brown rice) and burgers that taste so good you’ll never miss all the bad stuff. For dessert, the vegan strawberry cupcakes, brownies and croissants are incongruously delish (pastries without sugar, dairy or egg?). Otherwise, if you’re not a stickler, there’s always Pinkberry next door.

TIPS: The parking lot is so miniscule; don’t count on getting a spot in there. There is now a much larger location in Culver City.