Rawtopia unlocks the power of clean eating
Aug 05, 2024 01:12PM ● By Peri Kinder
Farmers markets provide much of the food for the cuisine at Rawtopia in Millcreek. Omar Abou-Ismail sources local produce, meat and other ingredients for his gluten-free, dairy-free and organic menu. (Photos courtesy of Omar Abou-Ismail)
Omar Abou-Ismail hasn’t eaten fast food for 23 years, and he feels amazing. When he was 22 years old, Abou-Ismail started a meditation practice that included conscious, clean eating. It put him on a path that has become his life’s journey: creating healthy food and educating consumers about the benefits of eating a sustainable, high-quality and organic diet.
Now 45, Abou-Ismail owns and operates Rawtopia at 3961 Wasatch Blvd. in Millcreek, an award-winning restaurant committed to serving flavorful, clean gourmet cuisine.
“We’re very particular about all our ingredients and where they come from,” he said. “We dry a lot of our herbs from our gardens and we support local farming and agriculture. Everything we do in the restaurant is very farm-to-table and a hands-on experience.”
Abou-Ismail opened his first restaurant in Sugar House called Living Cuisine Raw in 2005, shortly after his father died from cancer. He was convinced a healthier diet could have extended his father’s life and he became passionate about introducing high-nutrient foods to consumers. His restaurant went through several evolutions before he landed in Millcreek in 2017.
Although he earned a geophysics degree at the University of Utah, his decision to move into the healthy restaurant business wasn’t difficult. His mother is a Lebanese chef and, with her help, his talent for creating clean cuisine became a fun challenge. Abou-Ismail worked with his mother in a local restaurant and what he saw there changed his life.
“When I was working at the restaurant, I was looking at this gluttony, looking at how people would eat,” he said. “They were eating all these deep-fried foods, and they’re eating all this junk food, and there was no restaurant that had healthy food. I thought, wow, this is really, really sad.”
Rawtopia is an innovative clean-eating restaurant where he hopes to revolutionize the way people think about food. Everything is made from scratch and incorporates a completely gluten-free, dairy-free and organic menu. While most items are vegetarian, Rawtopia also offers cage-free eggs, free-range bison and wild-caught salmon.
“In the beginning, I thought meat was horrible,” he said. “Then I realized meat is necessary for our diets. Humans have always survived with meat, and meat is part of sustainability. You can’t farm without animals. No culture does not use animals in their cuisine. Even Hindus use milk and cheese and butter and ghee.”
In the spring of 2023, Abou-Ismail received a surprise guest at Rawtopia. Television personality Martha Stewart was speaking at an event in Salt Lake and wanted to have a healthy dinner. The event organizers suggested Rawtopia and she fell in love with Abou-Ismail and his food. She flew him to New York to tape a show with her which aired in May 2024.
“After that happened, I felt that someone had finally taken me seriously,” Abou-Ismail said. “I’m still a niche and the masses can’t always understand my food. They hear ‘Rawtopia’ and don’t understand. I want my restaurant to get busier and busier. I can’t lie. It hasn’t been an easy journey.”
Moving forward, Abou-Ismail is creating a cookbook and would love to host a cooking show. For a complete menu and more information, visit Rawtopia.com.
“I remember when my dad passed away, I was really driven at that point to make a difference in people’s lives,” he said. “I’m really lucky and fortunate to be in Millcreek.” λ