In the interest of keeping up on the new restaurants and such that endlessly crop up around town, I went to Isabel (330 NW 10th) for lunch today. Were I to be unlucky enough to have a job that wouldn’t allow me to be away from my desk for two full hours on such a quest, I might be put off by the fact that it took almost as long to get a table as it did for the food to arrive. So, if you need to be back in less than an hour for your lunch breaks, I would recommend it for weekends only, or just waiting a few weeks for the hype to calm down. This is founding chef Isabel Cruz’s fifth restaurant, with locations dotting southern California and one in Ashland. Her signature is a fusion of Latin and Asian cuisines… did I mention she is from California? This place reminded me very much of California, where fusion and health food-centric menus are decades-old news.

And it is healthy, satisfying food. I had a burrito with brown rice, corn, tofu, and mushrooms, while my two dining companions wolfed down a great, subtly flavored plate of noodles with veggies and tofu and a breakfasty potato dish. The product of simple ingredients with strong, natural flavors there’s no “diet food” vibe, even though cheese and bread are probably the closest you’ll come to calorie-watching crimes and brown rice and egg whites are featured prominently on the menu. If you’re looking for a weekend brunch that isn’t going to be a gut-bombing recipe for mid-afternoon lethargy, or you have the time and inclination for a classy, conscientious lunch, you’ll love it. Just don’t everybody love it at once, ok?