Healthy Eats: El Fortin’s Açai Bowls

Sayulita is home to many health-conscious restaurants and cafes. In 2014, El Fortin opened their cafe in Sayulita, offering quite arguably some of the best coffee in town and a one of a kind superfood dish, Açai Bowls. Açai (pronounced AH-SAH-EE) is a superfood fruit originating from Brazil. This berry is loaded with antioxidants, nutrients, and vitamins.

Jimena Ochoa and her mother own and operate the original El Fortin in San Sebastian del Oeste, Jalisco. When asking Ochoa why open up a second shop, she replied, “We live in Sayulita, and we wanted to open up our own shop serving delicious, local coffee”. During a surf trip to Hawaii, Jimena tried Açai for the first time and loved it. She immediately wondered how she could bring Açai to Sayulita. “I did my research and looked ALL over, and I saw that no one had Açai Bowls in town. It’s the perfect meal for a surfer like myself because it gives you so much energy and keeps you full, but feeling light”. Jimena found a source for Brazilian Açai in Mexico City and imports from there.

The Açai bowls at El Fortin are beautiful with bright colors and rich and tangy flavors. It almost looks like a huge dish of ice cream! There are three available bowls to choose from; The OG, The Tropical Bowl, and Berry Paradise. All three can be made with coconut or almond milk, depending on your preference. My absolute favorite is the Tropical Bowl with almond milk, banana, mango, and Açai. The OG Bowl contains banana, strawberries, and Açai, and has a rich flavor and creamy consistency. The Berry Paradise has a sweet flavor with almond milk, mixed berries, and Açai. Added toppings such as bananas, coconut flakes, and granola make these bowls a complete meal. After enjoying my Açai bowl, I carried on with my work day and felt a consistent source of energy and felt full throughout the day.

If you haven’t stopped by El Fortin yet, definitely treat yourself to a delicious cup of coffee and a filling Açai bowl! The health benefits are not only exclusive to active surfers or yogi’s, those traveling or living full time in Sayulita will benefit from the massive amounts of nutrients, and vitamins to keep your system happy and healthy.