Find Your Inner Peace at Carmel Valley Lodge

Carmel Valley- known for its grassy rolling hills, award-winning wines, ample sunshine and now a revived and rejuvenated Carmel Valley Lodge. The countryside lodge located just off of the Carmel Valley Road has recently just changed ownership; coming with it revamped rooms, outdoor fire pits and the introduction to their complimentary breakfast known as Rainbow Ssambap (more on that later).

The 31 room resort is sprawled out over 3 acres full of well-manicured gardens, an array of flowers and stunning views of the valley. Fully renovated rooms stay true to their cozy country roots with upgraded modern amenities including secluded outdoor patios and furniture, gas fireplaces, mini-fridges and free Wi-Fi.

Quite possibly the most integral selling point of the retreat is the crystal blue pool and stone outdoor fit pits, both a necessity in sunny Carmel Valley. You simply can not top this gorgeous setting with the rolling hills in the distance; a perfect area to bask in the abundant sunshine, enjoy a glass of Carmel Valley's finest Pinot Noir and at night congregate around a cozy outdoor fire with your loved ones.

The nearby gazebo and meditation tent are also new additions to the pool area where guests are encouraged to reflect and tap into their inner creativity.
The most unique feature about this property is their complimentary breakfast created entirely by Carmel Valley Lodge's owner Tong Kim. After his own personal research and exploration he has crafted a raw vegan concoction known as Rainbow Ssambap (Korean for burrito); he even has an entire book on this stuff!
The meal (which Mr. Kim eats exclusively for breakfast, lunch and dinner) is full of over 20 different ingredients including beans, berries, nuts and fruit. I had the pleasure of trying this interesting mashup and to my surprise was delighted with the combination of tastes and textures. Mr. Kim notes that the most important ingredient for the flavor is a Meyer lemon, so important in fact that he has planted over 100 trees around the property.
The cornucopia of fruits, veggies and legumes is certainly a nutritious way to start off the day. I am not sure I could eat this dish all day everyday but Mr. Kim's youthful energy and appearance may have turned me into a believer.
Want to try this Rainbow Ssambap yourself? Book a room at the Carmel Valley Lodge of just follow the easy recipe below.

Rainbow Ssambap Recipe:

You will need-

Nuts

• Almonds
• Cashews
• Walnuts

Fresh Vegetables

• 1 beet
• 3 tomatoes
• 20 cherry tomatoes
• 1 carrot
• Lettuce
• Cabbage
• Any other vegetables that you want to eat

Legumes

• Beans

Fruits

• Apples
• Blueberries
• Bananas
• Meyer Lemons
• Avocados 

1) Make a base - Put five sliced tomatoes the bottom of the blender, put one sliced beet, one carrot, two bananas, one avocado, 20 almonds, 20 cashews and five walnuts on top of it and blend them all together.

2) Pour it into a large bowl up to 1/3 of the bowl.

3) Add blueberries, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, one chopped apple, half of a lemon, some lettuce and any other vegetables, nuts or fruit you want to eat.

4) Mix and eat it.