• You pay a chef not to cook at a raw foods restaurant.vegetables image by dinostock from Fotolia.com
  
  Paying someone not to cook may seem like a strange idea, but that's just what happens customers visit a raw foods restaurant. Dishes at raw food (sometimes called "living" or "live food") establishments are either completely uncooked or heated to no more than 118 degrees. Yet it takes a chef with considerable knowledge, creativity and skill to make raw food, and New York boasts some of the most prominent raw restaurants in the United States.
  
  

Quintessence

• Quintessence is owned and run by Mun Chan and Raw Chef Dan Hoyt. Mun Chan was a line chef at a young age in her family's Chinese restaurant, but Chef Dan came to cooking only after spending 10 years as an electrical contractor and opening his own music studio, which became the first Quintessence restaurant. Quintessence not only serves live food, but the official website offers information about the raw philosophy, an events calendar and free raw recipes. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner, and has appetizers, salads, entrees, shakes, lattes, soups, side dishes and desserts. Customers can order raw tacos, mock tuna ceviche, meatless burgers and raw falafel, along with "guiltless desserts" such as tiramisu, coconut cream pit and mango pudding parfait.
  
  Quintessence
  263 E. 10th St.
  New York, NY 10009
  646-654-1823
  raw-q.com
  
  

Rockin' Raw

• Rockin' Raw is a live food, New Orleans/Peruvian-flavored vegan restaurant. The restaurant guarantees that all foods are 100 percent gluten- and animal-product free (except for the occasional use of honey), and that as many ingredients as possible are both local and organic, except for foods imported from Peru. Executive chef Vanessa Cabrera has prepared a unique menu filled with raw Louisiana gumbo, po' boy sandwiches, caramelized plantains, Creole cole slaw and Peruvian purple corn cornbread. Rockin' Raw is open every day of the week except Monday, and offers four-course lunch combos until 4:30 p.m.
  
  Rockin' Raw
  178 N. Eighth St.
  New York, NY 11211
  718-599-9333
  rockinraw.com
  
  

Raw Soul

• Raw Soul is owned by Lillian Butler and her husband, Eddie. long-time vegetarians who completed the transition to raw foods after Lillian visited the Ann Wigmore Institute, a living foods center devoted to education about the raw food lifestyle. Raw Soul is not only a restaurant, but also offers chef training, classes in raw food preparation, special events, catering and meal service. The Butlers also sell their own line of books and raw organic snacks. All Raw Soul meals and juices are prepared fresh every day, and include lasagna, a faux-barbecue burger, wraps, enchiladas, breads, pizza, fritters, biscuits and desserts. Raw Soul is open for lunch and dinner on Saturday, dinner only Tuesday through Friday, and is closed Sunday and Monday.
  
  Raw Soul
  348 W. 145th St.
  New York, NY 10039
  212-491-5859
  rawsoul.com