The strawberry white chocolate matcha latte is among a variety of matcha and espresso drinks offered by Juicy in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Lara Korte/Stars and Stripes)

After weeks of German holiday fare in my food intake, my body was begging me to consume something other than gluhwein and Nutella crepes.

But when I stepped into Juicy on a recent Saturday afternoon hankering for something fresh and fruity, I was a little taken aback to find the downtown Kaiserslautern eatery packed. Clearly I wasn’t the only one craving something healthy after the holidays.

Veda Schuhmacher recently moved her health food restaurant from old town to a bigger space on Eisenbahnstrasse in the city’s downtown shopping district — and for good reason.

With its offerings of brightly colored smoothie bowls, bagels and rice bowls, the establishment had clearly grown out of its previous digs since opening in 2022.

Much of the demand comes from the acai bowls, Schumacher said, leaning over the counter after the frenetic hustle and bustle of the lunch rush had subsided.

Juicy in Kaiserslautern, Germany, recently moved to a bigger location downtown to meet the demand for its Instagram-worthy acai bowls and matcha lattes. (Lara Korte/Stars and Stripes)

Brunch fare at Juicy in Kaiserslautern, Germany, includes hearty bagel sandwiches, like the smoked salmon with cream cheese, tomato and honey mustard pictured here. (Lara Korte/Stars and Stripes)

Juicy, a restaurant in Kaiserslautern, Germany, is well-known for its colorful fare, ranging from fruity smoothie bowls to breakfast sandwiches, smoothies, matcha and espresso drinks. (Lara Korte/Stars and Stripes)

Juicy recently moved to a bigger location in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany. The move was prompted by high demand for its range of flavorful and fruity brunch fare. (Lara Korte/Stars and Stripes)

The bowls, which come in large and small sizes, are laden with fresh bananas, berries and kiwis. They come with the customer’s choice of toppings like granola, Nutella or peanut butter drizzles.

As a former California resident and self-proclaimed savant of trendy health foods, I can confirm that a bowl at Juicy would go head-to-head with much pricier versions I had encountered in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The smoothie base itself was tart and rich. Its thickness and consistency stood in stark contrast to those of a similar acai bowl that I had once been served elsewhere. The smoothie in that one was frozen solid.

The fruit in this Juicy bowl was fresh and plentiful — no skimping on produce here. I ordered mine with granola bites and a Nutella drizzle, just to ease me out of my Christmas crepe-induced stupor.

The bowl itself was aesthetically pleasing, but it was the eye-catching matcha drinks and smoothies that had me peering over at other tables, oohing and ahhing as the beverages arrived from behind the counter.

I ordered an iced strawberry white chocolate matcha, which was rich without being overly sweet. My dining companion tried a Matcha Love smoothie, made with banana, milk and matcha and topped with a strawberry drizzle and attractive edible flowers.

For hungry brunch patrons, the café also serves heartier fare including bagels, which I have found to be rather elusive in Kaiserslautern. We enjoyed splitting the salmon bagel, which came with smoked fish, cream cheese, honey mustard and tomato.

It also offered an everything bagel with avocado, cream cheese, scrambled eggs and tomato; a club chicken bagel; and an Italian bagel with mozzarella, tomato and pesto.

The space itself is practically begging patrons to take aesthetic shots of their smoothies, bowls and beverages. The light walls, big windows and modern white tables give the café an airy feel, as if the Malibu breeze were drifting just outside.

I’ll definitely be returning as I await the spring thaw. It might not be exactly like California, but hey, in German winters, I’ll take what I can get.

Juicy

Address: Eisenbahnstrasse 10, Kaiserslautern, Germany

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Mondays

Prices: 7.50 euros for small bowls; 10.90 euros for large bowls; 9.90 euros for bagels; 4-6 euros for matcha, coffee and smoothies.

Phone: +49 063131192382