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Watch out, green juice; there’s some competition in town. While medicinal mushrooms have been a part of the health and wellness scene for decades, it’s only within the past few years that they’ve made their way to the mainstream (i.e., Whole Foods).
And here in LA, it’s not uncommon to spot a mushroom drink or two on a menu at your local coffee shop or eatery. But nothing says “here to stay” quite like the Shroom Room, Four Sigmatic’s cafe dedicated solely to these mysterious ancient fungi.
Unlike psychedelic mushrooms, medicinal mushrooms have no hallucinogenic effects (sorry, not sorry). Instead, their power lies in their well-studied health benefits — and there are a lot of them. These superfoods are packed with antioxidants and have been shown to increase energy, lower cholesterol, and even give your immune system a boost.
But that’s not all. Many medicinal mushroom varieties are also considered to be adaptogens — substances and herbs used to help the body deal with stress. And that’ll come in handy when you have a looming work deadline or are mentally preparing for your daily drive on the 405.
Four Sigmatic got its start when founder Tero Isokauppila quit his draining corporate job to start a company based on his passions (#goals) — mushrooms and health. It’s nothing new for him, though — Four Sigmatic has been successfully selling mushroom-based products since 2012. Think coffee, wellness elixirs, lattes, adaptogen powders, and more.
Just getting into the mushroom game? Try the Mushroom Coffee with Lion’s Mane. It’s one of Four Sigmatic’s most popular products and features a blend of coffee, Lion’s Mane, Chaga, and Rhodiola Root, which can be easily added to hot water or a smoothie for natural, all-day energy without all the coffee jitters.
Luckily for Angelenos, we have a place where we can score these awesome shrooms IRL. Tucked away on Abbot Kinney Blvd., the Shroom Room is Four Sigmatic’s first-ever retail space and mushroom cafe designed to resemble a birch tree forest (birthplace of the Chaga mushroom). The space is bright and inviting despite its noticeably small size — cozy might be the right word.
And if you don’t know a thing about mushrooms, no worries. The employees here are well-versed on everything mushroom and are more than happy to help you choose the best product to meet your needs. Still unsure? You can test the waters with some samples to find the blend for you.
Fitt Tip: Out of respect for its incredible employees, the Shroom Room has flexible hours. So before you make the trip out to Venice, we recommend calling ahead to make sure they’re open.