Restaurant Review: An appreciable attempt at serving nutritious food

They have consciously tried to replace ingredients such as maida and refined sugar with healthier alternatives such as organic honey or millet flour, all this while retaining the taste. The limited menu, which is a compilation of cuisines from world-over, makes you feel lighter just by looking at it, let alone eating the dishes. They also attempt to break myths that ghee or coconut oil are ‘bad’ for the body; in fact, they contain healthy fats that are essential, the manager mentioned.

We were served a variety of dishes such as spinach, onion and water chestnut momos made from gluten-free jackfruit flour and root starches and a dal made from horse gram and vegetables. One of our favourites turned out to be the quinoa chapati. Its sweetness complemented the flavour of whole spices in the Chettinad chicken gravy we tried. However, the consistency was a bit too runny for flat breads and might’ve been better with rice. The chicken biryani made with red rice that followed was a delight.

While we certainly enjoyed the food, two factors that put us off was the slow and inattentive service — we would have given them the benefit of the doubt had it not been a weekday afternoon with the restaurant running below capacity. Some of the desserts we would have liked to try weren’t available either. The fact that they have experimented with flavours, ingredients and textures is applaudable but the lemon and poppy seed ice cream didn’t work for us; neither are we sure if ‘light’ quinoa biriyani with chewy jackfruit, served with raitha and salan would for anyone else.

The cafe’s menu card reads, ‘The consumption of processed flour, namely maida,  is a major contributor to heart diseases.’ That’s why they consciously chose to make dishes with various gluten-free and grain-free options such as jackfruit flour.

One of the appetisers on the menu, the grilled fish with fenugreek and coriander pesto was loaded with flavours. It was served on a bed of vegetables, with a dash of lime juice to lend the perfect balance to the taste. It’s a must-try.

If you’re in the mood for some innocent indulgence, this tart made with Himalayan organic honey  and a generous layer of walnuts is ideal. The tart shell is made from almond flour and natural jaggery is used as a sweetener, replacing refined sugar.