While Veganuary comes to an end on the trend calendar, chef Raveena Taurani has been making plant-based living look cool for the past 9 years!

As Veganuary draws to a close, we invite you to join us in a short yet captivating conversation with chef Raveena Taurani of Cafe Yogisattva, as we explore the dynamic world of plant-based living. Throughout this month-long journey, individuals around the globe have embraced a compassionate lifestyle, choosing plant-powered alternatives and discovering the myriad flavours and textures that vegan cuisine has to offer. As advocates for sustainability and mindful consumption, we're excited to gain deeper insights into the vegan trend before Veganuary comes to an end (on the calendar at least). Whether you're a seasoned vegan or someone intrigued by the idea, come along as we reflect on the power of plant-based living and consider incorporating more cruelty-free options into our daily lives.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

How do you envision the future of vegan dining, and what role does the cafe play in this evolution?
Based on my experience, I feel people are more receptive to trying vegan food in restaurants that also offer vegetarian and Jain menus. However, purely vegan food dining is yet to get its due. I started Yogisattva in 2015 when words like vegan/gluten-free were unheard of, so I do believe I am a market creator for this specific category and I have the first mover's advantage. I have been in the business for 10 years now and definitely been a key player in ensuring Plant Based Food is accessible within Mumbai.

How would you describe the culinary philosophy of the restaurant?
Unprocessed nutrient-dense food is Yogisattva’s philosophy. We are also big on the farm-to-fork concept, with direct access to farmers for our produce and raw materials. As long as sustainability is concerned, we are a viable kitchen. For instance, once our almond milk is made we repurpose the leftover almond meal into granolas, we add our leftover coffee granules into our planters, our food scraps act as fodder for cows and we compost all our wet waste. We have also tied up with Re-circle, who collect all our cardboard boxes in which our dry store raw materials get delivered. So if I had to put the philosophy of Cafe Yogisattva into adjectives, sustainable, healthy and nutritious is what I would say.

Does the restaurant undertake educational initiatives during vegan months or days to inform customers about veganism?
We offer culinary classes every alternate month of the year and we have an active social media platform to inform our audience about the kind of food we make. We at Yogisattva make it a point to not be preachy about veganism, as I have found it isolates the brand and the business. Instead what we attempt to do is have a health-first educational approach to eating. I feel this is a more inclusive way of bringing a diverse audience through our doors.

Check out Cafe Yogisattva on Instagram here!
Contact 987455009 for more information and reservations.
Address: 7th Floor, Pinnacle House 15th Road, Khar Pali Road, next to Pawan Heightz, Mumbai