India's first whole foods, plant-based culinary academy launches a farm to fork cafe in Khar, Mumbai
Located in the heart of Bandra, the beautiful rooftop Yogisattva Cafe offers plenty of sunshine and fresh air that elevates the experience of indulging in their healthy and flavourful plant-based menu
Stepping into Yogisattva, we are greeted by the owner, Raveena Taurani's warm smile. She talks us through the vegan menu and explains that everything at Yogisattva is handmade in their kitchen from scratch. From the dips and sauces to their in-house breads and granola, the cafe promotes eating unprocessed food that respects and celebrates our bounty. The eatery was all set to open last year in March 2020, but the nationwide lockdown deterred the plan. What it couldn't alter, though, was Taurani's indomitable spirit and her determination to make healthy food delicious and accessible.
Food
The menu at Yogisattva is brief, but the options are versatile. From pizzas and Thai food to salads, the menu caters to all kinds of palettes. With the intention of serving food lovers fresh produce this cafe rings the right bells. In this farm to fork plant based cafe all the ingredients are sourced from local farmers in Maharashtra. The food served here is vegan, gluten free and sugar free which is a win-win from all sides!
What worked
We started off with their bites and nibbles which included za'atar avatar, a za'atar-spiced cashew cheese served with a side of brown rice and almond flour crackers. The fusion of herb, spices and seeds lends it a mysterious creaminess, which we follow up with the avo-cardio - an avocado salad with organic quinoa, chickpeas, spring onion, bell pepper and corn, all tossed in a lemon-cumin dressing. The flavours of this dish reminded us of a tangy chaat, but with a healthy twist. Next we got the bravo avo, an oat and seed flatbread with vegan pesto, stir fried mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and za'atar-spiced avocado. The zesty flavours of the dish took us by surprise.
For our mains we ordered their eye of the Thai-Ger, which is taurani's take on the Pad Thai made and it comes with flat rice noodles, organic vegetables and organic tofu, served in an organic peanut butter sauce.
We washed down our hearty meal with their berry special, a strawberry lemonade made with organic fruits and mint.
All desserts at Yogisattva are made with natural, organic, unrefined sweeteners like dates, coconut sugar, maple syrup and gluten-free flours derived from brown rice, almond and buckwheat, making them truly guilt-free..
We tried their creamy black sesame ice cream which in terms of flavour, was spot on for us. Next we had their pistachio baklava bar with pistachio ice cream which came oozing with nutty goodness. But Taurani saved the best for the last with her signature dark chocolate truffles that we're certainly returning for.
What didn't work
While we enjoyed most of the food we tried at the Cafe we were a little disappointed with Taurani's version of Pad Thai. We did miss the crunchiness that comes with the addition of real peanuts to a Thai dish. We also felt like the tangy flavours of their bravo avo could be balanced by a bread with a sweet base.
Verdict
The meticulously curated menu is what we appreciated most at this cafe, which hopes to cater to people with all sorts of preferences. The experience at Yogisattva did convince us of one thing, which is, vegan food can, despite our past beliefs, be pretty damn good. We didn't miss milk or meat throughout our experience there. Also, it really does break the common myth that vegan food is dull and boring. It certainly wasn't.
PLEASE NOTE - The cafe is open for dine-in from Tuesday to Friday, from 9 am to 4 pm.
Tarvene Shahpuri
Tarvene is a chocolate and chai fiend who is constantly on the hunt for cute cafes. You can catch her baking some Biscoff cheesecakes or binge-watching Netflix shows. She likes filling up her free time painting, listening to music or going on long drives.