FOODIE SPECIAL.... FARMER’S CAFÉ HEALTHY FOOD

 FARMER’S CAFÉ
HEALTHY FOOD

Restaurant Review

Fit, fab and fine…that’s not just the state of the current spate of health cafes but also of their diners. Over the past few years, these svelte beautiful people have shown me the light and also ‘lite’. I got to know about Sequel, thanks to Renu Chainani, the ever-glowing creative director & founder of her hugely successful home décor company. Holistic lifestyle coach, fitness expert and fitness author Deanne Panday and the lovely fashion and travel influencer Alanna Panday introduced me to Kitchen Garden by Suzette.

This time, I’m grateful to the gorgeous hunk, internationally acknowledged architect Saket Sethi, who has been making waves with offices in Barcelona and Mumbai and is all set to storm Milano with his dapper business partner, Chintan Shah. For the past year, Saket has been making time from his frenetic work schedules and TV hosting to dine at Farmer’s Café, and is a dyed in the ‘drool’ fan. Now that he is on the Keto diet, Farmer’s Café is even more his café of choice as it is of many other celebs.

DÉCOR

Seriously small. A tiny alfresco area and an even tinier indoor space where the glassed-in counter barges into the tiny eight (or is it 10) seater space? Puns scribbled on the walls — ‘Knead love? We got you’ complete the decor.

FOOD

Vegan? Vegetarian? Jain? Gluten-free? Sugar-free? You name it, they got it. Keto? Voila! A whole menu. Keto Pizza? Its unique base of cauliflower and almond has a crunch and bite and a delicious, robustly spiced kheema topping. The chicken option is worth trying, too.

Gluten-free? Ask for the skinny Pizza, amaranth flour base topped with skim parmesan cheese, crunchy kale lettuce, almonds. Quinoa Spaghetti tossed with sautéed vegetables made delicious with garlic chili oil.

Nourishing and hearty full meal bowls are must try. Vegan and gluten-free (Grilled tofu, herbed brown rice and homemade vegetable sauce). Large wedges of gluten-free desserts. Hot sellers Raspberry Chocolate Cake, Vegan Carrot cake and top of the charts is Saket’s favourite Pecan Dark Chocolate… a flour-free, luscious melt in the mouth, velvety coconut cream intense with chocolate.

MINUS POINTS

The tiny boxed in, windowless space can be off-putting. No valet parking. No alcohol. Some of the dishes are presented in a slapdash fashion. Clever ideas like noodles made of zucchini or risotto of shredded cauliflower lack punch and flavour. Chicken burger needs more chutzpah and the desserts, less sweetening.

MY POINT

I’m a Flexitarian and never on a diet. But I’d still return to Bandra’s Farmer’s Café for a tasty, guilt-free, moderately priced meal. It not only serves healthy food (please note no raw food) but also vegan, glutenfree, sugar-free, Jain and Keto, too. It may be low on refined presentation but is high on nutritive values. The young, glowing Minali Gaba ensures that her Farmer’s Café exudes an earnestness that’s palpable. Happily, it’s pleasurable, too.

TOI 12OCT18