For years, Jignesh Pujara, the founder of Eko-lyfe, has been trying to convince people to switch to a plant-based diet with limited success. "People seem to associate the word vegan with something that could be perceived as negative, and thus I had to reinvent my brand totally," he tells us while showing us our table.
The result is that Eko-lyfe has now become a vegan restaurant with a menu comprising "guilt-free" Continental and Mediterranean food with Indian dishes thrown into the mix, and with a pleasing décor and furniture that is minimalist. The old shop selling organic products has been relegated to a corner of the outlet and forms only a small portion of the business now, we are told.
As for the food on offer, there are no maida, sugar, salt, or dairy products in it. Although we are not vegans ourselves, the Roasted Cauliflower Soup and Sticky Korean Wings impressed us. The wings (made using cauliflower) are worth mentioning as the gochujang sauce covering each floret had a unique taste; it was spicy and sweet, thanks to the addition of cashew nut paste and maple syrup, garnished with sesame seeds.
After trying some more of the wings, we asked Jignesh if it was necessary to create vegan dishes that resembled non-vegetarian ones, and he humbly replied that although this might offend some, the overall response has been positive. As we spoke, the Mediterranean Mezze Platter was placed before us. A colourful plate comprising a couscous salad in the centre, surrounded by pickled vegetables, falafel, pita bread, and four dips, including tzatziki and baba ghanoush, was refreshing, to say the least. We liked the pickled radish and cucumber in particular, which were second to none in terms of taste.
We switched to an Indian dish after the platter and picked the Bombay Chatpata Wrap. We noticed that the whole-wheat tortilla was barely holding the filling inside, and when we asked Jignesh about it, he said he wanted to give his guests a wrap that was satisfying. Indeed, it was, quantity-wise. It contained spicy potatoes, crunchy vegetables, and tangy chutneys. The team had tried to make a gluten-free tortilla, but the wrap, they found, could not hold the amount of filling they had wanted.
While the food we were served looked simple, there were other dishes on the menu that were more Instagram-worthy. The coffee (with almond milk), for example, was smoked in front of us with a cinnamon bark torched at the table, and there were other dishes served in a similar fashion. The glass and smoke effect is definitely a treat for the eyes.
We also learned that The Soul Garden Bistro, Eko-lyfe's sister concern, is set to be revamped, and there is an American-style outlet planned as well! More on that later.
INR 1,200 for two. 11 am to 11 pm. At Alwarpet.
