Mumbai: Hospitality brand ventures into Jain fusion cuisine

Crunchy sushi roll

A couple of months ago, Colossal Hospitality, which operates some of the popular bars and lounges in Mumbai, forayed into the delivery segment with Colossal Kitchens. Interestingly, they launched five brands in all-vegetarian formats at one go; each with a distinct identity. While Eat Ally offers a high street food menu from across the globe, Oriental Hub is dedicated to pan-Asian cuisine.

Tamatar dhaniya shorba

A variety of rice-based dishes is the focus of Rice Factory and Tadka Maar Ke aims to popularise classic Indian recipes. All Things Jain (ALT J) is targeted at the city's Jain community with, expectedly, a separate facility. And, helming the collective kitchens is chef and author Nilesh Limaye.

We ordered in a motley of dishes from all five segments, and staggered the deliveries to give them a fair chance for this review. The meals came snugly packed, with a note mentioning the body temperature of the chef, food packer and delivery staffer. The tamatar shorba, sabz miloni handi and palak khichdi from Tadka Maar Ke arrived on a day when the weather was mellow. The fiery red broth was earthy, aromatic and perfect for a snuggly afternoon. The mixed vegetable sabzi and khichdi added to the comfort spread.

Khao suey

For this writer, sushi is synonymous with seafood and, therefore, we were wary of sampling vegetarian versions, but the crunchy sushi roll was worth it. With tempura flakes and avocado, the flavour combinations were fresh and novel. The eight pieces in a portion were wholesome. In fact, we were also pleasantly surprised to see a sizeable sushi section in the Alt J menu (spicy sushi roll made with avocado, asparagus, green chillies, tempura flakes and spicy Japanese mayonnaise, and edamame tempura roll with corn and parmesan).

Vaishali Sanghvi

While the vegetable and edamame fried rice from Rice Factory was a textural wonder, we thought the Khao suey from Oriental Hub stole its thunder. The delightful mix of diced Asian vegetables, served with an assortment of condiments of onion greens, peanuts and green chillies made a hearty health bowl. What was also stellar was the gluten-free pear salad with lollo rosso, iceberg, feta cheese and balsamic dressing from Eat Ally. The pears elevated the taste by lending a crispiness that was sweet and tart.

Vishal Karia

That said, the fruit flesh tended to oxidise, so we suggest you don't keep this one waiting. We like the menu curation to match each segment's uniqueness (Japanese rice cake and date pancakes comprising mashed dates and sesame stuffing in pan-fried filo pastry was perfect under Oriental Hub). The prices are steep, yes, but if you crave global flavours in the comfort of your home and don't mind spending, go for it.