This health cafe in Colaba is worth exploring

We get a nutrition and lifestyle ailments expert to review a heath cafe in Colaba

On a sunny Monday morning, a giant door framed by a colourful hand-painted mural welcomes us to Easyhuman Cafe, a picturesque health café in Colaba that also houses a gym one floor above. We had been looking forward to our visit to this café, not just because we love to explore healthy fresh food offerings across the city, but because we have an expert, Dr Vishakha Shivdasani, for company, to gauge how healthy the menu actually is.

"I love the vibe of the place," Shivdasani, who specialises in nutrition and lifestyle ailments, tells us. And we agree. The white walls and colourful artworks make for a lively setting that complements the body-loving food that the café offers. The tablet menu impresses Shivdasani with notes on all the right cooking techniques and ingredients.

Shine

"I wish that they would make separate sections for Keto and Paleo options, though, especially since they are a health café and both of these diets are well-followed in Mumbai today," she points out. What she likes the most and considers one of the highlights of the café is a grain-free approach to everything from breads to parathas. Even their desserts are made with almond flour, or cauliflower and cashew cream.

We save our dessert cravings for the end and start our morning with cappuccino almond milk ('295), and shine ('325) from their thirst quenchers section. Shivdasani gets a negative reply when she checks if the almond milk is made in-house. "With the focus on health, and for their prices, they shouldn't use store-bought options for something like almond milk, given how easy it is to make. They should also have options like coconut milk for those with a nut allergy," she suggests.

Chocolate avocado mousse. Pics/Dhara Vora Sabhnani

We also feel that the coffee blend could have been better, what with so many locally sourced options available now. As for shine, which is a tasty mix of green apple, spinach, coconut water, lemon and honey, Shivdasani says that honey and coconut water don't qualify for keto diets (we were told the drink is keto-friendly while ordering), so there's a need for more options for sweeteners.

As for the food, it's too early for us to try something like fish fingers (air-fried) or chicken wings (baked). So, we pick avocado on toast with poached eggs ('345) and pulled pork soft tacos ('345). The staff fulfils our request of serving eggs on the side instead of on top. The bread is of the love-at-first-bite variety and the perfectly poached eggs are as light as air. The toast has the right amount of density and the avocado is mildly seasoned to let the goodness of the crusty bread shine. The tacos are equally good, and made with keto-friendly flour.

"Even for the eggs, they should offer options such as free-range and organic. I think the menu in general could do with more use of certified organic products, and if they are using them, it should be mentioned on the menu. They should also mention the kind of oil being used," Shivdasani points out, while we polish off our avocado toast. But she is happy with the way the items on the menu are prepared; all the dishes are wholesome and non-greasy, and yet have the right mix of textures. "Since a Keto diet is high on fat, I am glad that the dishes are not swimming in oil and have natural fat from avocados and nuts. So, brownie points for that," says the expert.

We finally come to what we have been waiting for, desserts, and order a chocolate avocado mousse ('345). Now, we have had our share of overtly expensive desserts at almost every other fine-dine in the city. But the quantity of the mousse served here shocks us; it almost looks like leftover mousse from someone else's portion, and the flavour doesn't blow our minds either. Shivdasani, for instance, finds it a tad too acidic for her palate.

Dr Vishakha Shivdasani

"I find the prices a little steep for someone who wants to eat here regularly, as they offer meal packages too. I do like the options on the menu, though. There is something for everyone — a light eater or patrons looking for a full plate. But I feel that the menu's text content needs a little fine-tuning. They need to mention what's organic, there have to be separate sections for different diet preferences, and they need to be more aware of the strength of their menu to tailor to a patron's requirements," Shivdasani sums up as her final verdict.

At Easyhuman Cafe, Park House Annexe, Wodehouse Road, Colaba.
Time 8 am to 11 pm
Call 22153303

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