ITP Indian Travel Places: Food, Travel, Tourism Business Events and Trade Shows
Address: 383/31, 13th Cross, Sadashiv Nagar, Bangalore, India
Time: 11 AM to 10 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 1,000
Cuisines: Healthy Food, Beverages, Cafe, Desserts, Sandwich, Salad
Facilities: Vegetarian Only, No Alcohol Available, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options, Wifi, Valet Parking Available, Board Games, Outdoor Seating, Serves Jain Food, Free Wifi, Kid Friendly
JustBe Cafe, Sadashiv Nagar, Bangalore: DECOR
A seated Buddha radiating serenity welcomes you into the courtyard of this cafe. There’s a brightly-colored cycle rickshaw decked with flowers standing in one corner — the perfect backdrop for selfie-seekers. An al fresco dining area has a long table and on the wall a sign in grass says ‘Grow Love’, which is the theme for this unique cafe. Indoors, flamingo pink chairs add colour to a mostly-white space — the entire ceiling covered in white paper lanterns. There are shelves of books in various corners, indicating this is as much a place to linger and relax in as to come for a meal of Desi Bean Salad and Pink Felafel Sandwich.
JustBe Cafe, Sadashiv Nagar, Bangalore: FOOD
JustBe is an all-vegan café. You’re probably thinking ‘just for health nuts’. But, no, you can enjoy a meal here for its flavours and the pleasure it yields, besides the feel-good factor it leaves you with. Nidhi Nahata, whose concept this is, found inspiration in a 21-day retreat she attended to address health issues she was facing. Convinced that eating right impacts our wellness in significant ways, she set about creating JustBe, investing long hours in research and adapting popular dishes to conform to vegan principles.
I began my meal here with the Buttermilk that came milkshake-style in a bottle. Made from peanut milk curd, it was perfectly seasoned and superb. The very mention of nachos on a menu is unappetizing to me, given they almost always come out of a packet. But I couldn’t have enough of the JustBe version. Made of multi-grain flour, these are colored with beetroot and spinach, thin, crisp, oil-free and served with a scrumptious ‘cheese’ dip, refried beans and pico de gallo. For soup, I chose the Aromatic Asian Soup. It had mushrooms and vegetables in a creamy coconut milk broth, while peanuts and sesame seeds lent crunch. My salad was Go Nuts — a mélange of greens and vegetables in a creamy sesame dressing. With a generous mix of nuts and seeds it was simply bursting with nutrition and goodness.
For main course I had the Asian Curry, a Thai-style red curry with tofu and veggies, accompanied by a mound of delicious roasted garlic red rice. The sandwiches here are a must-have, too. They bake the bread in-house, with no chemical products or fat. The Hotpress Vada Sandwich has a vada of potato and amaranth, baked, not fried, and is served with a ‘cheesy’ mint chutney. It made me realize how much effort goes into creating food that is born of conviction, mindfulness and the philosophy that what you eat must be good for you.
Desserts here come with the promise of being guilt-free. The Chocolate and Chia Pudding and Crillon Pie are stars on the dessert menu. I was delighted also with the JustBe Special, which is a payasam of amaranth, dry fruit and nuts. To eat at the restaurant is, above all, to feel nourished and happy at the same time.
JustBe Cafe, Sadashiv Nagar, Bangalore: SERVICE
JustBe overturns the myth that food that’s good for you must be insipid. Still, it’s not for those who cannot imagine eating out without fat, sugar and refined flour in their food.
JustBe Cafe, Sadashiv Nagar, Bangalore: PLUS AND MINUS
JustBe overturns the myth that food that’s good for you must be insipid. Still, it’s not for those who cannot imagine eating out without fat, sugar and refined flour in their food.
