The food you eat can either be the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison. – Ann Wigmore
Tucked in the bylanes of upscale Sadashivnagar, Bengaluru, sits resto-cafe ‘Justbe’. This ancestral building owned by the Nahatas was originally an Outreach Library and a Community Centre before being converted into a dining and wellness paradise. Two majestic Indian almond trees canopy the entrance pathway. The external and internal structures remain mostly intact which lends this swag eatery a fun vibe for guests. The house is substantial and its façade is eclectic and has a certain mid-century cool.
I went there without an inkling of what to expect and was thrilled to find myself in a warm and welcoming ambience with ethnic Indian flavours. Lots of art, wood and striking interiors. …there’s a tranquil reading nook for book lovers — whimsically reminiscent of old times, wanting to either enjoy a quiet meal or an evening beverage break. For wellness lovers, they have Sound Spa.
Sound Bath was a rage back when, but Sound Healing goes deeper than feel-good metal benefits. An ancient technique to downshift your beta state (normal consciousness) to the theta state (relaxed consciousness) and even the delta state (where internal healing occurs). So if stress, chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety, depression or any other maladies caused by our hectic lifestyle are bothering you, go experience Nidhi’s improvised gong concert cleanse.
THE IDEA
Nidhi Nahata, the sophisticated chef-owner proudly explained that absolutely everything is made in-house with ingredients as local as possible, for instance fresh nachos and pita bread made with whole wheat flour and Amaranth, a nutritious, gluten-free grain. They also make their own vegan cheese, various sauces and dressings, hummus, kombucha, to the delight of taste buds and microbiomes. They even prepare their own Vegan Peanut Curd laced with plant-based probiotic Indian tadka served in cute pint-sized glass bottles.
A fanatical frenzy followed by months of labour-intensive planning resulted in chef-owner Nidhi Nahata’s wholesome revered menus redefining India’s ancient wisdom “we are what we eat”. The passion “to grow and serve people good health” runs in the family. A very hands-on approach by her husband, two sons and the service staff is commendable. Coming back to Nidhi, she wears many hats from being a Certified Health Coach, Food Therapist, Nutritionist, Sound Healer, and above all a doting Mother. She makes you feel welcome with her wholesome smile and warm hospitality.
“Dear stomach, I promise to feed you food from nature’s ‘FARMacy’ and not shut your screams with medicine from the pharmacy.”
– Nidhi Nahata
The FOOD
Straight down to business, the meal!
Being a newbie at Vegan fare, I let my guard down and relied on Nidhi’s expertise to create a sartorial menu for me.
Beverage — Butter Milk
A solid signature drink to quench my thirst and tantalise the taste buds. This staple tropical drink from India has been modernized by Justbe. Who knew that buttermilk could be prepared with vegan peanut curd? Please stand up!
Small Bites 1 — Let’s Nacho
Baked Spinach and Beetroot Nachos came along with tomato salsa, guacamole, bean hummus, vegan cheese and microgreens to the party. We had a blast.
Small Bites 2 — Pita Platter
Whole wheat pita pockets filled with baked falafel, creamy swirls of baba ganoush, hummus, bean hummus, a hearty helping of vegan cheese layered with fattoush salad were all put together to make the perfect lunch cornucopia.
Salad — Peru
This bulked up salad had tangy tamarind dressing, vinegar, chilli flakes that deepened the flavour of the Thai Guava (the piece dé resistance), tomatoes, onion and lettuce with a liberal sprinkling of roasted cashews to add crunch.
Mains 1 — Hong Kong Hustle
Call it Justbe’s version of kung fu hustle. This superfood bowl is a blend of shiitake and button mushrooms, water chestnut, pok choi, ginger, tofu, chilli, celery, spring onions, all tossed up and served with black rice sushi cakes.
Mains 2 — Chef’s Special Pizza
Honestly, the trifecta of whole wheat bread, sun dried tomatoes and vegan cheese cannot go wrong. Additional topping of onion, jalapeño, bell pepper, olives along with the vibrant basil made every pie taste a little more special. So appealing — without sacrificing flavor or variety.
Mains 3 — Lasagna
A classic Italian Interpretation: light, fragrant, and full of the season’s best vegetables layered with vegan cheese, parmesan, pesro, jalapeño, parma rosa sauce. Ammazza!
Closing Dishes
Dessert — Sizzling Brownie
Sizzling Brownie is always good but rarely inspiring. This sweet potato preparation topped with nice cream and chocolate sauce will melt hearts, minds, and bellies. Mine did — Total serendipity.
Herbal Infusion
21 mixed spiced Tea made in-house. Sipping this soothing finale was “epic.”
THE OUTCOME
All portions were pretty generous for a medium appetite like mine and after wolfing so much, I was quite full. Like Nidhi put it, “You feel the fullness but without the heaviness”. At Justbe, it’s not just the food that’s enticing, but with the choicest food comes wellness.
A huge shoutout to healthy-eaters, not-so-healthy eaters and all in-between’ers. JUSTGO, JUSTBEYOU!!
Justbe Cafe, #383/31, 13th Cross Road, Sadashivnagar, Bengaluru
#justbeyou #wholefood #plantbased #vegan #wellness
