Your Farm to Fork Heaven - The Saboro Lounge By Mahindra

I believe in the power of food grown locally and the farm to fork concept. Farmers markets though rare in Mumbai, help me satiate that craving of getting not only fresher and more seasonal produce but also more nutrients in my food, due to the shorter time between harvest time and my table. It also helps the local farmers to put back into their business and maintain the farmland and green spaces around the region. Not to mention the benefits of a shorter food supply source - less contamination, less chemical preservatives and at times better pricing. Now while this farm to fork concept is what I indulge in for home food, the existence of restaurants and cafes promoting this concept is a rarity. Talking about rarity, the players are few but I am glad to see homegrown companies like the Mahindra Group take up the initiative to bring such concepts to the market. As an extension of their Agri business, they launched their first Saboro Lounge in Mumbai last year that serves innovative fresh food designed in partnership with leading chefs and nutritionists, prepared using the freshest fruits, vegetables and dairy-based products, procured directly from farmers and brought to your table, so that your experience involves indulgence without compromising on the health factor.

"Healthy Indulgence" is Saboro Lounge's core positioning and trust me it perfectly sums up my experience. The name "Saboro" is derived from the Spanish word "Sabor" and it means "taste" which beautifully comes out in the cold pressed juices, smoothies, salads, bento boxes, eats and desserts - the place was an absolute revelation for me! What I loved was that by healthy they don't just mean the ingredients or the dishes, but they have the calorie count of all the dishes mentioned so that you have an idea of the dish, the portions, the calories and the price at one go on the menu.

I started with the "Stay Cool" cold pressed juice which was a delightful mix watermelon + apple + pineapple + mint. It's meant to cool you down on a hot day, along with improving your circulation, works wonders for your hair and best of all is that, it takes care of all the Vitamin C that you need for the day!

Next were the delicious "I want Pancakes" multigrain, almond flour and yoghurt pancakes with a generous serving of mixed fruits - apple + pineapple + kiwi + pomegranate, some oats and museli, and honey! You can't get a more protein packed way to start your day.

Then came these colours on my plate - the pretty Orangeer Greens salad also called the Vitamin Kick salad. A fruit and vegetable salad, it is a lovely mix of oranges, greens, cottage cheese, tossed with a dressing of ginger juice and honey, and liberal sprinkling of sesame seeds. I loved the sweet flavoured crunchiness with the punch of ginger that I got in every bite that I took. It's perfect for the coming summers and replenishes you with vitamins.

The Zucchishi was my favourite dish that day. Simple yet tasty - these rolls of zucchini filled with cottage cheese and mushroom with a hint of garlic and pepper, just won me over. And guess what, all of this was just 102 calories!

It was time then to flush all that I had with another juice, the "Immunity Boost" juice, which I had as shots as I had to save space for some more food. This juice is a fibrous juice made of apple + pomegranate + beetroot + basil, which as its name suggests boosts your immunity, is good for the heart and helps raise your hemoglobin levels.

The "Open Sandwich" was made with wholewheat bread, zucchini, bell pepper, mushrooms, cashew pesto, eggplant and of course cheese. Yummy as ever, it's perfect for the one looking for a nutritious lunch option.

Finally desserts! And this time there was not one ounce of worry in my head as to what would I have to do later to burn it all off. I tried out all the 3 desserts they had - the Guilt Free Dessert, the Fruit and Nut, and the Healthee Banoffee.

The Guilt Free Dessert was a delicious vanilla and basil parfait with loads of fresh fruit and yoghurt, thus loaded with antioxidants and vital nutrients.

The Fruit and Nut was my favourite and I could not stop till I wiped it clean. A delicious blend of dark chocolate, muesli, yoghurt, banana and cashew nuts, it was absolutely sinful!

The Healthee Banoffee is another highly recommended dessert from me. Banana + yoghurt + dulche de leche(candy milk) + muesli + almond, it is a fabulous healthy version of the original banoffee and gives you an instant boost of energy.

The Saboro Lounge is small and cozy with Mediterranean inspired decor in wood and white. I especially loved the farm tools on display and cute statement frames.

Open from 8 AM to 10 PM, the Saboro Lounge is absolutely vegetarian and delivers to areas around Churchgate. They are planning to open more outlets soon so that they can cater to every part of the city. A meal for 2 costs anywhere from INR 700 to INR 1000. I can't wait to go there again, since I want to take Aryaa along as she loves fruits and juices - Yes it is a kid friendly place! By the way, the 'Fresh from the Farm' section you see in the pictures above, that's where you can pick up high quality premium Saboro Fruits at the Saboro Lounge. What more do you need? Fresh, nutritious and fun - the farm to fork concept could not have had a better interpretation? :-)

Address: Saboro Lounge by Mahindra, 26, Dinshaw Vacha Rd, Churchgate, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400021

Get 20% off these Healthy Indulgences with my code #RitchaSaboro20 till 30th April 2017!

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