Candy & Green – No meat? Yes, please!

Before I entered the blogosphere, I used to dine out for various reasons – sometimes I lacked the motivation to cook, at other times it was to catch up with a friend, and mainly, for the pure joy of trying something new. But then as ThatGoanGirl grew and restaurant invites started pouring in, my desire to eat out for these reasons started to diminish. Why look for an interesting place when I have 3 lined up?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jade (@thatgoangirl) on Feb 28, 2018 at 5:25am PST

And one Sunday, I decided to do just that – dine somewhere I hadn’t been before without having being invited, with the sole purpose of doing a full-fledged post about it. (Not mini guides like the one I did for eateries in Lower Parel.) I’m not sure what I was looking for, but Candy and Green popped up and after quickly browsing through the pictures, I hopped on a train and in 2 hours, I was being shown a table. Yes, I traveled 2 hours for food, haha.

AMBIANCE

The rooftop was closed, and with the Mumbai heat at an all time high, I wouldn’t have opted for it, even if it wasn’t. Inside the high-roofed dining area, tall, glass stained windows allowed sunlight to pour in, and brightly coloured chairs added to the cheerful and welcoming feels. I absolutely adored the marble table tops with gold accents for a touch of stylish modernity. And the patch of green behind the bar for a nice summery touch made the place look so tropical! It’s a mix of a lot of things, really, but boy, do they work in harmony!

SERVICE

The restaurant was at 50% capacity and the staff was attendant and articulate. They suggested popular sellers, refilled water glasses before they went dry and explained the offers on wine in length. Most importantly, the food came out quickly!

FOOD

Candy and Green is all about eating healthy and eating well. What sets them apart is that not only is their menu completely devoid of meat and eggs, a fact I found out after I went there, but the restaurant grows its own herbs and vegetables and uses them across cuisines – Continental, Italian and Asian. As a non-veggie and someone who leans towards the unhealthy items on menus, I was blown away at how every dish was healthier than the next, yet, so colourful and presented with finesse. They even have Jain edits of a variety of items.

Hearty soups, guilt-free salads, cold pressed juices, cheese boards and flatbreads feature on the menu alongside a long enough list of ‘small plates’ and ‘sharing plates,’ teas and coffees. They have a generous offering of wines and spirits too!

Items like dosa waffles, spicy mango mousse crostini, kale chip chaat and satay paneer skewers sounded like interesting starters. So did mains like cottage cheese steak, chickpea and feta cutlets, tie dye nachos and ‘black is back.’ But here are my picks from that Sunday brunch.

Activated Charcoal Lemonade – Activated charcoal is a big deal nowadays. Should I be embarrassed for not trying it until now? My ink black slushie was the perfect antidote for a hot day. Delicious, not too sweet thanks to the activated charcoal and it didn’t dilute until the very end. Just PERFECT for a summer day – you’ll love it!

Zucchini Parcels – Bland zucchini ribbons were delicately wrapped around ricotta cheese, little pieces of apricot and toasted nuts on a bed of chilli aioli for gentle spice. The little crunch of zucchini married well with creamy cheese and those little bursts of sweetness from the apricots were a delight! If you’re sharing the plate and have only a couple to yourself, you’ll literally feel yourself craving more.

Spaghetti in Marinara with Vegan Meatballs– Tofu and mushroom meatballs emboldened by a rich marinara sauce with a generous portion of thick noodles. Protein rich, so filling and the texture of those meatballs was almost like chicken! This came to my table right at the very end, and though I was stuffed already, it was too good to waste. This is the yummy reason I skipped dessert. On a side note, how good do those plates make everything look!!

Smoked Sweet Potato Burger – A healthy diner like this one has to have avocado toast on the menu. OBVIOUSLY! But among the interesting sandwiches (like the lotus root slider), the sweet potato burger caught my eye. A patty made of sweet potato in a bun was surprisingly not as dense as I would have thought, but thankfully, it was a small burger so it wasn’t too tedious to finish. Charred onions, jalapenos, feta yogurt and homemade chipotle sauce added enough interest to break the monotony.

Truffle Mushroom Flatbread – Think about the earthy flavour of juicy mushrooms combined with the umami richness and intoxicating aroma of truffle oil. Add the nutty, smoky flavour of gouda cheese and voila! The rustic truffle mushroom flatbread with a nice crispy-soft base. It’s not exactly ‘clean and green’ eating, but if you’re a little indulgent like I am, you will enjoy it!

The fact that their all-vegetarian menu doesn’t have an overdose of paneer itself is as praiseworthy as their fun-meets-fit menu. So vegetarians, the next time someone tells you that vegetarian dishes can’t be as good as meaty ones, take my advice, and send them to Candy and Green, you may just convert them!

COST – Rs. 1600 for two people

Address –  Hubtown Skybay, Bhulabhai Desai Marg, Breach Candy, Cumballa Hill, Mumbai

Check out some previous restaurant reviews – The Black Sheep Bistro in Goa and Poush in Mumbai

Till next time!