Food for thought

Buddha bowl and Asian green wrap

Let's face it - we're at that stage of staying at home where the enthusiasm of cooking meals from scratch has worn out, and we're back to the convenience of food aggregator apps and restaurant menus. But if you're also concerned about your expanding waistlines and the expensive alternatives offered by most health cafes, Nutridock, an affordable, all-vegetarian cloud kitchen may tick the right boxes. The menu has bowls, smoothies, salads, sandwiches and wraps. It is a concise but thoughtful selection and many options are vegan-friendly.

Green protein smoothie

We ordered directly from their website as against an aggregator app and were rewarded with a 10 per cent discount. The downside of ordering directly from the Lower Parel-based kitchen is that there was no way to track our order. After an hour had passed, we called the number on the website and were connected to a kitchen in Nashik that was of little help. When the food finally arrived after a 90-minute wait, our spirits were lifted by the crunchy Asian green wrap (Rs 239) and the Mediterranean sandwich (Rs 179), both of which were fresh, well-seasoned and filling. The packaging is well-designed, and mentions the nutritional content of the meals, for those keeping count. The banana-flavoured Green protein smoothie (Rs 200) hit all the right notes, while the Frozen berry chocolate smoothie bowl (Rs 279) was unremarkable. We enjoyed the Buddha bowl, with its Asian-inspired flavours and colourful vegetables. The portion sizes ranged from comfortable to meagre, and you will need more than one dish to fill you up.

Our experience soured when we found our Builder's paradise bowl (Rs 350) over-salted to the extent that it tasted bitter. When we called to ask for a replacement, we were met by a patronising chef who adamantly refuted our claims. It was only when we offered to send our bowl back so he could taste it that he finally relented, which was surprising keeping in mind COVID-19 safety protocols. With reasonable prices, a predictable but interesting menu, Nutridock could easily make strides in the rapidly growing health food segment in the city; however, the poor customer service will make us think twice about an encore.

Log on to: nutridock.com