'Just Juice it' 12/04/2011

With summer here, Active! on the juices that can help you stay cool, look good and boost immunity. Plus, is a liquid fast healthy?
Flawless and glowing are adjectives frequently used to describe Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto's skin, who recently shared the secret to her near-perfect skin: fresh veggie juice with coriander and a dash of pepper.
Wellness specialist Namita Jain endorses Freida's beauty tip. "Fresh fruit or vegetable juices are a fantastic way to get your nutrients in a glass," she says.



These can either be combined or drunk separately says Namita. "There is no one miracle juice that everyone should drink, as each fruit, vegetable and herb has unique benefits." She adds that unless advised by a nutritionist or dietitian to avoid certain fruits and veggies, most can be juiced for health benefits. Anupam Adarsh of Fellas, a health cafe in Khar, shares that the colour of fruit or veggies is a helpful indicator of its vitamin content. He advises that it is best to buy fresh fruits and vegetables from local markets, as imported ones are treated with chemicals.

"Vegetable juices tend to be neutral and good for diabetics as well. It's convenient to consume 400 gm of carrots in juice form rather than as a fruit, given the fast pace of living," says Anupam, adding that herbs are rich in antioxidants and help control blood pressure. Anupam advises consuming juice first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Namita, however, says that juices can be consumed anytime of the day. "However, if you have been given specific instructions from your doctor for health reasons to follow certain timings, you must adhere to them," cautions Namita.

Liquid fast, good?
The experts are divided on whether going on a two to three-day juice fast every fortnight is a good way to cleanse the system, and say that it is likely to depend on the individual's health status, medical condition and goals. "I am totally against fasting. Your body has a survival mechanism. If it notices it's not getting enough food, it will start storing calories and you will end up putting on weight," says Dheepesh. He also adds that is best to consume fruits and vegetables whole. "Fruits and vegetable have fibre. It's important to have fibre in your diet," he elaborates. Namita agrees, explaining that one apple with the skin, has about 3.6 grams of dietary fibre, which is nearly 17 per cent of the recommended daily fibre intake. According to her, whole fruits and vegetables provide fibre for a healthy digestive system, as well as antioxidant nutrients to protect cells and tissues.

Juices vs shakes
According to Dheepesh, no juice can replace a protein shake. Spinach and sprouts contain some amount of protein, but they cannot provide all the benefits of a protein shake. "Fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates and protein is protein. It's important to keep a good balance between the two," he says, adding that spinach and spirulina are good options for juicing. "One scoop of a protein shake is equivalent to loads of green vegetables," adds Dheepesh. Watermelon and banana juice are helpful in maintaining sugar levels for athletes, but are not recommended for diabetics for whom he recommends juicing spinach and broccoli, instead.

Squeeze- worthy tipsWash fruits and vegetables in warm water with potassium permanganate to free them of all chemicals. Ensure that the juice is made within fifteen minutes of washing the fruits and veggies. Juices must be consumed fresh, whether they have been made with vegetables, fruits or herbs. Don't store juices. Using a quality manual juicer is recommended, as the fruits and vegetables are turned slowly, which helps retain vitamins. Ensure that juicer is well cleaned to prevent the accumulation of bacteria. Fruits/ vegetables/ herbs kept inside a fridge should be first brought to room temperature before juicing. The juice should be consumed at room temperature, as 'coldness' obstructs digestive system.


http://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/2011/apr/120411-juice-stay-cool-boost-liquid-fast-healthy.htm

'Good Fellas' 11/03/2011

Rohit Pramar tells you if the latest opening in Khar is worth a visit or not

Blame it on its off-beat location or lack of publicity, but when we entered Fellas Café we were shocked to see that the café was empty. Nevertheless, we were very impressed with its European ambience. The wooden floor and the comfortable yet stylish furnishing compelled us to take a seat immediately.

The menu soon followed. As we tried reading through we were shocked by a barking dog (pleasantly or unpleasantly depends on your feelings towards animals). Yup, the café owner has a dog which he ties at the passage of the café. Aside from the occasionally barking, the lounge music played here added to the ambience nicely.

We settled on ordering the Tomato, Cheese & Lettuce Sandwich which was made perfectly – no sloppy overripe veggies here. Just plain, clean and fresh! In addition to many sandwiches Fellas Café also has a big range of healthy drinks such as beet root, spinach, spirulina, aloe vera, wheatgrass and bitter gourd.

And if you’re calorie conscious, you don’t need to worry as they are made keeping fitness in mind. Not only that, they also have a home bakery that makes fresh sets of multigrain and whole-wheat bread every morning. The sandwiches are priced at approximately `99, the juice will set you back `79 and a cup
of tea is just `49.

The café also has a good breakfast menu that includes eggs, oatmeal porridge, muesli, French toast, bowls of fruit, chicken sausages, salad in pesto sauce, apricots and almonds too. At the same time as you are enjoying the delicious meal, you can also surf internet on your laptop as they offer free Wi-Fi service.

The café is new and so they have no swipe-machine at the moment. So, remember to carry enough cash else you might end up walking up to an ATM to pay your bill. All in all, the café is good with a variety of healthy food.

Where Fellas Café, 14A Ahimsa Marg, Opposite Mahavir Hospital, Near the Toyota showroom, Khar (West)
Contact 32267678
Meal for two `600 Alcohol No


http://afternoondc.in/48-hrs/good-fellas/article_20058

'Good Fella'

Blame it on its off-beat location or anonymity, but when we entered the restaurant we were shocked to see the café empty. Nevertheless, we were very impressed with its European ambience. The wooden floor and the comfy yet stylish furniture forced us to take a seat immediately.

Soon, the menu followed. And as we tried gazing the varieties they serve, we were spooked by a barking dog. A dog? Well, yeah. The restaurant owner has a dog who he ties at the passage in the corner of the café. Besides that, the longue music was just perfect. After having a glimpse at the menu card, we decided to order some sandwiches and healthy drinks.

The tomato-cheese-lettuce sandwich is very healthy yet tasty and filling. Also, all the ingredients were fresh. The food menu offers salads, sandwiches, soup and hot meals. In addition, they also offer offers yummy-healthy juices such as beet-root, spinach, spirulina, aloe vera, wheatgrass, and bitter gourd. Although, if you’re calorie conscious – you don’t need to worry as they are made keeping calories in mind. Not only that, they have a home bakery that makes fresh batches of multigrain and whole-wheat bread every morning.

The café has an ideal breakfast menu that includes eggs, oatmeal porridge, muesli, French toast, fruit bowls, chicken sausages, lapsi with walnuts, salad in pesto sauce and apricots and almonds. At the same time as you are enjoying the delicious meal, you can also surf internet on your laptop as they offer free Wi-fi.

And as the café is new, they have no swap-machine at the moment. So remember to carry enough cash else you might end up walking up to an ATM to pay your bill. All in all, the café is good with a variety of healthy food but the dog was being bad fella whose bark was a real nuisance. Prices start at Rs. 49 for tea while the juices are priced at Rs. 79 and sandwiches for Rs. 99.

'BpB Reviews Fellas' 21/02/2011

Sweet Home

There’s fresh fruit in the blender, a salad on the counter, chairs on the front porch and a dog tied to the fence. This is Fellas, a tiny health cafe in Khar that appears to be as content as suburban bliss and as wholesome as country living. After a pleasurable sneak peek earlier this month, we returned for a review, eager to see if this ‘house’ would score a home run.

Bachelor Number One?

Complete with wooden floor, beams and translucent curtains, Fellas is made to look like the front of a bungalow, but is really housed in a garage-ish space of an apartment building. Charming as it may be, the eatery’s interior fails to make an instant connect with its moniker, one that draws up images of bachelor paraphernalia – leather chairs, poker chips and slicked back hair. The only testosterone you’ll find here is in its four owners – Suvedh Lohia and Anupam Adarsh (previous ventures include juice bar J-Kart), Feroz Shaikh and Gagan Kumar. There is however, one background score for you fellas: a posse of pretty girls that seem to constantly stream in and out.

Bittergood

Then you read the menu that focuses on fit food, and the fresh green and yellow insides of the cafe start to make sense. Here you’ll find fruit and veggie juices, power shots, protein shakes, yoghurt smoothies, breakfast options, fresh salads, whole wheat  sandwiches and mostly-grilled entrees, all of which can also be home delivered to members  on a daily basis (packages start at Rs 1,500 a month). Food can be customised too, depending on diet, blood type and ailments.

After much coaxing (by an owner) and cringing (by us), we ordered the spinach-pineapple-apple juice which turned out to be a cool green potion, surprisingly delicious. If you still can’t get around to trying it – you should! – pick another from the many permutations and combinations of flavours.

Happy Wheat

Our meal started with the spinach, baby corn and skimmed milk cottage cheese sandwich that came with a tasty filling, but dry whole wheat bread and no table condiments. A better, fuss-free option is the Tzatziki with multi-grain bread. Unfortunately, the supreme chicken samosas and aubergine carpaccio being dished out at an initial Fellas food tasting are off the menu, as are most fried-and-tried experiments. 

For mains, we got the balsamic chicken - tender, grilled strips of flavourful meat served with dauphinoise potato – but secretly craved the beet roasted red snapper which wasn’t available. On a previous visit we tried and loved the ravioli stuffed with ricotta, spinach and capers dressed in an elegant black olive sauce. Since the healthy kitchen here does not encourage dessert, sins are outsourced -  yum mini cupcakes that aren’t weighed down by frosting. Note: The breakfast chef hasn’t arrived yet so lay off the dawn dishes for now.

Accompaniments

While most of the food we ordered was tasty, it became abundantly clear after couple of visits that Fellas' appeal lies not in its meal but in the fruit peel. And of course, there's the mood  - gymbos downing wheat grass shots at the bar, freelancers leeching on free Wi-fi (a gaming corner’s coming soon), others sipping juice while playing scrabble and the owners eager to please with all kinds of discounts and tasters. They’re good fellas, these.

Getting there: Fellas, Ahimsa Marg, 14th A Road, opposite Mahavir Hospital, Khar (W), call 32267678, free wi-fi, valet parking available, Rs 600 for a meal for two, early bird discounts for those who live on the same road.

'The heart-friendly cafe' 21/02/2011

Health food has a new address, and it's opposite a hospital! You needn't worry about having to check yourself in, though, because these guys know their food (and their fruit juices)
On the day the rest of the imagined world was giddy on love and chocolate, and feasting on -- oh, we don't know -- fatty stuff, two solitary souls headed to a cafe in Khar to sample 'sensible' food. 

Aburgine Mousakka


The 50-seater restaurant that's pegging itself as a health food stop is big on its fruit juice combos; no surprise given that it has one of the guys behind the now-defunct juice chain: J Kart, at its helm. Apart from juices, they also offer "shots" and protein shakes.

Don't be deterred by the thought of spinach in your juice, the Spinach-Pineapple-Apple (Rs 79) might soon become a popular option, especially given the whole-hearted endorsement by its owners, who insist you try it. Welcome drink, did you say! They don't use sugar ("only honey" in certain juices) and only juice seasonal fruits, so you can practice your smuggest grin while sipping on these combos.

The Orange-Guava-Strawberry juice (Rs 89) was so good, we felt a sudden urge to run inside the kitchen to ensure no one was secretly dunking spoonfuls of powdered sugar inside it. For now though, we have only the owners' word to rely on. We might soon have more than that to go on, as future plans include going online with their live kitchen. 

We started with the Aubergine Moussaka (Rs 149), which was a feast for the eyes, but not as much for the taste buds. The aubergine was slightly undercooked, and as a result had a chewy texture, and though the menu promised sun-dried tomato salsa, we could have sworn that was just tomato salsa it was layered with. 

The Polenta with Harissa (Rs 199) was good; vegetable ragu sandwiched between layers of steamed cornmeal and topped with what looked (and tasted) like green mint chutney. The Pumpkin Tortellini (Rs 199) laced with a light cream sauce provided solace to our inner carb-divas. Satisfying, though the skin of the 'perfect' tortellini must be so thin it's almost translucent. These weren't.

Fellas is a good, solid option for those looking to absolve themselves from the guilt of engaging in the deadly sin: gluttony. Our suggestion? Order the juices. Steer clear of the vegetarian Main Courses, and opt instead for the soups and sandwiches, which they're likely to find more success converting into healthier meal options.
 
At: Fellas, 14 A Ahimsa Marg, opposite Mahavir Hospital, Juice Hair Salon lane, Khar (W) Call: 32267678 Fellas didn't know we were there.

'Khar has a new health food Cafe' 14/02/2011

When you have a calorie watch strapped to your wrist or ankle, finding a place to eat out at is never easy. Restaurateur Anupam Adarsh hopes to solve that dilemma with Fellas, his new health food cafe in Khar that opened on Sunday, February 13. In 2007, Adarsh quit his 9 to 5 job in an engineering company to launch J Kart, a health juice centre that also served sandwiches and salads. Over the three years that followed, J Kart kiosks sprang up inside gyms, in office buildings and in malls, everywhere from Nepean Sea road to Lokhandwala. Adarsh sold the brand in 2009 but has paid homage to the J Kart menu through the selection of health juices offered at Fellas. “Five years ago, I was in a corporate set up and would drink over five cups of coffee a day,” he said. “There was no healthy alternative.”

Fellas serves about 40 varieties of health juices made with seasonal fruits and vegetables. Unlike at J Kart, where they also sold juices made from a single fruit, at Fellas you will only get combinations such as spinach, apple and pineapple, or carrot, orange and ginger. In addition to juices, there are protein shakes and “power shots” such as Spirulina, wheatgrass, beet root, bitter gourd and aloe vera, each of which also double up as instant fixes for nasty hangovers. The food menu, which offers soups, salads, sandwiches and hot meals, has been drafted keeping calorie concerns in mind by in-house nutritionist Neha Chandna, one of the five directors of parent company, Pure Health Food. Butter and mayonnaise are not part of the larder in Fellas, where they only serve grilled chicken and fish, no red meats or desserts. They have an in-house bakery that rolls out fresh batches of wholewheat and multigrain bread every morning. For the benefit of skeptics who might question just how “health conscious” the fare at Fellas is, the management have prepared a folder of recipes that documents how they devised the menu. Customers who ask for the folder will also find information on how a particular juice suits a particular blood group.

In a week’s time, Fellas hope to start serving breakfast and launch a delivery service. The breakfast options will include eggs to order, muesli, oatmeal porridge, French toast, chicken sausages, fruit bowls, lapsi with walnuts, apricots and almonds, and salad in pesto sauce. Apart from the meals, the delivery service will offer up to 500 health juices, which Adarsh claims can treat specific allergies and ailments. Prices start at Rs49 for juices and Rs99 for sandwiches