Zoe - Gurgaon.

In today's hedonistic world, unhealthy but delicious food dominates people's diet. Many only switch to a better lifestyle when they wake up with their belly obstructing most of their view. While a few have switched to a completely healthy way of life, there are some others like myself who try to find a middle path in things.

In the chaos caused by lifestyle diseases and aesthetically unpleasing waistlines, we often look for a messiah. This is where "Super foods" come in. No, these aren't magical elixirs which will convert Jabba the Hutt into Prince Charming instantly. But these will make your efforts count for more. Superfoods often act as a multiplier. And on the top of the list of super foods is Green Tea.


Green Tea is said to have quite a few benefits like cleansing the body of toxins, possibly reducing bacterial growth on teeth, accelerating metabolism, improving brain function, lowering cancer risk and removing bad cholesterol from arteries. There are of course more that are claimed by connoisseurs of this apparent modern day panacea. However where there are cheerleaders, they are always naysayers. While Green Tea is no magic potion, the fact is that it works.

With so many brands of Green Tea popping up in the market, people often end up buying cheap inferior brands and end up in the naysayer camp. And after sampling about a dozen or so brands, I came across Zoe. Zoe meaning "life" in Greek, is a health food brand operating out of Gurgaon. Worry not, as they deliver all over India.

I sampled Zoe's Seven Day Tea Detox program. This consisted of four different teas to be taken at four different times of the day with an elaborate meal plan. This was a detox diet - something which costs a fortune if obtained from a dietician. Though given my lifestyle, its hard to follow it to the letter. Thus, I tried the detox sessions in small windows.

These teas were neatly distributed in smart tea bags which served both as a tea bag and a spoon. It was a very effective way to bring out the complete flavor of the tea, something which most mainstream teabags cannot deliver. The teas were natural and pure without any adulterates as common with some brands of mainstream green tea.

Following the scientifically designed schedule provided by Zoe, here is how my sampling went.

I started my mornings with Organic Kashmiri Green Tea along with light breakfast. This tea had the best flavor and aroma of the four. It was full of anti oxidants and electrolytes. I do not know about the health benefits but its aroma and its cleansing properties made my day start quite positively.

Lunch was complemented with First Flush Darjeeling Black Tea. This was more of a traditional Darjeeling chai minus the milk and the sugar. This tea was an indicator of how natural Zoe's teas truly are. We have all had Darjeeling black tea before and it was thus easy to compare and determine that this had a superior flavor, aroma and experience. It felt as if you were having tea right off a tea estate.

High Tea with Daily Detox Darjeeling Green Tea. The classical green tea from one of the best tea estates in the world. This one was all about flushing toxins and cleaning arteries. This was the green tea which we have heard so much about. And again I could compare it with the likes of Liptons, Apollo and my personal favorite Twinnings. Zoe's quality exceeded that of Twinnings. Shame its not as commonly available as Twinnings.

Late night Organic Chamomile and Lemongrass Tea was more of a Herbal tea which was an instant mood lifter. By night, one often becomes weary with the weight of the world. This tea lightens the load. It won't give one wings but would surely de-stress one with its pleasant aroma and herbal flavor. I must secretly admit that I actually loved this one the most.

Again, I wont say that Zoe produces magical potions. But from my experiences - I did lose about three quarters of a kilo in the week. My mood improved and I was not grumpy at all. The cleansing effect of the green teas made me feel light as a feather during the day. And most importantly, following this schedule made me re-discover my love for Green Tea. I am now at least having two cups a day following a schedule similar to the one designed by Zoe. Maybe its real or maybe its just my mind but the fact of the matter is that Zoe's Seven day detox had a lot of positive effects on my daily life. It is another thing that I could not maintain the strict discipline of the schedule but even partial discipline yielded me benefits.

Whether you are a Green Tea believer or a skeptic. If you are serious about detox, good health and improving your metabolism - Do give Zoe's Seven day Tea detox a try.


- I was approached by Zoe to sample their tea program but my review is unbiased.-


Click here to check out Zoe's website.
https://www.zoe.menu/

Chai Pe Charcha - Prabhadevi, Mumbai.

After a day long trek in the ascending passages, we finally made it to the surface. We were tired as we had been up all night walking. I was worried that firsty may get the wrong message and leave without us but he was waiting for us. Turned out that Firsty had found from the townsfolk that there was a passage that connected the strange undersea city with the island above. As the sea was normal again, we set out to sail. On to the next mark. One can only wonder what more surprises will the sea of shipwrecks throw at us?

Chai Pe Charcha is a simple concept but quite a popular one. After the roaring success of the brand's Lower Parel outlet, CPC comes to my neighborhood in Prabhadevi. Its located in a connecting lane between two main roads and is thus not very easy to find for a person not living in this area. It is bang opposite the Prabhadevi Mandir. If you are into the Pokemon craze, then it is right opposite a Pokestop. However, don’t let its unpopular location fool you. This little café is as popular as its Lower Parel sibling. Who knows, it may even be more popular.

The Café felt like a mix of a small highway restaurant and a modern bistro. There were artifacts that signify Mumbai like the popular Auto Rickshaw shaped table or the Mumbai Metro cut out on the ceiling. The baked bricked appearance on the other side with a book shelf added to the mix of themes. 

There is simplicity, there is sophistication and there is ultimately comfort. The tables resemble those found in neighborhood tea stalls. If that wasn’t enough, there was even a yellow colored street food "Thela" or cart. The place makes an ideal hangout for friends. The cafe is more than just talk, it also provides fun board games like Ludo or chess which people can play while talking. The café is crowded at most times of the day.

Since the place is tea themed, I started out with one of their special beverages.

The Hajmola Chai was a milk free and sugarless tea that was tangy and lemony. It was made out of lemon, Rock salt and other ingredients which are often used to make the digestive candy Hajmola. Not only was this tea comforting on the tongue, it was also good for digestion. Of all the health based teas that I know, this was by far the most tasteful.  Of course this isn’t the only tea on their menu, there are many other unique beverages waiting to be tried.

Captain : I'd like my tea on the deck. 

Crewmate : You should get some sleep Cappy. Firsty can take care of things.

Captain : Firsty was up all night too looking for us. He can take care of things later. I will manage the helm now. 

Gulkand Bun Maska for 45 INR was a steal of a treat. It made regular bun maska look like a thing of the past. This soft bun was generously coated with Gulkand (a sweet preserve made of Rose petals) and had butter in the centre. It combined sweet, pleasant and savory. It also went really well with my Hajmola tea. I would greatly recommend this to the reader. 

Firangi Khakra was a delectable fusion of Masala Khakra(Savory Mat bean Crackers) and Nacho's Cheese sauce. My only question was, why was this not done before anywhere else? It was such a brilliant fusion. The Khakra pieces went really went with the sauce and it was a salty, savory and cheesy sensation. I ended up licking my fingers clean after this. 

This was served on a plate made out of a leaf and there was sweet and spicy chutney as well. I would however recommend the Khrakra to be eaten with the cheese and only use the chutneys if the sauce is exhausted.

Again for just INR 72, this was an amazing treat.

The Good ol' Vada Pav tasted very much like a High School canteen Vada Pav. It was the kind that I have grown up with. No nonsense, no theatrics, no secret ingredient - Just plain good vada pav as its meant to be.

Lookout : (Rings the warning bell) Mist ahoy.

Captain : Barnacles. There could rocks hidden in the mists. This is the sea of ship wrecks after all.

Firsty :(Yawn) Sleep will have to wait mate. We need all hands on deck.

The cafe employs differently abled staff members who have been trained well despite their limitations. The service is decent at this cafe.

As mentioned earlier, one of the best things about CPC is their pocket friendly pricing. One could easily have a satisfying meal for under INR 150. It doesn't get any better than this.

Chai Pe Charcha is an idea that is already rolling on the highway like a juggernaut. It is likely that within a few years time, these cafes will pop up in all densely populated neighborhoods. But for now, I feel privileged to have one of these near my home.

The Captain's Score : 9/10

"

Navigator : The winds are too strong, we cannot turn and we cannot drop anchor. We will have to go through this mist.

Captain : Aye, fold in the sails and lower the speed as much as possible. If the winds are strong, the mists should not stay here too long. We need to stall some time.

First mate : The visibility is going down by the second. This mist is dense.

Captain : All hands alert. We don't know whats out there.  Ready on the arms.

Gunner : Aye Aye Captain.
"

Map Co-Ordinates
Chai Pe Charcha
Prabha Vinayak Building,
Near Prabhadevi Mata Mandir,
Prabhadevi, Mumbai


-I was invited to sample the menu by the Restaurant's PR. My review however remains objective.-