All in all, Jain

Food FlavourfulAmbiance VibrantService PromptCost ReasonableVerdict 24This writer remembers her first family trip as a child to Manali It was Chaumasa a fourmonth long Jain festival and we had to explain time and again what Jain food means to the chefs at the restaurants we visited Hailing from Mumbai finding Jain food has never been a problem It is however challenging to find Jaina purvak food food that can also be eaten during our fasting periods at restaurants across the city Naturally when All in 1 a Jain fareonly restaurant opened in Girgaon it became an instant hit with the communityRoyal faloodaWe reach the restaurant at 1130 am on a weekday The kerbside setting stands out with its striking green faccedilade The interiors are inviting with an added purple red and yellow seating arrangement nailing the colourblocking trend We are greeted with an installation of a waterfall from a mountain enshrined on which is an idol of Parshvanath 23 of 24 tirthankaras Another installation of a tree trunk reaches the roof of the second floor around which runs a spiral staircase made of glass Being able to consume Jaina purvak food in a restaurant that is not a dharamshala is not very convincing to our mother So the moment she notices the finedine vibe her guard is up When we are served water the questions begin to roll out The attendant assures her that only boiled water is served by observing the three boiling pointsrsquo method and is not served if it is beyond seven hoursold The exhaustive menu boasts of Gujarati Rajasthani and Maharashtrian fare to Lebanese Mexican Japanese Thai and other continental farePicsDevanshi DoshiWe begin with Shanghai cottage cheese Rs 375 We are told that the paneer is freshly made inhouse This starter of four cubical slices of paneer drenched in Shanghai sauce is a winner with its playful spicy and tangy flavours The cheese corn balls Rs 400 that follow have a thin crispy layer filled with a burst of cheese On the recommendation of a few teens seated at a table nearby we order the California maki rolls sushi seven pieces served with soya sauce Rs 500 While it isnrsquot the best on the menu we see why it is a hit among younger patrons of the eateryIf there is one thing that Jains are more likely to get wrong it is vada pav There are only a handful places that we think can nail this Mumbaispecial with banana vada minus the lasan ki chutney When the server arrives with the dish Rs 200 which looks different from the local version we are impressed by how this multigrain yeastfree freshly made bread with the banana vada served with Jain chutneys tastes If the vada was chunkier it might have even become our favourite place to grab a Jain vada pav fromAs we wait for our mains to arrive a woman at an adjacent table orders for a fastingspecial thali and recommends that my mother try it the next time she fasts By now we learn that this restaurant was founded by Nirav Shah whose preteen daughter would complain about going to school parties and being unable to enjoy the various cuisines because they werenrsquot available in JainThe Mexican fajita sizzler Rs 750 can easily serve up to four itrsquos a flavourful mix of sauces and vegetables sided with banana fries We end our meal with a royal falooda Rs 275 topped with a large scoop of ice cream and refreshing rose syrup We know itrsquos a surefire community restaurant after our mother steps out with a content palate and new a set of friendsAll in 1Time 1130 am to 10 pm dailyAt Krishna Bhavan opposite Royal Opera House Charni Road East GirgaonCall 9004894358Other Jainfriendly eateries For snacks and vada pavAt Royal Bite Khotachiwadi GirgaonCall 9920799407 For a multicuisine menuAt Munch Box Navi MumbaiCall 9346609976 For ChineseAt Achija MM Marg Asha Nagar Mulund WestCall 25600058 For Asian cuisineAt East Asia Rayani Gram Borivali WestCall 8410678888 For Italian fareAt Relish Dinshaw Vacha Road ChurchgateCall 4213541944 Exceptional 34 Excellent 24 very Good 14 Good 04 Average All in 1 didnrsquot know we were there The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals