Going 'vegan' in Goa

Visiting a vegan café in a state that is popularly known for street-food is an experience worth sharing. Zest café in Agonda is without doubt the go-to restaurant if you are a vegetarian or health-obsessed.

Designed as a communal gathering place, Zest offers a unique experience around delicious, health-conscious food. The café offers healthy and tasty vegan, vegetarian and raw foods. The specialty is its diverse menu with whole food dishes from all around the world.

We tried our luck with their recommended ‘Vietnamese rolls’, ‘mango cheesecake’, and to top it all, ‘blueberry smoothie’. The Vietnamese rolls were so much more than typical spring rolls. They were strictly gluten-free, authentic in flavor, filled with rice vermicelli, assorted veggies ranging from eggplant, cabbage, lettuce, and tofu. You would find the seasonal mango cheesecake truly delightful, especially if you are a sweet-tooth. It had a dense, dairy-free cheese filling, indulged with coconut cream, with crumbling, crackery crust. The smoothie rich, cool, and refreshing. The cherry-on-top element is that you get to enjoy all these appetizing dishes without a tinge of guilt as they are super healthy.

The next big turn-on is the café’s ambiance. It has a creative vibe to it and comfortable seating to spend time with friends or by yourself. They also believe in sustainability as they claim to reduce plastic wastage. In order to avoid serving water in a plastic bottle, they offer free mineral water and re-fills in eco-friendly glasses.

The bottom-line, Zest café ranks on top in the feel-good category.