Tasting Bay | Business Bay

How many of you believe Indian food to be unhealthy? I certainly used to find myself looking at Indian food through a pair of guilty glasses until I met Drishti and Neha from Tasting Bay. These two entrepreneurial sisters have invested their passion for food and a dream to create something of their own into a concept which is designed to break stereotypes, and encourage healthy living, while also keeping your hungry tummies satisfied with great flavor and good food.

There’s so much clutter in the market when it comes to healthy food, that more often than not people are not fully acquainted with the idea behind eating healthy. One big myth is assuming healthy food = salads. Or the wrong assumption that if anything is healthy, it will most likely be bland, bitter or void of colors. Thankfully, Tasting Bay breaks through all that clutter and comes out on top with flying colors (pun intended and you’ll see why).

So how does Indian food become healthy? Well, for starters, Indian food has got a bad rep for using a lot of oil. Yes, oil is bad, but only when it’s used in unjustifiable quantities. Fats like ghee are surprisingly very healthy if used in the right amount, and that’s exactly what the fundamental philosophy of Tasting Bay revolves around – measuring proportions of everything that goes into a dish. This not only makes the dish healthier, but also maintains that same flavor your taste buds are accustomed to. The only and most important difference – you don’t feel guilty, you don’t end up overeating any more than what you should be, and you don’t have to restrict yourself from eating your favorite Indian dishes.

Yes, that’s what these brilliant minds behind Tasting Bay do. They take Indian palate favorites like Biryani, Butter Chicken, Palak Paneer, Tikkas and more, and give it a healthy spin off, so you can eat food that’s light and tasty. Every dish listed on their menu has a calorie count mentioned right next to it, which in all my experience, is quite a rarity at Indian restaurants. Being so fond of Indian food, but struggling to keep the weight off, Drishti tells us how it is important to avoid diets and instead make healthy eating a lifestyle so you don’t end up with a relapse. Neha adds in that ever since she started eating food from Tasting Bay, she not only feels lighter, but has actually seen a considerable inch loss. And frankly speaking, isn’t that what we all want? Of course, nothing works in isolation, and exercise is as important as managing your daily calorie intake, but from my personal experience I can definitely say that hand-in-hand these are destined to work wonders.

Now that you’ve got a detailed insight into the concept of the restaurant, let’s move on to the main thing – FOOD. I’ll tell you about everything we tasted at Tasting Bay, but let me also mention here that there’s so much more I want to try out – like their breakfast dishes – and I will most definitely be going back for these.

We start our dinner with a welcome portion of their signature Turmeric Latte and a bowl of fox nuts or makhana. Neha tells us how one of their driving factors is the focus on different spices. Although as Indians we love using spices, we often fail to realize the fact that not only are spices calorie free, but they also come with a host of benefits. Turmeric for example has healing properties, whereas chilli is great for boosting metabolism.

Our first set of dishes follow shortly and these include 2 portions of Good Ol’ Tandoori Chicken Tikka (607 calories) and 1 portion of Herbivore Kabab (746 calories). The kebabs are a true veggie delight. Made with spinach, green peas, potatoes, herbs and spices, they feel so light and we can actually taste the different ingredients in the mix. The tikkas are fabulous to a whole new level. In terms of texture, they don’t feel oily at all, and rather feel air fried. But that does not make them any different from the regular chicken tikkas. The marinade and spices are spot on and the chicken is juicy through and through.

Next up comes in a pair of curry based dishes which truly bring out the colorful nature of Indian food. The sister duo explains how foods of different colors help balance our body’s energy and maintain our overall health. The green and creamy Un-Beet-Able Palak Paneer (813 calories) comes paired with a side of pink hued beetroot parathas, while the tomato based North Indian Butter Chicken (781 calories) is accompanied with green spinach parathas. Both these curries are light and focus on the actual ingredients that go into making these dishes rather than the dollops of cream and butter which you usually get served everywhere else. Just like the starters, these dishes are light, non-oily and the portions are ideal for one person.

Of course, Indian food can never be complete without Biryani, right. And it’s quite impossible to imagine biryani to be healthy and light. But it is. We are treated to not one, but two different types of Biryani – Chicken (521 calories) and Prawns (498 calories). Tasting Bay uses only brown rice, but trust me, that in no way takes away the magic of biryani. The Hyderabadi spices are really intense and it makes the rice taste so good, we end up finishing both the biryanis in no time. Again, like all the other dishes, the biryani feels absolutely lightweight and the meat is really juicy. The portions are great for one person, and will keep you feeling satiated without the heaviness usually associated with rice. They also have a quinoa chicken biryani, but fun fact, it is slightly higher in calories than it’s brown rice counterpart.

Finally, it’s time for desserts, and we wonder how they’ve managed to make these come out healthier. We start with Choco Bombs (479 calories) that features 4 pieces of gorgeously delicious chocolate laddoos made with oats, nuts, dates, honey and of course chocolate. The texture imitates besan laddoo but while I am not a fan of those, I instantly fall in love with these choco bombs. I even suggest Drishti to start packing these up as gift boxes, and they might turn out to be such a hit. Tropical Treat (663 calories) is our next dessert which features sweet pineapple topped with Greek yogurt, orange zest and saffron. This one is very similar in taste to the South Indian payasam, but of course a lot more healthier. While we are still wondering about the sweetness in the desserts, we are soon told that sugar is a big no-no, and all the sweetness in the desserts comes from honey or natural fructose.

We contemplate having tea to end our meal, but decide to keep that for another day when we come in to try their breakfast. The restaurant, located at the ground level of Damac Majestine Tower, and just a stone throw away from Bay Square Building 12, flaunts a cozy and welcoming ambience. Filled with leafy green and wooden hues, this place instantly connects with the beauty of mother earth and gives you a feeling of soulfulness. The choice of their music playlist during our visit was quite charming too.

To end my exceptionally long review, I truly look up to Drishti and Neha for taking this big step of starting their own restaurant. And not just any restaurant, but one that’s got a soul. I admire them for chasing their dreams and wish them all the success there is!

Tasting Bay

Location: Ground Floor, Damac Majestine Tower, Opposite Bay Square 12, Business Bay, Dubai
Contact: 0563148351

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