When a chain steps into the game, it's crucial that they have some great tricks up their juicy sleeves. With a long list of expectations, we get ready to get high on fibre instead of rum on a rainy night at Drunken Monkey in Thane
Beet the Root, Super Fibre Meal and Up the Alps. Pics/Dhara Vora Sabhnani
Mumbai has never had a dearth of innovative juicewallahs who boast of expansive menus that offer funky mixes such as 'boom blaster' or 'Ram Leela' (for those curious, it's a seasonal mix of strawberry, orange and grape we tried at a hole-in-the-wall juice centre in Mulund a few years ago).
So, when a chain steps into the game, it's crucial that they have some great tricks up their juicy sleeves. With a long list of expectations, we get ready to get high on fibre instead of rum on a rainy night at Drunken Monkey in Thane (they've opened two outlets here and have expansion plans). A small, cosy yellow-lit place that houses two tables, a few high chairs, a cycle for some reason and outdoor seating; the many mosquitoes jiving across the room dampen our spirits. We choose to ignore malarial threats to complete our grand task in Thane; their claims of using only fresh fruit; no sugar or concentrate serve as motivation for us.
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Cottage Cheese Sandwich
The steady stream of customers is another boost. Keeping seasonal fruits in mind, it takes us some time to browse through the vast menu that offers smoothies, veggies and avocado-based juices, light hydrators, coffee shakes, and even ones that expand the waistline. The menu is generous in health food name-dropping (niacin, riboflavin, folate). We pick up the Alps (Rs 159), all star (Rs 229), super fibre meal (Rs 159), beet the root (Rs 159), cheesecake (Rs 179) and green grape magic (Rs 149).
Cheddar Fries
As we wait for our order to arrive, we play a game of snakes and ladders and nibble on cheddar cheese fries (Rs 109) that taste yum, and a simple cottage cheese sandwich (Rs 129) with a paneer tikka-style filling. You can take home the cutesy glass bottles that the juices are served in. First up, we try up the Alps, which is a mix of watermelon, pineapple and muskmelon, that's tasty despite no added sugar. Beet the root is a thick concoction of beetroot, apple and nuts (10% dairy); it's a drink you will like if you don't mind veggie juices. The super fibre meal smoothie, made with avocado, cashews, almonds, apple, banana, pineapple and green grapes, is one of those extremely healthy drinks that you pretend to find tasty purely for the health factor. Green grape magic, made with figs and apple, fares better, maybe it's the sugar content that appeals to us. We save the indulgent shakes for the end; the cheesecake shake tastes like a simple butterscotch-ey ice-cream shake, but all star, is truly a star — caramel Nutella, brownie, Oreo — what's not to like?
What we like the most at Drunken Monkey is the pricing, which is smart despite all the fresh fruit and whey protein offerings. Because we feel, no self-respecting Mumbaikar who has access to Ganga Jamuna should pay Rs 250 for a glass of orange juice at a hipster cafe, however freshly squeezed it may be.
TIME: 10 am to 11 pm
AT: Emerald Plaza, Hiranadani Meadows, Thane West.
CALL: 9322597426
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