Tuesday, February 25, 2020

When Fitness tees off with Food - LoCal by Dumbbell

Fitness and food seem poles apart and they don't generally seem to go in a like for like fashion. But Lo Cal by Dumbbell addresses this issue very well by curating a menu dedicated for the health conscious and also ensuring that foodies continue to have a feast.

It is quite novel in it's approach with the items dished out in such a way that the calories are well and truly in check. They have a large stacked up menu and in a way also prove that healthy food can also end up being quite delicious to eat unlike how it's normally perceived. Another interesting feature is that the items give a count of the proteins, fat and carbohydrate content in each of the dishes.

They are located in a compound off Nungambakkam. The ambiance showcases fitness related stuff like climbing bars, jars of whey proteins, cycle pedals, dumbbells and a whole lot more. They also have these attractive cardio cycles where you can do your exercise and also consume lo food calories at the same time.

We tried a number of items off the attic with first the soup both the broccoli based one as well as the roasted tomato with basil one being quite delectable. It was more thick than creamy but the flavours were evident. To munch we had a lovely zucchini wrap stuffed with veggies made up in a slurpy mixed brown sauce. The sandwich in the form of pesto boconcini open sandwich was really nicely stacked up with burrito and cherries but however felt the bread could have been softer as it was a little too crusty for the liking. The multi grain rainbow brochette was also loaded with interesting toppings. The broccoli grilled fritters was well plated and presented really colourful. The deviled eggs with a slather of guacamole was comforting.

In the main course, the show stealer was well and truly the whole wheat beetroot penne pasta. It had all the ammunition going for it and every bite on the taste buds gave the cravings wholesome enjoyment. We loved it so much that we had a second shot at it. From the texture to the creaminess to the taste everything seemed on point. We also tried another veggie based pasta which was quite nice as well. We also tried a Mexican bowl with panneer. This one was quite decent but felt a little too bland. An addition of a fee ingredients or sprucing up the rice could have made quite a difference to the overall dish.

We tried a couple of desserts too. The sweet potato brownie was a nicely made brownie but however I must admit the sweet potato essence didn't come out very strong. Nevertheless the taste of the brownie was wonderful. Some apple based caramel desserts were also had which we relished. Apart from that you always have customary shakes with milk of your choice with whey protein added in giving it a slightly mild taste.

All in all it was a refreshing experience. The prices seem competitive enough and fits in with the quantity served. The service was quick paced with not really too much waiting time. This is a good initiative bringing out a balance between food and fitness and hope they are able to sustain it in the long run by adhering to the requirements.

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