"Really, YAMU? Another Calorie Counter? Aren't you just sick of reviewing the same franchise over and over again?"
Well, gladly we are not – thanks to the fine experience we had at Calorie Counter's latest spot down Havelock Place. It's not actually a 'new' branch – it's more of a replacement for their old place at Thimbirigasyaya.
Food & Drinks
Pulling off healthy food in a delicious way is hella tricky, but somehow Calorie Counter manages to do it, and we are happy that they exist.
Take this Poached Egg Sandwich (Rs. 590) for an example. Tucked in between the loaves of brown bread, they had lettuce, avocado, feta cheese, pan fried mushroom, balasmic caramelized onions, and a poached egg, which altogether made for a beautifully layered and filling meal. The bread was slathered with a layer of basil pesto, while the poached egg was done right with a splendidly runny yolk garnished with pomegranate seeds and pepper.
It's a lot of flavors really, but all of them worked well together. Wrapping up proteins and healthy fats with a very light amount of seasoning aint no easy task but this sandwich was basically a delicious explosion of health benefits. We recommend it.
Ahhh, the Thai Spiced Grilled Chicken (Rs. 850)! We YAMUites loved this. So much so we even did a YAMU Loves feature on this.
Anyway, in comparison to last year, the price has been increased by Rs. 170, but the portion size seems to have gotten smaller. Now you get only one chunk of chicken, accompanied with a carb of your choice and a salad/grilled veggies. We went with the multi-grain bread and grilled veggies.
Despite the downsized portion size, the chicken was amazing – perfectly grilled, succulent and glazed with a flavorsome sauce that gives an instant tangy kick from the first bite. It had a firm exterior, yet soft middle that burst into a smokey, mesquite flavor boosted by the charred bits on the meat.
*Pictured above – Berry Charger and Apple & Ginger Energizer
The Berry Charger (Rs. 480) had a superb blend of blackberry, milk, banana, honey and coconut water. It was creamy, had a good consistency, but the dominating flavor here was the banana, while blackberry added a teeny tiny sour kick, and of course the light purple color to the drink.
As the name suggests, Apple & Ginger Energizer (Rs. 380) is a mix of apple juice and ginger. The strong punch of ginger nicely emerged through the deliciously sour green apple juice, making for a refreshing treat.
Service & Ambience
The new branch is quite smaller than their Ward Place branch, but still it's a well-kept space, with neatly arranged wodden tables and chairs, enough to hold around 15 – 20 customers at a time.
The staff was efficient, friendly and helpful. Our food and drinks arrived within 15 minutes.
Conclusion
All in all, we enjoyed our experience at this new Calorie Counter. It's still a good option if you're looking for a filling, and more importantly delicious meal, while trying to watch your figure.
