SwaSwara
Karnataka
Don’t let SwaSwara’s health tag dampen your expectations; exquisitely sourced, cooked and presented, the resort offers some of the best vegetarian food in India.
The type of cuisine on offer is dependent on the program chosen (see Activities & Facilities).
The ‘Swa’ holiday program has the most elaborate menu and, by Swaswara standards, is quite decadent: the food at lunch and dinner is presented over three or four courses, with a choice of seafood (mostly locally caught fish) along with the vegetarian main.
The other programs, in line with their aims, are much simpler vegetarian affairs: the Ayurvedic program, for example, serves non-spicy ‘saatvik’ Indian food and the ‘Prana’ program is mostly based around fruits and basic vegetables.
A typical day on the ‘Swa’ program starts with freshly cut fruits and juice served between 6 and 7am. Breakfast starts at 8am and goes on till 10am; a bowl of nuts and dried fruits is followed by a choice of mains (typically a healthy dosa or muesli/porridge and freshly baked bread). You’re encouraged to avoid caffeine in favour of herbal teas, while flavoured warm waters (coriander seed, cardamom, ginger) are served during meals to aid digestion.
Lunch is normally thali-style with a small starter of soup or salad followed by a lovely plate of local vegetables accompanied by a seafood or veg curry, rice, chutney and papad.
Dinner is more of a ‘fusion’ style with the chefs whipping up creative gourmet starters followed by grilled or baked fish and dessert.
There are several dining locations: the first-floor restaurant with its dome-like thatched roof and open sides; the Beach Grill at the bottom of the hill beside the beach, and the patio below the dining hall, overlooking the lake. All are beautifully presented. Service is knowledgeable, friendly and efficient.
The kitchen here is one of the cleanest and most efficient we’ve seen, and operates on an open-door policy that welcomes guests to step in at any time and also take part in cooking classes, which are conducted every day from 11:30 to 1 pm.
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Menu
There’s the expectation that guests are here to be healthy, and as such there are certain restrictions on the menu. Caffeine isn’t recommended, and coffee, while available if absolutely necessary, is hidden from the menu and not promoted. Likewise, alcohol isn’t encouraged or promoted, although a very narrow selection of Indian wines are in the kitchen fridge for emergencies. If guests do want to drink (we’re picturing less-enthusiastic partners of guests, possibly husbands) they can easily do so at one of the shacks at the beach. What’s more, guests are free to keep alcoholic drinks in their villa fridge and consume within. Again, it’s not recommended, but ultimately the decision is in the guests’ hands.
The choice of food each day is naturally somewhat limited, and portions, though by no means miserly, aren’t huge. Regardless, you come out of each meal feeling healthy and energised, never bloated or sluggish. It really is a case of less is more. Having said that, snacks, if required, can be ordered throughout the day.
Dining nearby
There are shacks on Om beach serving standard backpacker food. Namaste, Nirvana, Rasta and Om Shree Ganesh cafés are all decent options.