MOOSE JAW — As part of an effort to revitalize Moose Jaw’s mall and transform it into a community destination, the mall’s new owner, the Pioneer Thinking Capital Corporation (PTCC) announced earlier this year that one of the first steps will be to restore the mall’s food court which has been abandoned for around 15 years.
Vege World, which was one of the two new restaurants announced for the revised food court back on July 9 has now launched its early soft opening on Aug. 26.
The mall’s latest dining option is owned by Jayesh Ashar, who runs the restaurant, and his wife Maitri Ashar brings her cooking experience to assist with the family enterprise.
“Me and my wife (both have) the passion and a dream that we really need to serve Indian vegetarian food to the people, which is really healthy and tasty also,” Ashar said. “That’s why we came here to Moose Jaw.”
Although open, Vege World is currently operating on a limited menu until a few additional features including a new kitchen hood can be installed.
Once installed — which could be up to one month, Ashar advised — the restaurant’s full menu will become available and a grand opening event will be announced at that time.
Until then, Ashar is serving everything he can including sandwiches, juices, and mixed berry ice cream.
The Ashars are originally from Ahmedabad, a city of around 5.6 million inhabitants (2011 census) located in the state of Gujarat in western India.
Ashar said that most people in the region follow a strict vegetarian diet (the figure is 54 per cent according to IndiaToday.in), and for this reason he’s bringing this culinary tradition to his new home in Moose Jaw.
“(The menu) is exclusively vegetarian,” he said. “There is no egg, no meat, no beef — nothing. It’s all pure vegetarian and we are going to prepare fresh food for you.”
In addition to being completely vegetarian, many meals are free of sugar and preservatives. For those who don’t mind a brief wait everything’s prepared right in house before being served. Except for the ice cream, nothing is frozen and the refrigerator is filled with fresh fruits and vegetables.
Although the menu is limited, Ashar said his mixed berry ice cream and the grape cooler are quite popular so far. Another frequently purchased item is energy balls made exclusively from dates and assorted dried fruits with no added sugar.
The couple began their first business enterprise at the Town ‘N’ Country Mall after searching for an ideal venue and learned that the PTCC was searching for new businesses at the mall’s food court.
“We have just given them an option… with a totally different kind of menu which is not related to other (nearby) restaurants,” Ashar said.
A few menu options include items not usually found locally, including the Indian berry (Phyllanthus emblica), which is currently in season back in India and available for a limited time in the Indian berry shots. The taste is somewhat bitter and its properties are believed to contain many health-enhancing benefits.
Ashar said he’s always receptive to customer feedback and will use these insights to help him develop the menu over time.
“We are (receiving) very good feedback from the people, and we are very thankful to… the community to give us a chance to serve them,” Ashar said. “We are hopeful that the people will really love our taste.”
Vege World now joins David’s Diner to complete two of the three planned restaurants. The third option — The Coral Kitchen —is expected to open by early fall.
Vege World is in the food court of the Town ‘N’ Country Mall, located at 1235 Main Street North and is open during the mall’s regular business hours.
