From sleep-inducing shots to beauty capsules, bars, and convenient stick packs, collagen has officially graduated from supplement shelves to the spotlight of lifestyle culture. These “collagen ninjas” have been quietly infiltrating your feed, and now they’re turning up in cafés and restaurants, blending wellness with indulgence. like anti-aging waters at Malaika Arora’s Scarlett House or the ethereal ‘Walk On Clouds’ on Mokai café’s monsoon menu—yes, it’s literally raining collagen.
“When I lived in London, a lot of healthy cafés offered things like lion’s mane and collagen for coffees, and that’s when it struck me—why can’t we do the same for matchas?” says Karreena Bulchandani, founder of Mokai café in Mumbai. She has brought that concept home, infusing collagen into drinks and smoothies in collaboration with Wellbeing Nutrition. The response has been quietly phenomenal, attracting a diverse crowd from 25 to 50 years old.
The allure is clear. With more people prioritising joint health, glowing skin, and staying fit, collagen’s benefits are becoming impossible to ignore. “Collagen has incredible science-backed benefits, but we wanted to break it out of the supplement cabinet and make it part of your everyday rituals—like your morning coffee or a casual café catch-up. In a way that feels social, chic, and easy to adopt. It’s where science meets lifestyle,” explains Angela Toppo, co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Be., which has collaborated with Delhi’s upscale restobar The Grammar Room to create a collagen-powered drinks menu. City Barista Sushant Kumar has developed six innovative pairings using marine and vegan collagen, with flavours that are tart, tropical, and flirtatiously citrusy. “The big challenge was getting the collagen to play nice with the flavours, especially since we skip adding sugar to our beverages. It was a balancing act, a delicate dance of ingredients,” says Sushant. He adds collagen at the beginning of the brewing process, ensuring it fully integrates into the drink. “The drink’s density determines the quantity added.”
Collagen’s rise isn’t limited to drinks. Whether in powder or liquid form, its versatility is inspiring creative flavour experiments. “We have been experimenting with blue spirulina, organic honey, beetroot extract with collagen, and vanilla syrup to create multiple flavours,” says Karreena. Taste balancing is crucial. “I pair the collagen with ingredients that have a strong aftertaste or flavour profile,” adds Sushant, who experiments with everything from passionfruit and coffee to daily greens.
The culinary world is also embracing collagen as a flavour and texture enhancer. Rahul Punjabi, chef and founder of Bang Bang! Noodle in Mumbai, champions natural collagen extraction from pork bones and trotters. “Pork trotters (or paaya) are rich in cartilage, which breaks down over a 24-hour slow boil to release a beautiful, gelatinous stock,” he explains. “For us, the inspiration for adding new dishes to our menu always begins with flavour. The thick, milky texture and silky mouthfeel of the collagen in pork broth creates an absolutely banging base for our soup. The richness it imparts enhances both the taste and body of the dish, making it not just comforting but also deeply satisfying.”
Their pork collagen noodle soup, infused with Sichuan peppercorns and ‘hong yo’ chili oil, has captivated diners aged 25-40 who are health-conscious, curious, and open to culinary experimentation. Rahul continues to innovate, exploring Sichuanese stocks and aspics. “One dish we are excited about is Dong Po Rou, where collagen naturally thickens the sauce, giving it a glossy, caramelised finish—building on tradition, technique, and depth of flavour.”
For Karreena, the next frontier is collagen-rich broths and soups. “Noodle bowls that incorporate collagen make eating fun while still being health-focused. I am working on vegetable broths—similar to those I have had in Singapore—that marry collagen with bowlfuls of goodness. Since collagen is mostly preferred by the health-conscious, I believe it won’t be as much in demand in desserts,” she says.
With the cultural shift towards healthier living and staying fabulous, collagen has proven it’s more than a trend. From cafés to restaurants, from drinks to noodle bowls, it’s redefining what it means to nourish yourself—turning the pursuit of wellness into a delicious, social, and utterly indulgent experience.
