Imagine this: classic Italian-American dishes, reimagined without any meat or dairy. That’s the vision behind Plant Italia, a ghost kitchen reinventing Italian classics for a plant-based palate. From the street, it’s nearly impossible to locate Plant Italia. The only clue is on the tinted windows of Bombay Food Junkies at 12955 Olive Blvd., where both restaurants share the space.
Sid and Krupa Panchal, a husband-and-wife duo, are the masterminds behind Bombay Food Junkies and Plant Italia, with a commitment to redefining plant-based food.
After running Bombay Food Junkies with her husband for five years, Krupa was ready to embark on her own culinary journey and innovate vegan Italian cuisine. In December 2025, that dream became a reality, and Plant Italia was born.
Rather than reproducing Italian classics, most of Plant Italia’s menu is inspired by familiar Italian-American dishes, such as Alfredo chicken parmesan pasta, toasted ravioli and S’rimp Scampi Pizza.
“Don’t come in expecting that it will taste like authentic Italian or authentic American food; the [menu] is a blend of what I can do with the vegan ingredients that I have that will make the [food] taste really good,” Krupa said. “And that’s ultimately what people come for. It’s the taste. That’s what I put as my main criteria, and then I use what ingredients I’ve got before buying something I may or may not need.”
Inspiration can come from anywhere, and Plant Italia’s Alfredo chicken parmesan pasta is inspired by her husband’s favorite pasta dish at Noodles & Company.
“I really loved how their pesto chicken parmesan pasta was plated, and I wanted to recreate that,” Krupa said with a smile. Back in her kitchen, she carefully slices vegan chicken patties, neatly arranging them on a bed of vegan Alfredo pasta. Recreating a vegan Alfredo sauce proved challenging, but Krupa faced it head-on. She substituted coconut milk, cashews and nutritional yeast for dairy, creating a worthy substitute, albeit with a thinner consistency.
Krupa’s take on toasted ravioli pays homage to St. Louis’ Italian community, blending vegan beef, vegan ricotta, spinach, vegan cheese and spices, served with a side of marinara. Fried until golden brown, the vegan toasted ravioli is so crispy it’ll give ASMR food creators a run for their money.
As a former eggplant hater, Krupa’s vegan take on eggplant parmesan gives its vegetarian counterpart a run for its money. Three eggplant cutlets are seasoned and coated in a panko breadcrumb mixture, fried until golden brown, topped with vegan cheese and marinara sauce, then baked until the cheese melts.
Part of Plant Italia’s appeal is its customizable menu, which lets customers adjust the spice level and add vegetables of their choice. “I’ve noticed a lot of customers enjoy the extra spice when paired with our meatball marinara panini,” Krupa said.
And no Italian-American meal is complete without dessert. Plant Italia offers a selection of vegan sweets, including cheesecake, tiramisu and a gluten-free fruit tart.
Plant Italia is open Monday through Saturday from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m. and shares a kitchen and a 1,000-square-foot dining space with Bombay Food Junkies. The shared space reflects the couple’s connection to their hometown of Bombay and their love for quality vegan food. With enough space to seat 35, stop by for a samosa or a S’rimp Scampi Pizza. Visit Plant Italia’s website, Instagram and Facebook for updates.