Culinary Treasures of Goa
Goa has at once the chic modernity of a city as well as a laid-back charm of a village. You could either be caught up in the glitz on its flashy casinos or bring out the party animal in you at some of its beaches or find total escapade into stillness and silence in some others.
Panjim — the capital city of Goa — has its unique spell with its narrow squarish blocks where all streets seem to lead into each other. You could get lost for hours exploring these streets and be surprised to find yourself right back where you started.
I lived in Goa for several months to conduct research for my master’s project. During this time, I could with the help of friends discover some of the culinary treasures of this city. Traditional Goan cuisine takes its main element from the sea, while its flavors blend together Maharashtrian, Konkani, and Portuguese influences to create a taste palette so varied — you can never have enough! So if you’re a foodie like me I suggest you chuck your hotel’s room service and head to explore some of the local food options:
1. The Ritz Classic, Panjim
If you have only a couple of hours in the main city, and no time to waste — this is a must-go place. You could stop by here either for lunch or for dinner. The food at the Ritz, despite its constantly overflowing busy-ness, cannot get more authentic Goan. The fish thali is an all comprehensive sampler of iconic foods including items such as the fish rava fry, fish curry made with coconut and kokum, fish pickles, vegetables cooked in a rich coconut stew. The kingfish rava fry is a delicacy while the mackerel rava fry is the common man’s feast! The squids butter garlic is for faint-at-heart when it comes to spicy while the fish balchao is for those raring to taste the chilli in each bite! They also have other delicacies such as shark ambotik.
2. Navtara Veg Restaurant
For vegetarians, Navtara is the perfect pit-stop. They have a menu stretching from North to South of India covering all key delicacies. An impressive range of dosas and curries will leave you spoilt for choice, while a select ‘Goan’ dishes section will sample some local flavors in vegetarian dishes such as patal bhaji, mushroom xacuti, patata vada, etc! Their chole masala always looks mouth-watering in its entry!
Now while these two options are located in the heart of Panjim, for those with a scooter/bike/car and looking to explore, there are some places far from the crowd.
3. Peep’s Kitchen
If you find yourself a fan of the local Goan cuisine, Peep’s is a must-go place! Simply try their fish thali to sample seafood steeped in rich and varied spice mixes as fry, curry, sautee, and pickles. My first introduction to Goan traditional cuisine was at Peep’s, so I may be partial in saying that I would give the food here an edge over Ritz.
4. Lily’s Flower
Not in the mood for lunch food? Lily’s Flower is a tiny tucked-away cafe that makes the most amazing snacks and drinks. They have chicken rolls, pies, omelets, patties, burgers, sausage rolls, croquettes, and sandwiches. The menu for milkshakes is really long with many exciting options and they also have Bournvita, tea, and my favorite milky coffee. There is always a friendly welcome at Lily’s when you just need a quick refresher after a long day! Be aware of the timings though — they might not stay open until late at night!
5. Renuka’s hotel opposite Goa Medical College
This place is another secret foodie spot that I was recommended by friends. I went to once and was a returning fan until I left Goa. The place has no frills and will look like a simple home-run kitchen/hotel with some outdoor plastic table-chair seating, but, the food though — the food gets as authentically Goan as it possibly can! There may not be much of a choice in the menu, simply go for their everyday thali with a choice in rava-fried fish — you will find yourself not disappointed! And also this was one of the places where I found the Goan Okra served as a vegetarian side-dish in the thali! If you have ever tried okra you might imagine it as a tiny green vegetable, but the ones you find in Goa are completely different — seeing them at vegetable vendors always made me want to try them, and here is where I got to.
6. Street food stalls along Miramar
There are two roads leading from Dona Paula (where I lived) into Miramar and then to Panjim. One road goes inside the village by houses and the other is a long straight road that runs by the coast towards Miramar beach. In the evenings there were always street food stalls along this road close to Miramar beach serving some Goan-influenced street-foods of India! If you are into sampling food sold on small pushcarts along the streets — this is your go-to place! (P.S: pay close attention to hygiene on the stall where you decide to feast!)
While these are places I recommend going to, these are some of the Goan foods I tried and loved which you could order at places where you find them on the menu: Goan fish curry, Rava-fried fish (I recommend mackerel and kingfish), Squids butter-garlic, Fish balchao, Chicken Xacuti and Chicken Cafreal. Oh and in addition, sometimes at street corners, you would find bread-sellers with baskets tied to their bicycles selling fresh ‘pao’ and ‘poe’ — two kinds of traditional Goan food! It is never a bad idea to sample some of this freshly baked bread that has its origin in Portuguese cuisine!
