The Veg Burger at Thalassa, Goa  | The Novice Housewife

The Veg Burger at Thalassa, Goa

Kingfisher beer at Thalassa, Goa | The Novice Housewife

Staple diet in Goa

The View at Marriot, Goa | The Novice Housewife

The View at Marriot, Goa

 

Last month my family and I went on a short vacation to Goa. My brother stays there with his wife and my three your old niece and with the crazy cold here in northern India, Goa seemed like a great place to get some sun and warmth.

Goa is a tourist destination with its beaches, cheap alcohol and awesome sea food. You will always see people with a smile here. Fact.

So while I wont be posting a recipe today (I do have one for next GMT though- I know! I am improving), I thought I will post about the food we ate in Goa in this trip. And we ate a lot. This is going to be a heavy photo centric post, so be prepared.

My sister-in-law is an avid foodie and she has a friend who works for Planet Goa and keeps recommending her new places to try. She had made a list of things we had to go to. One of the first places was Thalassa.

Thalassa is a Greek restaurant in small Vagator, Goa. When my brother and sister-in-law first visited the place it hadn’t become quite as popular as what it is now. Now you have to make a reservation much in advance to get a table. Because of its location (its on a  hilltop with a view of the Indian ocean), sunset is the best time to book a table but getting dinner reservations on a weekend can be a tough task especially if you go during a long weekend. We had to settle with a lunch reservation and missed the sunset, (with my grandfather it was a little bit difficult to while around and wait). Nonetheless we all had a great time and we clearly overstuffed ourselves with the food. The mix grill, chicken gyros, chocolate baklava and chicken casserole were my favorite dishes.

Village Bruschetta at Thalassa, Goa | The Novice Housewife

Village Bruschetta at Thalassa, Goa

Chicken Casserole at Thalassa, Goa | The Novice Housewife

Chicken Casserole at Thalassa, Goa

Chicken Gyros at Thalassa, Goa | The Novice Housewife

Chicken Gyros at Thalassa, Goa

Chicken Casserole at Thalassa, Goa |The Novice Housewife

Chicken Casserole at Thalassa, Goa

Calamari at Thalassa, Goa | The Novice Housewife

Calamari at Thalassa, Goa

The Mix Grill at Thalassa, Goa | The Novice Housewife

The Mix Grill at Thalassa, Goa

Chocolate Cake at Thalassa, Goa | The Novice Housewife

Chocolate Cake at Thalassa, Goa

Niece enjoying her chocolate cake at Thalassa, Goa

Chocolate Baklava at Thalassa, Goa

Chocolate Baklava at Thalassa, Goa

 

Strawberry Caprioska at Thalassa, Goa | The Novice Housewife

Strawberry Caprioska at Thalassa, Goa

Thalassa, Goa

The view from Thalassa, Goa

Thalassa, Goa

The view from Thalassa, Goa

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The next stop on my SIL’s list was the chocolate cookie at Marriot. She had been raving about it for ages, and rightly so.

Served with their cappuccino, it is a chocolate cookie with a melted chocolate centre. Divine! I have been told to recreate it, and that is my next mission.

We also tried their carrot cake, mainly because my niece insisted on a piece. It was ok. I have had (and made) better. But clearly in the pictures below you can see that my niece enjoyed it.

Marriot’s bakery is one the best in Goa. According to my sister-in-law their black forest cake is one of the best she has ever had with a black cherry jam between layers and is light and chocolatey.

The pool side at Marriot, Goa | The Novice Housewife

The pool side at Marriot, Goa |

Chocolate Hut and Well, Marriot , Goa | The Novice Housewife

Chocolate Hut and Well, Marriot , Goa

Edible art work by the pastry chefs at Marriot, Goa

Three tier cake at Marriot, Goa

Carrot Cake at Marriot, Goa | The Novice Housewife

Carrot Cake at Marriot, Goa

The Novice Housewife

My niece enjoying the carrot cake at Marriot, Goa




The chocolate cookie at Marriot, Goa | The Novice Housewife

The chocolate cookie at Marriot, Goa

The chocolate cookie at Marriot, Goa

The chocolate cookie at Marriot with it oozing chocolate center, Goa

While there are many other great restaurants and shacks in Goa, today I am sharing only places that I visited during this visit. And if you want a no frills restaurant with great sea food in Goa- Sheela Bar in Vasco, Goa is the place to go.

The name makes it sound like a really shady place, but check out its reviews online and you will know the name is misleading. There is nothing much for vegetarians here, so if you are not a carnivore you will be disappointed. Their calamari (squid) rings are great appetizers and that’s generally what my brother orders dor starters when they go there. There rava fry pomfret is something you must try. You should also try their chicken xacuti and their in-house bread- I would love to learn how they make that bread. I was told by a local-iite that Sheela bar is a family business with all the the food cooked by the ladies of the house and it definitely shows in the taste of the food there.

The bread at Sheela Bar, Vasco, Goa | The Novice Housewife

The bread at Sheela Bar, Vasco, Goa

Chicken Xacuti at Sheela Bar, Vasco, Goa | The Novice Housewife

Chicken Xacuti at Sheela Bar, Vasco, Goa

Sheela Bar, Vasco, Goa | The Novice Housewife

Sheela Bar, Vasco, Goa

The Rava fry Pomfret at Sheela Bar, Goa | The Novice Housewife

The Rava fry Pomfret at Sheela Bar, Goa

Though there are no pictures, I still must mention ideal ice cream which is a local Goan ice cream and tastes great. I have had their fig icecream and their chocolate but my sister in law told me their belgian chocolate is the best.

Though I did not visit Route 66 this time, but I have to make a special mention about it. On a  previous visit I have had the opportunity to try their burgers and I would recommend you to visit the place for sure for a good gastronomic experience. That’s it for me this time.

Have you been to Goa? What are your favorite places? I would love to hear your suggestions and next time will definitely try them out. Till then, one last parting photograph.

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9 Thoughts on “GMT: Food in Goa

  1. Anubhav Sood on 3 February, 2015 at 7:03 am said:

    Stunning images of the food… but this time the photographs of your adorable Niece and the Dog triumph over the food images for me! 🙂

  2. An interesting read. Thank you.

  3. parvathi on 4 February, 2015 at 8:50 am said:

    Hi shumaila.. There’s a quaint and pretty cafe named Bodega in Panjim city. Their menu is simple with few options ex cupcakes ,sandwiches. Cafe is extremely nice and the ambience is lovely. Also Zeebop shack and restuarent in Uttorda beach has good seafood menu.

    • Hi Parvathi,

      Thanks for the recommendations :). I have heard about Bodega from my sister-in-law and that was another place we had to visit. Have seen pictures of it on her facebook page. I guess another trip to Goa needs to be made!

  4. One of my fav place – Goa! Got to make a trip with the lil one soon 🙂
    Kankana recently posted..Garlic And Fresh Peppercorn Fried RiceMy Profile

    • Ohh you should and I will be looking forward to your pictures. My brother and sister stay very close to the airport in the naval area, so if any help required let me know!

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