GMT: Food in 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.

 

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.

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.

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.