Goa’s real food scene lives behind closed doors

I have a dual identity as a Goan.

It’s not a citizenship because the state doesn’t hand them out to commoners. In Goa, I am a local and a Bomoicar (a Bombay Goan, owing to the 14 years I spent in the city). As such, this allows me to approach anything Goan from two distinctive viewpoints—as a Goan, deeply invested and concerned about her home, and as a tourist, keen on exploring its bounties.

This prodigal daughter’s return to Goa in 2021 has thus been a lesson in straddling those two identities. I have travelled across the state for work, and for pleasure. My excursions have taken me to spice farms like Tanshikar to eat meals in kunddlems (earthen pots) and plantations like Dudhsagar where forgotten Goan treats sit side-by-side with continental breakfasts, to concerts at Madragoa that offer a taste of Portuguese-Goan snacks, to feni tastings in a stream at Fazenda Cazulo. Many of the people I’ve met, over plates of delicious food, have now become friends. 

My list, thus, brings together some of my favourite dining experiences in the state, at someone’s home or farm. Good food is guaranteed. And if you are visiting in summer—peak urrak season—you’ll find the seasonal spirit poured generously at many meals; an easy, refreshing way to beat the heat.

A farm feast with Shubhra Shankhwalker, Camurlim

Shubhra Shankhwalker loves feeding people—strangers and friends alike. At her farm in Camurlim, a village close to the now-hip Siolim, she serves up an afternoon feast of Goan Hindu Saraswat cooking. There are no half measures here. She will wake up early in the morning to get freshly caught prawns at the manos (sluice gates). She will drive down to the South of Goa to source river crabs, or a special herb. She will cook everything herself on the day. The lunch itself extends over five hours, and expands over several courses. She doesn’t care about middling things like the number of courses—the maximum has been 30 and she keeps adding to the number. Through the meal, she will talk about her cooking process, forgotten recipes, her story, and will offer guidance on food pairings and how to eat certain dishes. There are welcome drinks; she allows you to bring your own alcohol but doesn’t serve it. Highlights are her bharillo bangdo (stuffed deboned mackerel), cashew xaak, fried fish roe, viswanache hooman (kingfish curry), karela raita, and shirvoyo (rice noodles with sweetened coconut milk). My advice? Skip your breakfast on this day.

Camurlim (location shared upon booking), which needs to be done 48 hours in advance). ₹4,500 per person

Brunch at The Goan Kitchen, Loutolim

Crescy Baptista is one of my favourite people in Goa. Shy, soft-spoken, always eager to help, and a fantastic cook. As part-founder of The Goan Kitchen (which she started with her friend, Oliver Fernandes), she has been responsible for feeding people some forgotten and little-known Goan dishes—at their tiny restaurant and shop in Margao, and in the front yard of her home in Loutolim. The latter is a long and leisurely afternoon affair. Go early so you can sip on feni or urrak cocktails while exploring the garden, their industrial kitchen, and the small outdoor set-up showcasing the kitchens of yore. Go early because it gives you time to learn about purumenth (the practice of pickling and preserving food for a rainy day), the souring agents used in the cuisine, cooking techniques including baking a bebinca without an oven, and the making of the popular choris. The food comes out in courses, and each dish is brought out by the shy ladies of the village who work in the kitchen. Depending on your choice, the meal will feature dishes from different communities, and parts of Goa. My Goan Catholic meal (they do a Hindu Saraswat and a Luso Goan meal, among others) included rissois, empadinhas, fofos, a cashew sorpotel, pork salgada, beef roulade and biefe com sebolas. The dessert was extravagant—the lollipops like dedos de dama, bebinca, bolo sans rival (layered cashew cake) and cashew mandos (dense, steamed cake). Yes, a siesta after is a given.

397, Tolleaband, Loutolim, Goa. Book in advance for a minimum of four guests. Starting ₹4,000 (plus taxes)

A house feast at Palácio do Deão, Quepem

José Paulo, a Portuguese nobleman, arrived in Goa in 1779, and turned what was a forest in Quepem into a hamlet and subsequently, the town. His house, Palácio do Deão, is a sprawling mansion on the banks of Kushavati River, restored and renovated by Ruben and Celia Vasco da Gama. It’s open to visitors and for the few in the know, a sumptuous Luso-Goan meal. The husband and wife tag team seamlessly. Ruben is the guide, showcasing the impressive chapel, the oyster shell windows and doors, and the antique furniture. The garden here is impressive, all stone ornaments and decorative water bodies, and a walk through it is ideal for building an appetite. You would need it, because Celia dishes up a feast on beautiful patterned crockery—there’s no fixed menu, she cooks what’s in season, and what grows in her garden. The sound of the gushing Kushavati is musical accompaniment to a feast of beef croquettes, prawn rissois, stuffed crab, tomato soup, a salad featuring greens from her garden, pumpkin pie, prawn curry, vegetable foogath and to end, bebinca. There are feni cocktails by the side too.

Opposite Holy Cross Church, Quepem, Goa. Book in advance. Tour and lunch for ₹1,500; drinks are extra

A chef’s table at C’est L’Avi

It’s an off-road adventure getting to chef Avinash Martins’s farm in Velim. The chef is on a mission to showcase the reimagining of Goan food through pop-ups, talks, and more. He has two restaurants to his name, Cavarina Cucina and Janot, and Table in the Hills or C’est L’Avi, which is a farm-to-table feast. At his farm in Velim, overlooking a field and surrounded by the sound of birds and the odd buffalo, the chef will teach you the basics of making poee (allowing you to get your hands messy), serve you some delicious drinks and feed you a five- (or more) course meal. The food stays true to his ethos of reimagined Goan food: tambdi bhaji (red amaranth) served like a spanakopita, tender coconut carpaccio with three dazzling colourful sauces that look like a painting on a plate, a crab xec xec bisque, and smoked duck breast with a cabidela jus. Avinash explains the inspiration behind each course and the Goan elements in it. Go during the cashew season to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of feni at the farms nearby. If lucky, one of the stompers may even break out into song.

Call 88052 58277 for details. Book 48 hours prior, minimum 6 people. ₹6,000

A supper club in Aldona

The first time I tried Deepika Figuereido’s food, I was spellbound: she had created a croquembouche—a French dessert consisting of choux pastry puffs piled into a cone and bound with threads of caramel—for a house party. It looked like something out of Masterchef Australia and tasted even better. Over the years, I have eaten her other food and been as impressed by it. Figuereido works with For The Record-Vinyl Bar and The Owl House. Last year, she started a supper club, Deep & Co, which she hosts at her home in Aldona. The ‘& Co’ is her nod to the folk who help her with the supper club, and to a future desire to invite other chefs to join her in cooking supper. Each edition of the supper club highlights a different cuisine. It started with Vietnam, which included dishes like bánh khọt (savoury pancakes), nem nướng (grilled sausages) and bo la lot (grilled beef in betel leaves). Chicken tagine, khlii (preserved beef) on msemen (bread) and lamb bastille (a pie) was part of the Moroccan feast. Her recent Japanese feast included okonomiyaki, assorted yakitori, beef gyudon and chawanmunshi. She does serious research before each meal, practising recipes and choosing dishes that showcase variety; she makes everything herself including the breads. The supper club is exactly what it promises: good food, the chance to meet and make new friends over a table, in a peaceful setting. She announces dates on Instagram; be quick because seats are limited and sell out fast.

Contact for details via Instagram. Approx ₹1,600 per person. Alcohol isn't served, but you can bring your own

A Goan picnic with The Local Beat

Let’s be honest, there is very little of Goa that is ‘hidden’ and hasn’t been flashed to the world by influencers. The truly hidden spots, lush spots by water bodies, is where Mackinlay Baretto takes guests as part of The Local Beat’s picnics. They are hidden because they are private; Baretto ensures their exact location isn’t shared online. The location is obviously a big draw, but so is the food. The Local Beat takes its name seriously and ensures the food—breakfast/ evening tea, snacks and lunch/dinner—is all Goan. In fact, it is often cooked by someone from that specific village. As someone who has attended three such picnics, prepare yourself for hours of feasting. The day’s menu could include kaapa (fritters), puri bhaji, pao and poee with different bhajis, chicken xacuti, recheado bangda, seasonal greens cooked with coconut, polle (rice pancakes), fried fish, prawn curry with bhindi, mango sasav, with godshem or bebinca or pinagr for dessert. By the side are feni, and urrak cocktails accompanied by a short introduction into the spirits. Occasionally, there’s music, and some small games. It’s the kind of laid back, leisurely feasting and picnicking that is truly Goan.

₹1,900 onwards. Book online. Tours happen through the year.

A concert and meal at Casa Menezes, Fontainhas

I first ate ‘bacon from heaven’ or toucinho do céu, because of Marlene de Noronha Meneses. The decadent Portuguese almond cake, sometimes made with lard hence the name, is an underrated treasure you are unlikely to find anywhere else. Marlene started Marlene’s Tasty Treats during the lockdown, offering up the cake and other Luso Goan baked goods. This April, she took it a step further, cooking up a Luso Goan feast as part of the inaugural edition of Casa Meneses’ Fado in Fontainhas night. Casa Meneses is a beautiful old expansive home in Fontainhas near the St Sebastian’s Chapel. The Meneses family (Marlene, Carlos, and their children, Karl and Renée) have opened their home to everyone, or rather anyone interested in a musical night with Luso-Goan food. The first edition of these curated events was Saudade Nights featuring PHATTBACC, a soul and funk band; there were stalls selling food, desserts and snacks. The Fado edition in April showcased Marlene’s cooking prowess: savoury bacalhau (cod fish), kingfish balchao, mushroom xacuti, ladyfinger caldeen and pork roast. Each course was laid out in different parts of the garden, and terrace area, and complemented by a special set of music. And yes, there was toucinho do céu. Coming soon are piano bar sessions with jazz, and more Fado nights.

Fado nights are priced at ₹3,000 inclusive of a buffet meal and unlimited sangria. Follow them for details about upcoming sessions