COCKTAIL CUISINE WITH ADITI

Vinho Fontainhas

CAPTURING THE NOSTALGIA OF GOA IN A BOTTLE!

by Rajesh Ghadge

THE PREMIUM SEGMENT OF THE NEW GENERATION SPIRIT

Vinho Fontainhas is the revival of the Port Wine in the premium segment of the new generation spirit and it is a venture spearheaded by two Goan youths Tanishq Palyekar and Reuben Ramos. Both the lads in their mid 20s having a background in engineering and food & hospitality decided to enter into the unexplored market of the premium port wine which is considered to be a Goan Wine that is being used for decades to celebrate the spirit of festivals.

“Vinho ” means Wine in Portuguese and we wanted to capture the Nostalgia of Goa, ” said Tanishq adding that the idea Vinho Fontainhas occurred to both of them as they wanted to create something colourful. “Fontainhas is the only Latin Quarter located at Goa, India. This, in particular, is associated with Portugal and the Portuguese and this is something we went ahead with, ” said Reuben.

According to them, the Port Wine concept is not new but there is no premium brand in this segment. “All the other Wine Bottles and especially the GOAN PORT Wines that we see in the Market usually look dull with no vibrant colours and they have pretty standard labels with no uniqueness into it, ” they said adding “We wanted to bring the Goan culture back as we felt it was slowly dying out, and in order make an attempt to preserve that we thought this would be an ideal step.

This is the age of start-ups and young minds always look for something out of the box and most of them are attracted towards the IT side but Tanishq and Reuben decided to do something different, something related to the spirits of Goa.

“It was essentially the idea of Tanishq, who thought that both of us could do something related to this segment which is unexplored and since we had a background together in this FnB Industry on my family side and Tanishq comes from a Background of being an Engineer, ” said Reuben.

According to Tanishq and Reuben, they decided to enter into the Wine market as the market for Whisky, Rum and Vodka were already saturated hence they decided to tap the Port Wine Market in the premium segment.

“After we decided we wanted to create something together, the first thing we did was started working on the packaging because the branding and marketing mattered a lot, ” said Reuben adding, In order to be ahead of the others, this is really important and this is what catches people ’ s eyes. “The quality might be good, but people won ’t know if it is not branded effectively. If you see the label of the bottle, it is a hand-painted art which was designed specially by an artist in Goa. We then used this to blend it in with the other parts of the label, and created the final output of the artwork with this. ” The product was finalised and packaging and branding were also finished, now the main challenge was identifying the professional distillery. “We had to tie up with a professional distillery, and we wanted the process to be done in the right way and as close to the original ways of making the Port Wine, ” said Reuben adding that Production of the 1st batch started in September 2021, and because of COVID-19 we got delayed but still managed to keep the production of the batch on track.

After the production was finalised the next step was to identify the retailer who will sell the brand to the consumers. “We had identified a few retailers, and started keeping the product on their shelves, ” said Tanishq. “We wanted to showcase our product at well-known retailers since it is a premium port wine hence after getting on the shelf in some well know places tourist spots in North Goa we decided to focus on Panaji city and “Tom ’ s Wine ” became our first choice for Vinho Fontainhas in the capital city. This was officially the 1st place we started off with and for a very long time, it was only exclusively available at Tom ’ s Wine Panaji. The response towards the wine was pretty good and we were quite happy with it too, after which we started placing the same at various other outlets around Goa, ” he added.

According to Reuben now they are looking to enter into the hotel industry which is very vast in Goa.

“After we decided we wanted to create something together, the first thing we did was started working on the packaging because the branding and marketing mattered a lot, ” said Reuben adding, In order to be ahead of the others, this is really important and this is what catches people ’ s eyes.

“Our next step is to tie up with the hotels and we are currently supplying to the Hotel ITC Fortune Miramar, and they use VINHO FONTAINHAS by placing it in the Minibars of every room of their hotel. After this we are targeting the restaurants and other such establishments where we are placing the same, ” said Reuben adding that the growth is quite exponential in a very short span of time. “People have started picking up the bottle from shelves. “The placed like K-Bar, Joseph’ s Bar, Whiskey ’ s Bar where the response is really positive, and the orders for the batches come in quickly as they go through the bottles quite fast. We had patrons who initially bought 12 bottles in the start and after this when they got in touch with us they said they would now prefer 2 cases. ”

Currently, Vinho Fontainhas is available only in 375ml bottles. “This is mainly done because we wanted to keep it unique, ergonomically easy to carry around bottles. All the other wine bottles that you see is have two sizes, the small and the big size and here we wanted to be different. Even when the Hotel wants to place the bottles in their rooms it would be easier and when the customers purchase the bottle they can do so with much ease of carrying it around too. People are more open to trying out the Wine when it’ s a smaller bottle. Another reason is consumption which is time-based for the wine and smaller bottles make the job easier, ” he said. “There are essentially 3 types of Wine, Sweet, Semi-Dry and Dry, ” said Reuben adding, Usually Goan Port Wines aren ’t quite authentic and come under the Sweet Category and the Authentic Port Wine comes between the Category of Semi-Dry and Dry, and Vinho Fontainhas comes under this. “There ' s a little bit of sweetness, and there are a lot of consumers who want to try out Wines and when they directly go for Red Wine there are chances they might not quite like it as it’ s an acquired taste and this is where Port Wine comes and can be the entry into the Wine side of things. ” “We are looking to tap into the younger segment who is just starting into the Sangria and Vinho Fontainhas is the best available option for Sangria. We have already tried this at a few places, and the response for the Sangria has been overwhelmingly good, ” they said. “The quality might be good, but people won ’t know if it is not branded effectively. If you see the label of the bottle, it is a hand-painted art which was designed specially by an artist in Goa. We then used this to blend it in with the other parts of the label, and created the final output of the artwork with this. ” The product was finalised and packaging and branding were also finished, now the main challenge was identifying the professional distillery. “We had to tie up with a professional distillery, and we wanted the process to be done in the right way and as close to the original ways of making the Port Wine, ” said Reuben adding that Production of the 1st batch started in September 2021, and because of COVID-19 we got delayed but still managed to keep the production of the batch on track.

After the production was finalised the next step was to identify the retailer who will sell the brand to the consumers. “We had identified a few retailers, and started keeping the product on their shelves, ” said Tanishq. “We wanted to showcase our product at well-known retailers since it is a premium port wine hence after getting on the shelf in some well know places tourist spots in North Goa we decided to focus on Panaji city and “Tom ’ s Wine ” became our first choice for Vinho Fontainhas in the capital city. This was officially the 1st place we started off with and for a very long time, it was only exclusively available at Tom ’ s Wine Panaji. The response towards the wine was pretty good and we were quite happy with it too, after which we started placing the same at various other outlets around Goa, ” he added.

According to Reuben now they are looking to enter into the hotel industry which is very vast in Goa. “Quality wise, Vinho Fontainhas is definitely a much better option than the other wines available in Goa. We utilize a natural process in the making of this wine, whereas the other people don ’t utilize this process. If you try tasting those wines, they aren ’t dealing with the Quality side of things, ” said Tanishq who is also taking care of the production.

“In Goa, Port wine has an overall lukewarm reputation because of these underlying issues over the years and here we are trying to reduce this image by being natural in our method and having more quality as compared to anybody else in the market, ” he added.

Vinho Fontainhas is packaged into a glass bottle compared to the other port wines that are made available in plastic bottles. “This shows in the quality of the wine, the taste and the packaging too. We don ’t go with plastic bottles as it' s anyways bad for the environment, so our bottle is premium glass and this way we made sure we put in the hard work to make our product stand out even with the hand-painted label, ” said Tanishq.

Reuben and Tanishq believes that since they are new to the business they wanted to maintain the quality and make sure it remains consistent for a long time. “We want to see that the same quality is maintained throughout whether the wine is bought now or bought after 1 year. We want to maintain the Taste and the Quality of the same, and as we move forward we will make a few more improvements to the same in terms of packaging being, even more, premium, or utilising newer ideas, etc, ” said Reuben.

Vinho Fontainhas has completed 6 months into the market in the month of January. The things were quite down because of COVID related restraints, and the response was quite low. Keeping all this in mind, we still feel we have a long journey ahead of us in terms of growth and the market, and we are still at a very young and hopeful stage too so our concentration is on this product. Maybe as time goes by, we will surely consider diversifying more, ” said Tanishq.

BO-TAI

MAKES ITS WAY TO THE SHORES OF GOA!

B Y A D I T I M A L H O T R A P H O T O S B Y A R M A A N M A L H O T R A

Helmed by Zorawar Kalra, the founder of Massive Restaurants and Headed in Goa by Aman Anand, Franchise Partner and Producer of Indian Nightlife Convention and Awards, Bo-Tai makes its way to the shores of Goa. It sits beautifully on the Ozran hill, overlooking the Little Vagator beach and it's the 4th Bo-Tai in the country. The décor is modern, minimalistic, chic, casual and very inviting. It offers 270-degree views of the Arabian Sea and changes mood with the changing colours of the sky. In the daytime, its cool vibes are perfect for a laid-back lunch while during the golden hour and sunset, the hues are almost magical, and you cannot help but just stare at the beauty it offers. Post sunset, a feeling of dining under the stars, a high energy vibe, international bartenders, elevated seating sections, and upbeat music, Bo-Tai will take your going out experience to the next level.

Coming from the house of Massive Restaurants, the food and cocktails being top-notch is given. Known for its Modern Thai and Grills along with crafted cocktails, Bo-Tai has the full potential of becoming your favourite go-to place for enjoying surreal views, chilled out vibes, good food and amazing drinks.

The menu is indeed an elaborate one and offers a great mix of soups, salads, appetizers, sushi, dimsums, grills and mains. You need more than a visit to experience the delectable offerings, however, here are a few recommendations based on my personal experience.

First and foremost, you must try the Chicken Dimsum, Thai Chilli Oil, there is no skipping this one. It' s one of the best sellers and for all the right reasons. Perfectly juicy, melt in the mouth dimsums with a delicious chicken filling that sits on a bed of Thai chilli oil. The unique purplish colour of these dimsums is one of the highlights and make them as attractive to look at as they are delicious to eat. It’ s one of those Instagram worthy dishes for your feed.

Peanut Crumbed Shrimps is another flavoursome dish that you must try. Tender prawns coated with a crunchy peanut crumb served with an interesting dip makes this dish leave a mark on your palate.

Thai Chilli Chicken Shawarma is an interesting take on the regular shawarma with the chicken oozing out Thai flavours. Although it' s part of the appetizers, I would say it' s filling, so make sure you are sharing it with someone or else you may not have enough space left in your tummy for the main course.

For drinks, other than straight drinks, Bo-Tai offers an indulgent menu of cocktails that anyone would love to try. Full Moon Festival, a Thai-Tiki drink of sorts is surely a must try and so is the Bangkok Boulevard that transport you right into the vibrant streets of Bangkok.

For the mains, you have Pizzas, Grills, Thai Curries, and other wholesome dishes to choose from, but I settled for Chicken Thai Curry Green with Sticky Jasmine Rice and trust me there is no better place than Bo-Tai to indulge in this classic and authentic preparation. Although my stomach was full after having all this deliciousness, there is always space for a dessert. So, I tried the Coconut Crème Brule, and it was one of the most amazing desserts I have ever eaten. Although nothing out of the ordinary, the simple flavours of Crème Brule infused with coconut was made this dessert stand out for me.

Overall, Bo-Tai gives you not one but many reasons to visit them again and again. I am heading there again soon, how about you?

About the Place Location: Vagator, Goa Open From: 12 Noon- 1AM Average Cost: Rs 3000/- for two (without alcohol) Contact: +91 9145232322 and +91 9767556354

Turmeric

SOME SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE AT TURMERIC KITCHEN AND BAR!

B Y A D I T I M A L H O T R A P H O T O S B Y A R M A A N M A L H O T R A

Porvorim is now becoming a hot favourite as a foodie destination especially for the locals and settlers, but tourists are also seen flocking around the multiple outlets that have lined up the highway. One of my personal favourites along the Porvorim highway is the Turmeric Kitchen and Bar it's nestled on the service lane opposite Mall de Goa and you can easily locate it via Google Maps.

As soon as you enter the restaurant, you see a well-lit and bright ambience that is cosy, comfortable and inviting. Unlike most of the finedine restaurants that are dimly lit, this one is bright and vibrant. It’ s for sure a family restaurant where you can walk in with your loved ones and spend some relaxed time as you enjoy delicious food.

Turmeric primarily serves north Indian, Goan and Asian cuisine and in a time span of a few months, it has become quite a favourite with the locals as well as the tourists. The staff and management at turmeric are more than friendly, warm and pay attention to each and every request of yours.

Coming to food, the menu is definitely an elaborate one and sometimes leads to confusion on what to order and what to leave and thus if you see my recommendations you will find a little bit of every cuisine.

When visiting a restaurant for the first time, I always try and stick to basics because it is my belief that a restaurant that can master basics is definitely worth a second visit to explore more on the menu.

So for starters, we ordered Chilli Chicken which was really very very good and since my boy enjoys Chilli Paneer more than chicken so we also ordered chilli paneer too and it was equally good. One of the biggest challenges in paneer dishes is to find paneer is very soft, tender and not chewing, thankfully Turmeric managed that pretty well. both the dishes were perfectly spiced, they were neither two spicy nor on the sweeter side.

From the north Indian selection, we tried the Dahi Ke Kebabs. Although they were good, I would not like to call them kebabs, because they came in the form of a creamy curd filling in fried bread rolls. The Chicken Harabhara Kebab , a tandoori preparation with green and spicy masala was delish and I would say that you must give it a try.

For the mains, we tried Chicken Hakka Noodles and Kung Pao Chicken from the Asian section while on the Indian side we tried the Paneer Tikka Masala. I would say as far as the main course is concerned the Asian was better than the North Indian because we found the paneer tikka masala to be a little too oily and could have been spiced a little better. The Kung Pao Chicken and Noodles were on point.

For desserts, we settled for the Goan popular Seradura and must say that it was 100% perfectly made and we loved it. Overall Turmeric Kitchen and Bar was definitely worth our while and definitely a place I would love to go back to. Also, I would like to mention that Turmeric is one of those kid-segment dining places that offer good food without burning a hole in your pocket.

About the Place Location: Plot 143, 406/134, PDA Colony, Alto Pilerne, Porvorim, Goa Open From: 8 AM-11 PM Average Cost: Rs 800/- for two (without alcohol) Contact: +919822129925

Barsa

A RELAXING #STAYCATION OR A QUIET #WORKCATION, IT’S AN IDEAL CHOICE FOR BOTH!

B Y A D I T I M A L H O T R A P H O T O S B Y A R M A A N M A L H O T R A

A home away from home or an ideal spot for my creative mind to rejuvenate was what my experience of Barsa can be characterized as. Barsa is settled amidst woods and greens in the enchanting neighbourhood of Assagao. Known for its old Goan homes, bougainvillea-lined roads, and famous eateries, Assagao is just about 4-5 km away from Anjuna and Vagator sea shores. Ashwem and Mandrem are also a simple 20-minute drive away.

This beautiful property has 5 autonomous rooms and is ideal for those relaxed days when you need to move away from the hustle clamor of city life and yet remain very much in the close proximity of Goa ’ s happening night life. The location of Barsa is a win-win in both cases. It' s a quiet, peaceful, serene place, yet Goa ' s best eateries like Gun Powder, SEA, Autumn Leaf etc. are in the nearby area and the closest ocean side is only 10 minutes away.

For an individual like me to sit back in green and calm environmental factors is the best thing to get my inventive energies pumping and furthermore filled in as a loose and truly necessary break for my family, particularly my mother.

Their red-block veneer mixes in delightfully with the environmental elements and every one of their 5 rooms is airy, naturally lit and roomy. Agreeable beds, quick web, air-con, pot and tea/espresso supplies, and fundamental powerback up are some of the basic conveniences at Barsa Boutique Stay. Bed material is changed at regular intervals on solicitation and fragrance oilbased body-wash, cleanser and hand wash are accessible in the washroom.

The rooms are intended to provide you with a sensation of receptiveness, giving peacefulness among the greens. So regardless of whether you need a work-ation in Goa, visit with a friend getaway with family, or even invest some energy travelling alone, Barsa is a great choice.

Awaken to birdsong, go for a morning walk down the beautiful paths of Assagao and make a beeline for Barsa for a tea/espresso in your overhang or in their bistro region!

They likewise offer a common kitchenette on the main floor with an enlistment cooking reach, cutlery, and porcelain for visitors to do some fundamental cooking between 8 am and 10 pm. Visitors can partake in a kitchenette to prepare suppers in case you don ’t want to leave the peaceful ambience of Barsa and they also have a Spanish Tapas Bar within the property (please confirm if its operation as they sometimes take a break from the same). At the Spanish Tapas Bar you can enjoy some great food and cocktails of course are a high point. Ruchir Goenka, the man behind this amazing property is an amazing soul, extremely warm and friendly who would further ensure your fall in love with the place.

Some other things to make note of

Laundry facility is accessible at an additional expense. They are LGBTQ-accommodating. Pets are not permitted in the rooms.

So if you want a short break for yourself or suggest to your friends a comfortable stay option, whether short term or long term, Barsa should definitely be on your recommendation list.

About Barsa 544, 1, Anjuna Mapusa Rd, near Happy Bar And General Stores, Bouta Waddo, Assagao, Goa 403507 Phone: 098229 22004

Cabo Serai

WHERE NATURE AND EXCLUSIVITY GO HAND IN HAND!

B Y A D I T I M A L H O T R A P H O T O S B Y A R M A A N M A L H O T R A

Do you have at least some idea what the most amazing aspect of living in Goa is? You don't have to move out of the state for a get-away, Goa itself offers such countless spots to have an ideal ruler of escape that one doesn't require a lot of arranging. Living in the Northside of Goa, heading towards the South for an end of the week is probably everything thing one can manage when needing a fast break. And I did precisely that, I was so burnt out on my everyday schedule and totally impeded with work that I was gravely searching for a break. I needed to head someplace near the ocean side but then quiet and this is the way I settled on Cabo Serai.

Introduction

Cabo Serai is arranged practically on a 100 feet high segregated peak but then the serene and unblemished ocean side of Cabo de Rama is in close proximity. With only 7 elite cabins and tents, this spot offers you peace and serenity like no other.

Presently to clarify the area and magnificence of the spot, one truly needs to go there and see with your own eyes, in light of the fact that no words can really legitimize or depict the uniqueness that Cabo Serai brings to the table.

With a country road prompting the property, briefly, I felt does the property even exist there? In any case, I clutched my fervour and we were informed we had to climb down some 100 odd steps. While moving down, all I was believing was that how could they make such a spot, I mean where the entrance is the two its magnificence and a test, it truly appeared to be out of dreamland, perhaps not dream, in light of the fact that really speaking I was unable to try and envision a spot like that in my fantasies.

In any case, subsequent to moving down 100 steps, I still actually didn 't actually see the property, however, what I saw was the dreamlike regular magnificence that the spot brings to the table, what I heard was the spouting hints of the waves from the far off ocean. As we strolled a little ahead we went over a dazzling little extension streaming over a characteristic stream and trust me, I simply needed to plunk down there for some time and embrace the quietness of nature and essentially sit idle. By and by, when we at long last push ahead, we were given a warm greeting by the always grinning and supportive staff of Cabo Serai and reviving coconut water made that little journey beneficial.

By then, a buggy was holding back to take us up the slope to our tent and again there is a distinction in saying and encountering it for yourself, however this ride was absolutely astounding. As the buggy halted close to our tent, the help staff was sitting tight for us for a welcome with cold towels and the view was stunningly delightful. I didn 't enter the tent however remained in the gallery for quite a while to appreciate what my eyes were seeing.

The Accommodation

Our first night was reserved in a tent, maybe an extravagant tent and it was significantly moreover I envisioned it to be. It was tasteful inside and out, very agreeable and no doubt, it had all advanced conveniences that one can request but then every single component of the tent praises the manageability. The restroom particularly grabbed my eye, the broad utilization of wood and little recycled things like a coconut shell just knocked my socks off. Additionally the more I noticed the property, the more I understood the difficult work and endeavours that have gone behind making such a space. To take any kind of material all over that course in itself is an errand and to make something as lovely as Cabo Serai on that ridge seems to be an incredibly excellent work.

The following day, we moved to encourage up the slope in a cabin and I really will not have the option to attract any correlations with which stay experience was better. Both the tent and cabin had every one of the solaces that one could look for and the perspectives were entrancing. Be it the early morning scenes with the tweeting of birds and the light blue shade of both the sky and ocean or the orange-ruby skies during the nightfall with palm trees framing an outline worth catching in your camera and recollections. The night sky with a huge number of stars and the far off sound of crashing waves and crickets stridulating offered such a serene encounter that it is challenging to portray the sort of internal harmony one gets.

With everything taken into account, both the tent and cabin offered such a lovely ambience that all I would want is to simply sit back there and continue to gaze at the ocean, the sky and overwhelm all that nature offered me.

Food

The food at Cabo Serai is simple, impeccable, and unquestionably worth your time and energy. The morning meal is more similar to a day by day pre-set menu and we completely appreciated it on both days. Our breakfast included smoothies, aloo-luchi, aloo paranthas, energy bars, eggs to decision and bread crate alongside tea/espresso and they were absolutely delightful.

For tidbits and lunch, there is an al-a-carte menu, it doesn 't have an excessive number of choices yet at the same time is good to the point of satisfying your cravings for food whenever of the day. Truth be told, our first tryst with food was the point at which we checked in around 4 PM and following a 2-hour venture, we were marginally hungry. So some fish cutlets, chicken burger and french fries were all set while we watched the beautiful sunset from our balcony.

The supper on the two days was a 4-course feast, including soup, starters, fundamental course and a dessert. Straightforward yet flavourful suppers made utilizing the nearby produce give you an extremely home-prepared food sort of solace.

Encounters

The encounters are Cabo Serai are special to the spot, starting from the climb down of 100 steps to then climbing uphill in the buggy to arrive at your room, fishing in the stream, the changing shades of the ocean and sky during dusks, to breakfast near the ocean, a morning journey that offers a few amazingly wonderful and entrancing perspectives, to a candlelight private supper set up wherein the breeze, the faint lights and having a feast under the stars, everything appears to be mysterious, is all strange to such an extent that it gazes directly out of a dream film. However, indeed, you can encounter all of this and considerably more like yoga on the slopes, town journey, an outing to the Cabo de Rama Fort, and so forth during your visit at Cabo Serai.

This staycation of 2 days at Cabo Serai has been one of the most noteworthy get-aways in a long lengthy timespan. Yet again to feel so near nature, not take a gander at the watch, not go to insane work calls and to stop by, unwind and invest some quality energy with the family has been such an extravagance given the unremarkable schedule that I returned totally restored and prepared to take on the world. Yet, for clear reasons, I so anticipate excursion again soon at Cabo Serai for the most faultless cordiality, the uniqueness that the spot offers with an overflow of nature, sun, sand and ocean!

About Cabo Serai

Cabo de Rama Goa, India – 403702

E. – contact@caboserai.com

P. – +91 7887882414 , +91 7499161229