IN REVIEW

FERN KADAMBA - THE ECOFRIENDLY BOUTIQUE HOTEL IN GOA

By Rajesh Ghadge Images by: Fern Kadamba

The Fern Kadamba situated on the new Old Goa Panaji Highway is an upscale 5-star business hotel that is also known as Goa ’ s first eco-sensitive property and it is rightly located in the Heritage Centre of Goa. The property is owned by Milrock and managed by Concept Hospitality Private Limited. The Fern Kadamba is an eco-friendly boutique hotel having all the rooms in the hotel come fitted with an energy saver panel. The hotel offers 31 Winter Green Rooms, 11 Winter Green Premium Rooms, 4 Fern Club Rooms, and 2

Hazel Suites with contemporary and heritage views. Goa ’ s rich heritage pays tribute to the hotel' s furnishing, art, and cuisine, set amidst the lush greenery of a sprawling property. According to the General Manager of the property Mr. Rajeev Kumar, he has never faced an issue with the occupancy. “Each type of property has its pros and cons and managing a small property is easier compared to the large one. On the one side, we are doing exceptionally well with our occupancy rate but at the same, we feel sad when we have to refuse many of our repeated clients due to the unavailability of the rooms. It leaves a bad taste with guests when we say “NO” during their future booking. Also afraid to lose the large size of business which has more benefits in terms of source of income. According to him, Fern Kadamba is highly recognized amongst corporate clients. “We have 88 hotels across the country and overseas and besides the unit sales, we have 9 regional sales offices in different locations in India, ” he said adding that their presence is very strong in Metro and 2nd-tier cities. “Our business comes from various channels and sources and according to me, word of mouth publicity gets more than half our job done. Every happy guest refers us to their contact and references and that works very well for us. ” Speaking on the USP of the property he said The Fern Kadamba comes under the upscale 5-star business hotels segment having all the modern facilities and situated in the heritage center of Goa. “Our hotel has 48 well-

appointed rooms along with various options for Banqueting and Multi-cuisine dining. We are also one of the Eco-Sensitive hotels striving hard to adhere to the go green factor and our state-of-the-art recreation facilities make our property special among others. The hotel also has other facilities such as Spa & Salon, Squash Court, 3 Layered Swimming Pool, and the Largest Gymnasium setup. ” The Fern Kadamba also has multiple options when it comes to the Banqueting facility and they can cater from 10 pax to 400 pax for any social and corporate requirements. It has meeting rooms with different capacities besides the hall and an open-air Poolside lawn for large Banqueting or events. Easy access to the property and massive parking facilities attract guests to us for their events. GUEST ROOM & FACILITIES: Four room types - Winter Green, Winter Green Premium, The Fern Club, and Hazel Suite | High-speed Internet |Air-conditioning, hot & cold water | In-room dining | Housekeeping | Flat screen TV with iso+ channels of entertainment & International news | Ensuite bathrooms, suites with bathtub | Full-length wardrobe | Ironing board on request | Pillow menu | Digital in-room safe | Complimentary in-room tea & coffee facility J Mini-bar | Business desk. RECREATIONAL PACILffIES Includes outdoor swimming pool set next to Cafe Tinto. Modern & equipped fitness center with steamed bath & Spa on the second floor. Besides this, there is an ultra-modern squash court & Card Room. SERVICES AND FACILITIES Fully-equipped business center | Express check-in & checkout | Comprehensive travel assistance —sightseeing tours, travel desk, foreign exchange conversion, ticket booking, city & airport transfers | Laundry set-vice | Smoking area | Free car park | Safety deposit box | Access facility for the differently-abled. DINNING Tarshish - Speciality restaurant serves authentic Indian & Mughlai Cuisine. Café Tinto - a unique coffee shop on the first floor overlooking the swimming pool. Serves buffet breakfast lunch & dinner along with International & Indian Cuisine Garrafào - TheBar- a well-stocked bar to quench one ' s thirst with beer, international spirits, and cocktails.

KAHVI CAFE & BISTRO - THE CAFE WE HAD BEEN WAITING FOR!

By Aditi Malhotra Images by Kahvi and Armaan Malhotra

Picture yourself sitting in a rustic ambience, overlooking green fields, where even the gentlest of the breeze caresses your soul and you smell fresh coffee with a cup in your hand just a few minutes later. And to accompany your cup of coffee, you can choose a delicious poee pocket or an apple cinnamon muffin and experience the sheer bliss of having good food with a great cup of coffee. What more can one ask for?

Welcome to Kahvi! Kahvi Café & Bistro opened its doors just a few months ago and has already become the talk of the town. The brainchild of Sabina Banu, who is an ex-advertising and marketing professional before opening Kahvi, Sabina has spent close to 18 Years, entrenched firmly in the corporate world, working on brand strategies and media communications, within Group M and other agencies. Taking a career sabbatical in 2014, Sabina moved to Goa not just to downsize her life but also to look for a better work-life balance and to step away from the straight-jacketed corporate life in general. During this process of transition, she chose to switch careers from the corporate world to the Arts & Culture sector, heeding a call to explore her creative side. She worked with Serendipity Arts Foundation, a not-for-profit Foundation, which runs one of the largest multidisciplinary arts initiatives in the South Asian region (Serendipity Arts Festival), as the Goa Ambassador looking into various aspects of the event for 5 years. The pandemic in 2020 was yet another opportunity for Sabina to re-invent herself and while shifting to the new normal of working at home she also decided to finally launch her journey as an entrepreneur - a momentous decision taken during the peak of the pandemic. Sabina Started this journey by launching a small, boutique homestay in the heart of Saligão, North Goa. Nestled within a 160-year heritage villa, ‘Kahvibaari Homestays ’ exists in complete harmony with nature and promotes the concept of ‘ slow living ’ (hence the tag line ‘ go with the slow

“I want to strive to do work that makes us think about our culture and traditions, about who we are, about where we are currently and about where we are going as people ” , says Sabina. And thus, as the next step, she spent the better part of this year working on converting the side courtyard of the heritage villa into a rustic, outdoorsy Cafe & Bistro with a mission to serve some of the best coffees in town, that are freshly brewed and a menu that is exclusively crafted around local produce and the wonderful Goan bread along with some healthy smoothies and salad bowls. This is what we today know and love as Kahvi Café & Bistro. I fell in love with this place the moment I stepped there for the first time and even now I can ’t pick one specific reason for doing so. Was it the ambience, the delectable food, the most amazing coffee or Sabina ’ s personalized warm hospitality or maybe everything put together, but even now after multiple visits, the love remains and only grows deeper.. Kahvi is a vibe that you need to experience for yourself. This Al Fresco all-day dine-In cafe needs all your attention. Serving the best coffees in this part of the town, with a quiet and serene ambience overlooking the green fields, Kahvi is an ideal spot to experience the true Goan susegad. You can work from Kahvi and let your creative juices flow or indulge in candid conversations over coffee and delectable bites with your friends. Even for intimate gatherings and private celebrations, Kahvi is a great place to hang out. Coming to food, Kahvi serves a delicious range of Poee Pockets with fillings like Ghee Roast Chicken, Chicken Salsa, Goan Pork Chorizo,

Roast Pork, Roasted Garlic, Mushroom & Tomato and Cheesy Spinach & Corn and these should definitely be on your list. These ‘Poee Pockets ’ are a delectable celebration of our Goan Poee and I am sure you cannot help gorging on them. My personal favourites are the Ghee Roast Chicken & Roasted Garlic, Mushroom & Tomato Poee. The grilled chicken avocado salad is another of my top picks and you must try it. The quantities are just perfect and the prices reasonable. And something you should not miss at Kahvi is their English Breakfast, it' s an indulgence I can never get enough of. And

don ’t forget Tuesdays and Sundays at Kahvi are extra special, while Tuesdays bring a selection of bakery items like Ham & Cheese Croissants, Chocolate Croissants, Chicken Lasagna, Spinach Pie, Muffins and a lot more, the Sundays are for brunch with dishes like Avocado Egg Salad Toast, French Toasts, Pancakes, English Breakfast and more that make your holiday worthwhile. From the coffees, the Vietnamese Coffee, Classic Cold Coffee and Cappuccino top my list, but they do have a lot to offer, and you can take your pick. So, your neighbourhood has a new happening hang out and if you haven ’t visited Kahvi Café & Bistro yet, this is your signal.

About the restaurant: Address: House 1/1, Casa Tipri, Opposite European School, Saligao, Bardez, Goa Contact: +918010061103 / +919833869100 Cost for two: Rs 500 approx

18TH JUNE ROAD, PANJIM, GETS A NEW LANDMARK WITH CARAVELA CAFÉ & BISTRO!

By Aditi Malhotra Images by Caravela

Caravela café and bistro is now a name that is synonymous with great coffee and excellent food. It’ s been my favourite for years now and it makes me immensely happy to see how they have grown from 1 to 3 outlets and hopefully many more in the time to come.

Although I have been to all the outlets of Caravela, the Fontainhas one, the Candolim one and the newly opened one on the 18th June Road, this new outlet has my heart. It has a different vibe altogether. It' s chicer, and vibrant and has a youthful appeal that cannot go unnoticed. I am sure it will soon be a hot spot for all youngsters who like to hang out at places that serve great food, and coffees and are easy on the pocket too. From the moment you walk through the door, you feel a positive vibe everywhere. I find it very homey. While the decor is simple and nothing loud, you can 't fail to notice some eyecatching posters on the walls that add to the whole vibe of the cafe. Its spread across 2 floors, where the lower floor offers limited seating, but lets you get tempted with its huge display of desserts that are freshly prepared in-house, every day and also the lower floor has a small shop-like setting from where you can buy some exclusive stuff from the hills of South India, like pickles, chocolates, organic soaps and much more. Sharing more about the cafe, Cyrus Noronha, Executive Director, Caravela Cafe & Bistro said, “Our third outlet is our commitment to serving great food with great ambience to visitors in Goa. I believe in conversations over food as the best way to bond with people. In a traditional Goan home, food is the centrepiece for family gatherings where everyone comes together and shares. Our ‘No Work Cafe ’ policy is not always loved by everyone, but we have limited seating and continue to have a very loyal user base who love coming to our outlets for the coffee, food and conversations and not work. ” This place is sure to satisfy your coffee cravings whether you prefer it hot or cold.

Speaking more about their coffees, Carlos Noronha Jr, Executive Director, Caravela Cafe & Bistro shares, “Our cafe roasts its own coffee known as Latin Quarter, we have 5 varieties of coffee suited for different palates. Two are dark roasts and two are medium roasts, we also have a light roast for people who prefer their coffee on the milder side. We roast every alternate day so one can always get fresh coffee. Our coffee is also available for sale at all our three outlets as beans or in powder form. ” Caravela has some amazing options for food on their menu and their All Day Breakfast in particular is a delight to indulge in. Rissois are Caravela ' s speciality. Although the prawn ones are unbeatable, trust me, the veg version is equally delicious. Also on the menu are Beef Samosas or Beef Potato Chops and Croquettes (Beef & Chicken), which are worth trying if you want something to munch on while you sip your cup of coffee. The burgers and sandwiches are definitely worth digging for if you ' re looking for something more filling. Among my personal recommendations are the Ham & Cheese Sandwich, the Chicken Club Sandwich, and the Tomato Cucumber Cheese Sandwich. Also, the juicy and delicious Beef Burger. They also have some pasta on the menu, and I loved the sea-food pasta I tried. There is a lot of temptation in the dessert section. You can choose from delectable cake slices, apple pies, tarts, pancakes, and seradura. The warm apple pie and croissant with my coffee were delicious, but do not miss the cheesecake and the carrot cake, they were the best I had. Overall, for me, Caravela is a place that I can always trust with good food, good coffee and good service as well. And I personally look forward to more of their outlets opening soon. So if you haven ’t been to the new outlet on the 18th June road, this is your sign. Go for it.

Restaurant Details Address: Panaji, 18th June Road Shop Number 3, Vagle Vision, Dr Pandurang Pissurlekar Rd, Panaji, Goa 403001. Contact: +91 9529549200 Cost for two: Rs 800 approx