EAT & STAY GOA - July 2022 Issue

Eat & Stay Go a

ELAA CAFE

Transforming Local Ingredients Into Distinctive Dishes

Saké: the asian lounge

This new restaurant promises to take you on culinary journey of authentic Asian flavours

martin’s place

A ‘Food Clinic' for mouth-watering and lip-smacking delicacies.

FATWICH

Where Quality Meets

Quantity

SMITA’S LAKEVIEW

Authentic Flavours to Satiate Your Hunger Cravings

DAVIDE’S PIZZERIA

The gateway to an experience of authentic Italian flavours

tHE COOKIE CRUMB TRAIL

Your go-to place for the finest themed cookies in town!

Photograph: Elaa Cafe and Bar, Anjuna

Editorial

Hi Friends,

The monsoons are finally upon us giving us respite from the sweltering heat. The monsoon season is the best season in Goa scenically, as the landscape is carpeted in hues of green. Goans don't need a reason or season to celebrate. At the onset of the monsoons, around the 24th of June, Goa goes into celebratory mode again. The Feast of ‘Sao Joao’ ( Saint John the Baptist) is celebrated with much gaiety and revelry. According to the Bible, John the Baptist is said to have leaped with joy in his mother Elizabeth's womb when Jesus' mother Mary visited her. To commemorate this leap, Goans all over the world leap into wells or rivers with joy, wearing colourful ‘Kopels’ i.e. halo-like coronets made of fruits, flowers, and leaves chanting ‘Viva Sao Joao.’ Newly-wed brides visit their parents’ homes. They are welcomed with a ‘Dali’ by their mothers. The villagers too look forward to celebrating this occasion together. The grooms alongwith the village men-folk jump into the respective family wells yelling, “Viva Sao Joao.” Mandos (Goan folk songs) are sung while the bride is given a ‘dali’ (a basket full of seasonal fruits like jackfruits, pineapples, and mangoes) by

her mother to take back home. Nowadays, unmarried suitors also try their luck. If accepted, the suitor is welcomed into the girl's home by her father with music, food and dance. The festivities of Sao Joao continue for five days, culminating on the 29th of June with ‘Sangodd’ - the Feast of São Pedro and São Paulo (Saint Peter and Saint Paul). A 130 yearold tradition, celebrated mainly by the ‘Ramponkars’ (fishermen) all over Goa to mark the end of the fishing activity. It commemorates the martyrdom of the Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul (who were fishermen by profession) in Rome, and their contribution towards building the Catholic Church. The day begins with a Mass by the local priest and prayers offered by the fishing community at the local village chapel for a good fishing season ahead. Boats and nets are blessed and set aside. A float is set up with two or three fishing canoes, decorated with a model of a church and a pole with the picture of the Saints Peter and Paul. A platform with a stage is set up atop the canoes where live ‘tiatrs’ (Goan folk musical skits) and various other musical performances are held. Known as ‘Sangodd,’ this float sails down the river and back to the village. The fishermen follow this parade in their own small canoes dancing to the beat of the music. During the monsoons, a ban on fishing is imposed in Goa for two months i.e. from 1st June to 1st August, to allow the fish to spawn. As soon as the monsoons recede, the fishermen start to repair their nets and canoes in preparation for the fishing season after the ban is lifted.

So this monsoon, be sure to get drenched and soak up the beautiful scenery, landscape and traditions that Goa has to offer. I hope you enjoy reading this month’s issue of our magazine. Don’t forget to share your feedback with us on mail@itsgoa.com.

Jessyl Fernandez Editor

Index

01 Fatwich, Porvorim

02 Martin’s Place, Navelim

03 Davide’s Pizzeria, Siolim

04 The Cookie Crumb Trail, Panjim

05 Elaa Cafe and Bar, Anjuna

06 Sake - The Asian Lounge, Assagao

07 Smita’ Lakeview Restaurant, Goa Velha

Introduction

Goa, the tiniest state on the western coast of India, boasts golden pristine beaches, palmfringed avenues, flavourful food, delicious Portuguese-influenced sweets, and warm, hospitable people. Also known as the Ibiza of India for its partying. A tropical paradise of flora and fauna, from the very famous 'almi' (mushrooms) endemic to its forests, that grow only on the red mud anthills, to the solar prawns that are fished immediately after the monsoons, Goa is unique. Tourists are also attracted to Goa for its cultural heritage - from the famous old Portuguese churches like Se Cathedral in Old Goa, the 16th Century Safa Masjid in Ponda and Shree Mangesha Temple in Mardol, the legendary Arvalem or Pandava Caves where the Pandavas of the Mahabharat fame lived, to its two unique festivals - Carnival and Shigmo. Goa plays host to many festivals

- the International Film Festival of India that promotes cinema, the Serendipity Art Festival, Sunburn Music Festival, The Grape Escapade to name a few. To showcase this varied heritage of culture, art, tradition, food, and people, in 2015 ItsGoa was born. The main aim was to make it the premier portal for all things Goa. We were able to showcase Goa like never before. Soon our blog-based website transcended the virtual space, with the ItsGoa magazine a sought-after resource for visitors to Goa from countries like Norway, Germany, UK, USA, UAE, etc. The Covid Pandemic in 2020 brought everything to a standstill and printing of the magazine was put on hold. Now that life is almost back to normal in Goa, and to maintain the covid norms, we have decided to launch our very own ItsGoa magazine online.

A little about our Magazine

Think of Goa! Think ItsGoa! Our magazine is known for its business listings of basically anything and everything found in Goa. We also produce uniquely written articles in regard to Goa. Some of these folk tales you quite literally will not find anywhere else on the net. These rich in content stories are passed down from generation to generation in the villages of golden Goa. We also provide up-to-date news and information on travel, food, and events that are taking place in this beautiful State of Goa. The content on ItsGoa is written by people who are passionate about calling this tiny state their home. Our writers come from all walks of life, and through our social media handles on Facebook or Instagram, we’re able to showcase Goa through many different lenses.

The ItsGoa magazine is a single point of reference for news, lifestyle, and culture in Goa.

By Jessyl Fernandez

Started in May 2017, Fatwich is located in the heart of Alto-Porvorim on the busy and bustling CHOGM Road. It’s more of a take-out joint rather than a dine-in, as it has only a couple of tables to sit at. The place dishes out some of the finest burgers, wraps, sandwiches, momos and Southern American-style fried chicken in the area. Their USP is ‘where quality meets quantity.’

A Foodie From The Heart

The restaurant is run by Ryan De Souza, who is a foodie from heart and soul. Born in Mumbai, Ryan used to work as a business development manager with a diamond jewellry firm before calling it quits and moving to his native Goa to follow his passion of making food.

For The Love of Burgers and Sandwiches

Living on CHOGM Road in Porvorim, he noticed that there weren’t many sandwich and burger joints available, and the existing options didn’t seem to provide the best bang for the buck. So, he decided to tap into this market and create an experience where the customer is fully satisfied with the quality and quantity of the food being served.

Not any Sandwich - But a ‘Fatwich’ Fat-shaming is a phrase that isn’t well accepted amongst people. But when it comes to food, fat shaming is a major compliment. People rejoice when they see a plate with food, served in a quantity more than what they expect. Ryan wanted to impart this feeling to every customer. The name of his restaurant is a combination of the words ‘Fat’ and ‘Sandwich’, merged to be called ‘Fatwich’.

An ‘explosion of flavours’ Experience

“All our meats are freshly curated and marinated to ensure that the customer is left with an explosion of flavours”, says Ryan. “We match the quality of our products with the quantity to leave the customer fully satisfied”, he adds .

Signature Food

Out of all the lip-smacking goodies on the menu at Fatwich, the item which stands out is the beef burger; customers simply go crazy for their beef burgers and on most days, it gets sold out.

The other popular dishes offered at Fatwich include ‘The Crunchy Chicken Burger,’ Veg Tikki Wrap, Chicken Tikka Sandwich, Chicken and Pork Momos, and the Chicken Pahadi Submarine.

Quirky and Bright Yellow Ryan says that when Fatwich just started, people were curious about the restaurant, their bright yellow-coloured board, the quirky name and obviously, the food which they served.

“At the time, we were short of staff and the existing staff members were training. As a result, the food would be served slower than what we expected”, says Ryan. “However, a majority of our customers didn’t mind the delay because they undeniably enjoyed the taste of our products. Over the years, we were able to increase our staff and add more variety to our menu, which not only increased our turn-around time, but also created more options for customers to choose from, he says

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150 gms of juicy chicken patty golden fried to perfection

A Bit of a Hitch

Power cuts are a pain in the neck for Ryan. It is one of the biggest issues Fatwich faces, especially since all their sandwiches are grilled, while the crunchy burger and fried chicken are done in an electric fryer. “However, being located in Porvorim, the power cuts are not as severe as other parts of Goa”, says Ryan.

The Sky’s The Limit!

In the next couple of years, Ryan aims to expand his eatery and convert it from a take-out joint into a full-fledged dining restaurant. “We’d like to expand and have a bigger area accompanied with a proper dine-in facility, where customers can relax comfortably and enjoy their meals”, he says. “We are also planning on organizing food trucks, pop-up events, festivals and private parties”, he adds.

A toasted slice of bread with a variety

Ryan De Souza, Proprietor, Fatwich Restaurant, Porvorim

Martin's Place, Navelim

This popular restaurant in Navelim is a ‘Food Clinic' for mouth-watering and lipsmacking delicacies.

By Cassandra Carvalho

In the heart of the beautiful village of Navelim in South Goa lies a beautiful restaurant and pub called Martin's Place. The restaurant, which is run by Malito Da Costa, started its journey in the year 2010. During the journey, the restaurant was leased out to a private party to run it. However, in September 2016, Malito took over the reins of the restaurant once again, and ever since then, there has been no looking back.

Malito's father, Mr. Martin Da Costa, had a restaurant in Colva in the late 70s by the name ‘Goodman’s’. Being a pioneer in the restaurant industry back then, nostalgic Goan food was the primary goal. This inspired Malito to name his restaurant after his father. Hence the name ‘Martin’s Place’. Malito believes in the saying that “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”Through his venture, he aims to extend his father’s traditional warm hospitality, rich culture and heritage to his customers.

Malito holds a degree in Business Administration and has a very strong exposure in the field of sales and marketing, His last assignment before starting Martin’s Place was with Ramada Caravela hotel as a reservation supervisor.

Martin’s Place is not a restaurant to just eat and go. It is more about understanding what the customer is asking for and catering to an exotic culinary experience. Malito terms Martin's Place as a ‘Food Clinic' for mouth-watering and lip-smacking delicacies.

Martin’s Place offers a wide array of cuisines, ranging from authentic Goan dishes to fresh seafood, world delicacies, Indian food, and Chinese cuisine. Some of the authentic Goan dishes they offer include beef tongue, beef chilli fry, pork amsol, pork sorpotel, pork vindaloo, aadh maas, Beef roulade, Chicken Cafreal etc.

Besides this, the other popular dishes on their menu include sausage pulao, butter chicken, chicken satay, batter fry squids, etc. They also offer a wide selection of whiskeys, rum, gin, brandy, vodka, and beers from around the world, along with classic cocktails like Pina Colada,

Irish Coffee, Tequila Sunrise, etc.

Famous for whole fish preparations, patrons of Martin’s Place have an option of choosing from red snapper and sea bass and can customize the preparation according to their individual taste and liking. Additionally, the restaurant also offers the option of two preparation styles using the same fish.

The restaurant's signature Stuffed Crabs and Stuffed Squids with Goan chorizo are must-haves. Malito's mother’s recipe of Pepper-Garlic Tongue keeps customers of Martin’s Place constantly coming back for more. Buffalo Wings, which are chicken wings tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce, are an instant hit with new customers. Nobody misses out on the Stuffed Mushrooms, which is loved by one and all, when at Martin’s Place.

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Creamy Stuffed Crabs, a signature dish of Martin’s Place, Navelim

With live music on Sundays, the restaurant also hosts numerous screenings, be it IPL or soccer matches. The future is incredibly bright for Martin’s Place, as the restaurant is currently in talks with investors to set up a franchise outlet in Mapusa.

Malito is thankful for the great support that his restaurant has received over the years from patrons. He aims to constantly improvise his restaurant’s menu and quality of service with the help of the feedback received from customers.

Malito observes with worry that Goans are migrating from our beautiful state. He believes that somehow, we need to make an effort to preserve our rich traditions and culture. He points out that one way to do that is to preserve Goan food, by passing it on to the next generation, so that the Goan identity is preserved.

To Malito, life or business would not be interesting without a challenge, as he deals with the crazy cost of raw materials and the lack of availability of skilled and cheap labour. Albeit, he always says that there is no dead-end unless you create one and cease to be innovative and resourceful.

View of the dining area at the restaurant

Malito Da Costa, Proprietor, Martin's Place, with the Times Food Icons 2021 award for Authentic Goan Restaurant

Davide’s Pizzeria, Siolim

Situated just 4 kilometres away from the famous Chapora Fort, Davide's Pizzeria is your place to be at if you're a die hard fan of authentic Italian pizzas.

PIZZA PLACES

By Steve Antao

Who doesn't love pizza? We all do! This popular comfort food, which had its origins in 19th century Italy, has over the years made its way to different parts of the world. In Goa too, there are many popular pizzerias that serve delicious mouthwatering pizzas. One among these many popular pizza places in Goa is Davide’s Pizzeria at Siolim.

Situated just 4 kilometres away from the famous Chapora Fort, Davide's pizzeria is your place to be at if you're a die hard authentic Italian pizza fan.The pizzeria started operations in 2019 in Candolim. In the year 2021, it shifted to its present day location in Siolim.

The Founders of Davide’s Pizzeria At the helm of affairs of this popular pizza restaurant are it’s founders, Davide Cananzi and Alciela Shilla. Davide is a former hotelier with over 30 years of experience in the F&B industry. He hails from Sardinia in Italy. He has done a 3 years Hotel Management Diploma in Sardinia and has worked in various luxury hotels all over the world including Hyatt Hotels, Le Meridien, and Marriott, where he served in various positions, ranging from Chef to General Manager.

Alciela (Al) hails from the beautiful state of Meghalaya. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Work. She worked in the entertainment industry in Mumbai for a couple of years and then shifted to the hospitality sector. She is presently looking after the dessert section at Davide’s Pizzeria.

The Idea Behind Starting Starting Davide’s Pizzeria

Al says that the often disappointing meals which she and Davide had in various Italian restaurants across India was what motivated them to promote authentic Italian food. “Hence, we decided to launch Davide’s Pizzeria with the intention of bringing the flavours of our childhood memories to the customer’s plate the way our mothers have done all their lives for us,” says Al..

“Also, we wanted to break the myth that “only costly food is authentic” with a focus on high quality ingredients with a great value for money,” she adds.

The USP Of Davide’s Pizzeria Davide says that the quality of ingredients he uses in the preparation of his pizzas, starting from the base (the flour and the tomato sauce), right upto the cheese and cold cuts, makes Davide’s Pizzeria stand out from most of the other pizzerias operating in Goa. “A majority of the ingredients we use are all imported, although we do use locally sourced ingredients as well”, he says. “Also, the desserts we make are very unique - our tiramisu for instance is one where there’s absolutely no cream; so it’s light and has a perfect balance of coffee and alcohol, that one can’t stop eating with just one bite!,'' he says.

Davide and Al believe that their competition is always between themselves first. “We could say that Davide and Al are the secret weapon of our success,!” says Davide jokingly.

Types of Pizzas Offered

The style of the base of the pizzas served at Davide’ pizzeria is Roman. It is thinner and slightly crispier than the famous Neapolitan style. The pizzeria offers a large array of vegetarian and non vegetarian options to choose from.

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Davide Cananzi, Founding Partner, Davide’s Pizzeria

They also serve salads, meatballs with various choices of sauce, pastas (including fresh pastas - gnocchi and spinach ravioli) and a unique and out-of-the-box thinking dessert selection.

Among the many pizzas served at Davide’s Pizzeria, there are a few which are always a hit with a majority of their customers. Among vegetarian pizzas, Pizza Davide (which was created by Davide himself, taking him about 16 years to create with the perfect balance of various flavours), and Pizza Bianca (an all-cheese pizza, topped with sun-dried tomato and arugula) are very popular with customers. When it comes to nonvegetarian pizzas, toppings such as Alka (with beef meatballs, mushrooms and gorgonzola) and the Montanara (bacon pizza) are a hit.

Public Response

Initially, just like any new restaurant, the first few months are where you get curious customers. Davide and Al faced a similar experience during the first few months after their pizza outlet started operations. But that turned into a beautiful reality very soon when the curious customers turned into regulars. “And we are talking 48% of regular customers after the first 6 months of business”, says Davide. “So, that’s what we call love and a great response”, he adds.

Challenges faced

“Challenges are part of everyday life, whether it’s a customer complaint or an ingredient not readily available” says Davide. “But we stay true to our main motto that we are not just running a food business, but are also on a mission to educate people about the authentic flavours that we grew up with”, he says.

“Another major challenge which we faced and are still facing making people understand that we are and will always be a pet friendly outlet where the furry babies are as equally important as any paying customers!”, he says.

Expansion Plans

Davide says that he plans to have only one outlet of Davide’s Pizzeria in Goa. He also shares that he is in the process of starting franchises of his pizzeria in some of the major cities in India in the next couple of months.

Website:

Pizza Bianca

Alciela Shilla, Partner, Davide’s Pizzeria

By Cassandra Carvalho

Tiffany D'Lima Menezes is a banker-turned-baker, who went from recommending investments to baking delicious, exquisitely designed cookies. An alumnus of the prestigious Goa Institute of Management, Tiffany started her journey as a baker by baking cupcakes and small cakes. In 2018, she decided to expand her skill set. She travelled to Doha, Qatar to attend baking courses and refine her cake decorating skills. She attended workshops on cake decorating and got certified from Squires Kitchen International School in cookie decorating techniques. She enjoyed decorating cookies so much that she knew she wanted to make a career out of it in the future.

Tiffany’s passion for making cookies resulted in her starting a home based baking venture, ‘The Cookie Crumb Trail’, in September 2021. Operating out of her home kitchen in Altinho, Panjim, Tiffany works on orders she receives for themed cookies for various occasions - weddings, birthdays, baby showers, baptisms, bachelorette parties, etc. She wanted a name for her venture that was catchy, unique, and which easily conveyed to clients exactly what she had to offer. She found that the name “The Cookie Crumb Trail” met all these criteria, and seemed to click well with her audience.

Customers ordering cookies from ‘The Cookie Crumb Trail’ can choose between chocolate and vanilla cookies which are personally baked and hand-decorated to suit the theme and colour palette of the event. Tiffany recently started making cookie cakes. These cakes have been a huge success, primarily because of their appealing form, and are a good alternative to a traditional cake. Designing and decorating cookies also transports Tiffany’s mind to a place where her ideas can flow. and gives her a break from her routine of daily life. Finding cookie crumbs around after offering cookies to someone means that the cookies have been eaten and enjoyed wholeheartedly!

2020 was a year that really changed things for Tiffany. She had a baby in the midst of the global pandemic. As her son completed a year, she decided that it was time to get back to baking.

Exploring different cookie artists’ pages on Instagram made her realise that decorating cookies had endless possibilities. The manner in which one could play with designs and themes caught her attention. She realised that if presented well, cookies can bring out the theme of an event. However, she knew that it would require plenty of practice before she was ready to commit herself to it. Since being a mom took up most of her day, she dedicated her nights to practicing and refining her skills. Constant encouragement from the most supportive set of family and friends has aided her in running this business.

Maintaining a consistent supply of materials and ingredients is a key challenge for Tiffany. She tries to plan things in advance so that she can source things online if they are not available locally. The hot and humid weather of Goa makes it a little hard to work with icing consistencies, but a whole lot of practice has helped her overcome this. Given that she has a toddler who takes up most of her day, she only bakes during the night. She currently does not have a retail outlet, and her cookies are only made on order.

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Tiffany D’Lima Menezes, Founder, The Cookie Crumb Trail

As of now, Tiffany’s main goal is to practice, practice, and put all her efforts into learning and improving her decorating skills so that she can offer her clients the best. She only accepts a limited number of orders, so that she can pay attention to minor details.

The best way to get in touch with Tiffany to place an order for cookies is via WhatsApp (+917499780037). Once a client sends the theme, event, colours, quantity and date for the order, Tiffany takes it forward from there with the designs.

Guitar shaped cookies prepared by Tiffany

Unicorn-themed cookies

By Cassandra Carvalho

Experimentation during the Covid-induced lockdown led management consultant-turnedchef Sandeep Sreedharan to conceptualise Elaa Cafe & Bar in Anjuna. Chef Sandeep started his career in the culinary world organizing private dinners in Mumbai, and eventually set up his first coastal restaurant, ‘Curry Tales’ in Bandra. He moved to Goa in 2018 to set up a modern coastal restaurant called ‘Mahe’ in Anjuna.

‘Elaa’, his second culinary venture in Goa, is envisioned to be a concept cafe born out of India. It is an earth-based concept cafe which focuses on numerous plant-based dishes. The word ‘Elaa’ means leaf in Malayalam and earth in Sanskrit. Envisaged almost 2.5 years back, the idea stemmed from Sandeep’s love for vegetarian food along with his observation of people not utilising local ingredients. He focuses on responsible sourcing of ingredients and attempts to make something delicious out of it.

One can walk into Elaa Cafe for a cup of coffee, hang out in the cozy ambience, listen to good music, and enjoy scrumptious, healthy food made with amazing ingredients. When Elaa Cafe just started, many people thought that it was a vegan cafe since the earth-based, ingredient-driven concept is quite unique and not many restaurants and cafes focus on it. People called it an experimental dining place, a clean food spot. They weren’t familiar with the food offered at Elaa Cafe. So, it was quite intriguing for most people while trying out the food for the first time. But customers soon found their favourites and kept coming back for more.

Some of the crowd favourites are the cafe’s takes on Goan food – like the Ros Omelette served with vegan gravy instead of chicken xacuti, or the creamy, loaded prawn rissois, the vegetarian choris pao, and lots more. People also enjoy their other dishes such as their soups, salads, pinchos, toasts and so on. Their latest big hit is the ‘Tapas for Two', where customers can choose five dishes from the menu on a platter and pay a fixed amount, and taste different dishes on the menu.

The cafe has divided its menu into different categories. They have a breakfast menu that enlists responsibly sourced eggs and seafood. Sandeep uses small fish sourced from around the coast of Goa in his cooking. The cafe has different kinds of meals in bowls and dishes, which makes it versatile for breakfast, brunch, lunch, an evening snack, or an early dinner. The menu has been designed, keeping in mind that the dishes can be eaten at any time of the day.

With an extensive coffee menu, the restaurant is proud of its coffee programme. This initiative was established in collaboration with Ruby's Coffee, which focuses on organic coffee sourced from only small farms across India. Their drinks are fresh, tropical and not alcohol forward.

Elaa Cafe is focussing on building a community around a sustainable, chemical-free, environment-friendly market. They have been hosting talk sessions with people from different

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Outdoor seating area at Elaa Cafe

walks of life who work in areas like sustainable farming, upcycling, focussing on zero-carbon footprint and so on.

They host regular bar nights and bar pop-ups. They will start to host music gigs with young, upcoming artists, once the new tourist season commences in the month of September.

Being passionate about something is one thing and turning that passion into a reality is an entirely different ball game. Chef Sandeep has spent years understanding food and working on creating experiences for people. Since the kind of ingredients he uses are very different from the regular restaurant scenario, one of the major challenges he faces is supply. It is challenging for him to procure good quality, fresh ingredients.

Photograph:Syed Hussaini

Another difficulty he faces is educating customers about the kind of food his cafe offers.

Nonetheless, Chef Sandeep hopes everyone gets to try his dishes and join him in his culinary journey.

Oliver and Crescy at a food event

Berry Mojito cocktail

Elaa Cafe's earth-based menu is a hit amongst health-conscious diners.

Outdoor seating area at Elaa Cafe

By Steve Antao

Over the past couple of years, there has been a growing interest in Japanese food among food aficionados in Goa. Many restaurants offering authentic Japanese food have sprouted up all across the state. One among these many restaurants is Saké - The Asian Lounge at Assagao. Located at Saunta Vaddo in a prime spot where the popular Squirrel Bar used to once stand, Saké is an Asian restaurant which offers delicious Japanese and Cantonese food. They also offer a specially curated cocktail menu. The restaurant opened its doors to the public in May 2022.

A SinQ property

Saké is the newest offering to Goa's HoReCa sector by the SinQ Hospitality Group run by Sahil Adwalpalkar. A man who needs no introduction, Sahil is a civil engineer by qualification. He holds a MS degree in Construction Management from Kansas State University. He founded SinQ Hospitality 10 years ago. The brand has launched more than 16 entities in the last 10 years, including the famous SinQ nightclub, Soho, Showbar Exchange, Soro, SinQ Beach Morjim and Satiwa.

Sahil’s Vision for Saké

Sahil says that the idea of starting Saké was in his mind for a very long time. However the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic delayed his idea from taking shape. “We wanted to start an Asian lounge that could offer the perfect experience in terms of food, design, music and hospitality that's on par with any Asian dining space in India”, he says. Sahil explains that the word “Saké” means rice wine in Japanese. We wanted a name that could convey the message that the place isn't only about dining, but the entire experience of food, cocktails and music, making it a complete lounge experience and the name ‘Saké’ just helped us convey the same”, he says.

The Speciality Of Saké

Kenneth Rebello, who is a corporate manager at SinQ Hospitality, says that the restaurant offers popular Japanese favourites like sushi and ramen, but at the same time also has some innovative dishes like ‘sushi-on-crack’ onits menu. “It's a rice cracker with wasabi, soya and salmon/tuna, which is loved by our customers”, he says. “We also have celebrity chef Harsh Dixit's signature brie bao's”, he adds. Chef Harsh was Ranbir Kapoor’s private chef during the shooting of the movie “Bramhastra”.

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Sahil Adwalpalkar, Founder, Sake-The Asian Lounge

Sahil says that among all the dishes offered on their menu, their ‘sushi on crack’, salmon carpaccio, boas, and dimsums designed by chef Harsh Dixit, are a hit amongst customers. “Saké's USP is its price factor – They offer premium quality Japanese food at a price which is very much affordable and also much lower as compared to most of their competitors in the same restaurants segment.

The Bar

Apart from food, Saké Lounge also offers a wide variety of cocktails and mocktails. Their bar menu, which has been curated by bar manager Rohan Barbosa, features an exotic collection of alcoholic beverages. “Our bar menu is all about modern mixology”, says Rohan. “We offer some techniqueforward cocktails like Saké Maho, (which is a clarified drink with a smoke bubble), and ‘So Matcha Better’, which is a twist on a classic pina colada, which has been clarified and then served over a clear ice block with matcha foam”, he says. Most of the drinks offered at Saké lounge are inspired by Japanese culture and ingredients. They also have a separate category of Gin Highball, which are very fruity, refreshing and tropical. “The highball category has been

designed keeping in mind the growing gin culture in India '', says Rohan. “We also have cocktails like Ume Negroni and Un-fig-table for those who enjoy spirit-forward cocktails. The menu is designed in such a manner that everyone can enjoy their drinks'', he says.

Public Response And Challenges Faced

Sahil says that his restaurant received a very good response from the public ever since it started operations 2 months back. “The food reviewers have compared our food to one of the best food they have had in the country. Chef Harsh has done an outstanding job designing the menu and also getting the team to roll out exceptional food”, he says. Sahil says that every business has its fair share of challenges. “Hospitality is always about maintaining the staff so that consistency can be always maintained”, he adds.

Future Plans

At Saké, there is good music playing all the time to enhance the dining experience of guests. “The DJ plays according to the mood of the crowd. We are hoping to launch our music gigs and brunches by the next season in September or October”, says Sahil. When asked whether he intends to open more outlets of Saké in other parts of Goa, Sahil says that he hasn't thought about it yet. He says that he and his team want to focus on this venture and stabilise it as one of the leading Asian food outlets in Goa before they take the next step. Sahil says that he and his team have worked very hard to create this unique dining concept in Goa. He invites everyone to come to Saké with their family and friends and experience authentic Asian flavours. Bon Appetit!

Nama Chocolate Dessert

FAMILY RESTAURANTS

smita’s lakeview restaurant

This restauarant, which is situated on the banks of the Siridao lake in Goa Velha, specialises in authentic Goan curries and seafood dishes.

Jessyl Fernandez

Situated near the banks of the Siridao lake in Goa Velha is a beautiful restaurant called “Smita’s Lakeview”. The restaurant, which started operations in March 2021, is a family run enterprise. The kitchen is handled by Smita, who is the head chef, while the overall management and operations of the restaurant are handled by her son Rohit Blaggan. Being a family run business, one can expect the best of home food, authentic curries and seafood dishes prepared using the day's fresh catch; That is fish from the sea into the pan and straight into your plate!

How did the journey begin?

A very calm and composed person, Smita Blaggan is a retired government servant, who hails from the beautiful village of Bainguinim in Old Goa. Naturally passionate about cooking, Smita always dreamt of starting her own restaurant someday. Her son Rohit too is extremely friendly and kind, and is always willing to go an extra mile. A postgraduate from the prestigious Goa Institute of Management, he worked in Dubai for a few years. He too, like his mother, wanted to start something of his own. So with that in mind, Rohit gave up his lucrative

career in Dubai and returned to Goa to start Smita's Lakeview. Today they are a trio, with his sister joining in. Together, they make eating at their restaurant a fulfilling and joyful experience.

Rohit states that his mother is a ‘master chef’ and all his friends and family members agree with him. "Whenever my friends come to visit me and taste my mom's food, they have only one thing to say: ‘Why don’t you open a restaurant of your own with your mom Smita as the ‘head chef’, cooking and serving customers?” So finally, a couple of years later, we took this step and Smita’s Lakeview Restaurant came into existence,” he says.

Smita's Specialities

Smita's Lakeview Restaurant specializes in homemade food and focuses on serving only fresh fish. "We take extra care when it comes to hygiene and have curated a special home-style menu, which makes us stand out from our competition,” says Rohit.

The restaurant is famous for its Prawns Dangar and Jumbo Xinanyos. Apart from this, their Kingfish Thali is very popular with patrons. It contains around 11 items ( rice, fresh prawn curry, sol kadi , vegetable, kismoor, salad, pickle, a

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Rohit Blaggan, Founder of Smita’s Lakeview Restaurant, with his mother Smita

dessert of gulab jamun, fresh kingfish rawa fry, tisryanche sukhe, crabs sukha, squid butter garlic, kingfish in green masala rawa fry, squid bomb, nd Chicken cilantro). Every Sunday, the restaurant has a live solo band that plays enthralling music from 12:00 pm onwards till closing time.

Public Response

Right from the word go, Smita’s Lakeview received a very good response from the public. For the first 45 days, the restaurant did tremendous business. "However, when the pandemic broke out in March 2020, we had to shut down our operations,'' says Rohit. "We re-opened in the month of August and touchwood, the restaurant has been running quite well till date,” he says.

Challenges Faced

Rohit says that running a restaurant is not an easy task. "It takes a lot of time to set things in place. Time management and coordination are very important,” he says. "Challenges are faced in every business; not giving up is the only solution", he adds.

Future Plans

When asked about his future plans for Smita's Lakeview, Rohit chose to keep us in suspense.

He said that he and his team are planning something big during the coming tourist season. "The surprise will be revealed to our customers through our social media platforms. So, STAY TUNED!!" , he says.

When asked what message or words of advice he would like to share with our readers, this is what he had to say: "Always dream big and never settle for less. If you dream about your goal and work towards it with utmost sincerity and honesty, you will always be successful.” Website:

Beautiful view of the Siridao Lake from the restaurant