Eat & Stay Goa - NOVEMBER ISSUE 2022

Eat

goa culinaRy conclave 2022

The 5th edition of the Goa Culinary Conclave was held last month at the Taj Resort & Convention Centre in Dona Paula.

Bakescape

A home bakery in Carmona known for its customized cakes and diabetesfriendly and allergy-free baked goods.

A recipe on a football-themed cake by Mumbaibased Goan home chef Greta Fernandes

Editorial

Hello friends,

Welcome to the November 2022 issue of our emagazine ‘Eat&Stay Goa’. This month our cover feature is a report on the 5th Goan Culinary Conclave which was held at the Taj Convention Center on 22nd October 2022. This year saw additional participants as the doors were thrown open to professionals from the food and hospitality industry besides chefs.

On the inside, we have a story on 'Bo-Tai',a Modern Thai Bar & Italian Grill located near Ozran Beach in Vagator. The restaurant, which opened its doors to the public in December 2021, offers patrons a wonderful dining experience with a beautiful view of the Arabian Sea.

We have also done stories on Bakescape, a home-based bakery in Carmona run by Joana Luis and ‘BakeryPausenBrot’, a bakery run by Aditya Rai and his German wife Andrea Thumshrin. BakeryPausenBrot is known for its authentic German sourdough bread and other German indigenous bakes, while Bakescape is known for its customized cakes and diabetesfriendly and allergy-free baked goods for those with special dietary restrictions.

Recipe write-ups on 'Sansav', a traditional Goan dish by the folks at 'The Goan Kitchen', Margao,

and on a Football-themed cake by Mumbaibased Goan home baker Greta Fernandes also feature in this month's issue of our e-magazine.

A lot of new hotel properties have opened in Goa over the past month. After a fantastic response to its Morjim property, Larisa Hotels & Resorts opened its second property in GoaLarisa Ashwem. The resort is spread over 2.5 acres of lush greenery and promises a gloriously laid-back experience in indulgently spacious surroundings. The idyllic Ashwem beach is just a 10-minute walk away from the property. The 20-room resort consists of 14 luxury cottages, 4 cottage suites, and 2 two-bedroom cottage suites. All in-room and sharing facilities— including a mini bar, open deck, outdoor hot tub and 24x7 in-room dining—are available for the guests.

Another resort which opened its doors to the public earlier this month is the Aiden at Vagator. The hotel had a grand launch event on the 20th of November which was attended by various celebrities including, Bollywood actors Jackie Shroff, Suniel Shetty and Gulshan Grover. The resort, which is located just a few minutes away from Vagator beach, is among the first Aiden properties in India. It offers guests the finest hospitality that is on par with international standards. The amenities offered at the resort for the convenience of guests include Free highspeed Wi-Fi, a well-equipped fitness centre, a swimming pool, a multi-cuisine cafe and a restaurant. The resort is centrally located near popular restaurants, flea markets and other tourist attractions, making it an ideal place to stay for travellers and tourists.

We hope you enjoy reading this month’s issue of our e-magazine. Do share it with your friends all across the world. Until next month, cheers!

Jessyl Fernandez Editor

04 Bakescape

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 blogbased 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.

Editorial Team

Chief Editor Jessyl Fernandez

Content Manager Steve Antao

Content curators: Prataya Sarkar Greta Fernandes

Sales & Marketing Donald Fernandez

Graphics & Layout Shankar Kamble

Social Media Manager Saviola Dias

For advertising queries: 9370502124 / 9209005127

ItsGoa Media Group

Nordic Intent HQ - Floor 3, PDA Colony, Porvorim, Goa 403521 Email : mail@itsgoa.com Website: itsgoa.com

02 BakeryPausenBrot 03 Sansav 06 The Football Cake Website: www.itsgoa.com I Instagram: @_itsgoa I Facebook: Itsgoa Index

Goa Culinary Conclave 2022

The 5th edition of the Goa Culinary Conclave was held last month at the Taj Resort & Convention Centre in Dona Paula. This year’s edition saw additional participants as the doors were thrown open to professionals from the food and hospitality industry besides chefs.

Culinary Conclave

Article by: Jessyl Fernandez

Images by: Goan Culinary Club

The Fifth Goa Culinary Conclave 2022 held at the Taj Convention Center on 22nd October 2022, concluded on a positive note. This year saw additional participants as the doors were thrown open to professionals from the food and hospitality industry besides Chefs.

Let’s go back to where it all began: “The idea of the Goan Culinary Club came aboutas we were sitting at VIVA PANJIM having lunch along with Fraquito and Nanda Martins. I mentioned that I found that the Goan Hotels were not serving Goan Food. Linda’s late husbandgave me a few names - whom I should approach .. and in that name were the names of Joe and Odette Mascarenhas… After a few persuasions, Joe and Odette agreed to support us in the formation of the Goan Culinary Club. Joe and Odette have taken the Club to great heights. Today, we have almost all the Hotels and Restaurants onboard the Goan Culinary Club. The Goan Culinary Club organises many events throughout the year and has participated in the WORLD GOA DAY events. A few years... The club has a Cookery Club too,” says Renee Baretto.

Coming back to the Culinary Conclave we approached none other than the one-and-only Odette Mascarenhas to delve deeper into what this was all about:

1. Tell us something about the 'Chefs Conclave' and how it evolved into the ‘Culinary Conclave?’ This was our 5th edition. Before the pandemic, our focus was on chefs... knowledge-based inputs to bring up the standards of food in the kitchen. During the pandemic, we saw many restaurants opening in Goa. The owners showed interest in being a part of the Club which this year has become Goa Culinary Club to encompass the service, marketing, and chefs of this industry. We believe that it is all these associates working together that make the hospitality industry what it is today.

.

2. You, Joe, and Nolan have been passionate about Goan cuisine and its preservation. Could you tell us how the Conclave helps to preserve our Cuisine?

Let's take this question into two segments. Every Conclave would have one session on Goan cuisine. However, once our monthly member interactions began post-pandemic we realized that before the pandemic there were many 'Goan' standalone restaurants that showcased our traditional cuisine. During the pandemic, many unfortunately moved into a multi-cuisine bracket (perhaps due to the tourists' demands). It was a little disheartening as we now have to rebuild this fabric of our great cuisine. The Club interacts with local colleges as a demand for chefs specializing in Goan cuisine is heartfelt. We need to work on this. so this year was again a back-to-basics with our interaction with the colleges. It's a demand and supply need of today. So while we are still in our rebuilding phase, this year's Conclave featured the use of organic Goan produce in other cuisines. The second segment is an important one. It's not only the 3 of us who believe in keeping our traditions alive- the committee and the members (by invitation only) believe in this wholeheartedly and 4 months of the year meetings are devoted to a knowledge-based activity on our local cuisine during the meetings. We believe sharing our legacy (even with eateries of other cuisines) will spark creative thought in the planning of their menus.

3. Could you tell us about your role in the just concluded Culinary Conclave 2022:

As President of the Goa Culinary Club, it is my responsibility to ensure that our committee members and volunteers deliver in a professional manner. The attendance of participants, helping the fraternity interact in this day-long event, the choice of speakers, the food, the event flow, retaining the interest in the topics selected...everything creates that moment of truth. But full credit is due to my committee...Besides Treasurer Joe and Ex committee member Nolan, V P Chef Sunit Sharma, Secretary Sunita Rodriques, V P GM Saurabh Khanna, Social media director Lavina Kharkal, Ex committee member Anisha Hassan - the flow of communication was so smooth that honestly, I felt that I did not have to do anything at all. We are a very cohesive team.

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4. You m ntion d that th Conclav s ar ‘knowl dg -c ntric’- could you giv us a bri f insight into th topics that w r discuss d? Th oughout the ye , ( nd we e st t ng to pl n fo next ye now, we find out wh t top cs e of nte est to the ndust y. u monthly nte ct ons e mpo t nt too...we e h ppy to s y th t we h ve ound 80% ttend nce fo ll these ve y p t c p t ve meet ngs. We welcome n open nd t nsp ent d logue... Gene l m n ge m y be se ted t ou meet ng. St ll, eve yone s f ee to sh e ny thought th t m ght come to the m nd ( elev nt of cou se to ou v s on . n th t w y, ndom thought m ght spell out cou se co ect on n the pl ce of wo k w thout be ng nv s ve.

Th s ye , the spe ke s we e Ash sh K pu ( op eto - Ant es, W ne t ble, etc ...on c e t ng concept est u nts, W ne n Go hef Roh n 'Souz ( op eto - sco, p , zy Goose, etc ... cu s ne-cent c est u nts...ch llenges nd ove com ng the hef t ck ( hef t K m x ollege ...loc l veget bles n cl ss c Mukund N du f om ng lo e (the t of m k ng cheese hef V bh v h g v ( w d-w nn ng est u nt H ..demo on V etn mese foo hef N t n T ndon...food styl ng nd mpo t nce of m ket ng.

5. According to th f dback you got from r staurat urs, th v nt was "Fantastic", "V ry Tast fully Curat d," "Coh siv n ss xp ri nc d," tc. Could you bri f us on your xp ri nc as to why this Conclav was so

diff r nt? T ll us your r action to such positiv criticism and what this m ans for th futur of th Goa Culinary Club. t w s ve y he ten ng to get th s feedb ck. Th s w s the fi st ye we moved f om be ng 'Fo hefs nly' to the hosp t l ty f te n ty. The nputs of the expe enced membe s of ou lub nd the cu ent GenNext deology togethe b ought on th s expe ence. The hosp t l ty ndust y s evolv ng nd Go s the 'food concept c p t l of nd .' f we w nt to bu ld on the f ct th t eve y Gou m nd should pl n h s t p to Go b sed on the food on offe , we h ve lot of wo k to do. We should be t ue to ou p ss on, nd se bove thoughts l ke 'my c f e l s bette th n h s'. We h ve so much n the food scene to wo k on. te ng colleges need to djust the cu culums to f ce e l ty.

The lub looks tow ds nv t ng 'l ke-m nded' people. We w nt to ch nge, th t's whe e we d ffe pe h ps when t's not only numbe s th t m tte but membe s who sh e the s me v s on fo qu l ty st nd ds n Go . u co e s st ll et n ng segment fo Go n cu s ne. would l ke to wo k on 40% pu e Go n spec l t es l ke Mum's k tchen, Kokum u y, o hef ete 's k tchen. Th s s ou leg cy nd we should be p oud of t.

mojito cocktail

Chef Nitin Tandon (left) and Vincent Ramos (right) in a one-on-one interaction session at the conclave.

Nolan Mascarenhas presenting a gift to Chef Patrick Albert from Kamaxi College of Culinary Arts, Verna

The Goan Culinary Club team

6. How did the idea of the Goa Culinary Conclave come about?

Stemming from The Goa Culinary Club, the idea of engaging in food-related activities came about. One being the Goa Culinary Conclave. Every year the Culinary Club engages in 4 activities. Each one is a social contribution.

The first...Masci's Student Of The Year award (12 -14 catering colleges participate for the student who wins the best in Goan food)...This is the Club's contribution to the youth.

The second is the Goenchem Fest...Traditional and inspired Goan food prepared by our members is open to the public.

The third is for our members and the fraternity..the Conclave. Networking, sharing and knowledgebased.

The fourth...this was only done once, perhaps we will plan for next year. A four-course menu on modern Goan cuisine prepared by our members.

The Club also has an outreach program for the underprivileged to bring a smile to their faces. Last year, we organized an outing in a starred hotel for HIV positive kids on the 1st December (World HIV Day). We also have interactions with women with unwanted pregnancies, milk for the babies, and girls in homes and old age homes. We have 5 of these institutions to which we attend to every year. But we don't highlight this. It is just a

With reference to our Conclave...it is usually held in the month of August.

This year it was postponed due to the pandemic. So, we had it in the month of October.

Goa Culinary Club members sing a song before going for lunch

Mr. Vincent Ramos, Senior Vice-President, IHCL- Goa Region, addressing the Conclave

Bakery

Bakery PausenBrot

A German Bakery based in Benaulim which provides authentic German sourdough bread and other indigenous German bakes.

Article by: Prataya Sarkar

Images Courtesy: Bakery PausenBrot Website: www.itsgoa.com I Instagram: @_itsgoa I Facebook: Itsgoa

German sourdough bread and other German indigenous bakes along with a quality cup of coffee to go with it. The name Pausenbrot is German and means the sandwich which the kids there take to school. Pausen means ‘Break’ while Brot means ‘Bread’. Pausenbrot is primarily located right next to the Benaulim Panchayat, while a secondary seasonal outlet is in Majorda.

Aditya and Andrea both initially worked in the field of sports. Aditya was a basketball coach and Andrea was running a hockey academy and a school for underprivileged children in a remote village in Rajasthan. They’d frequently visit Goa for their vacation and would enjoy their stay in the calmness and serenity of Goa staying in simple beach huts with their toes in the sand.

“What was missing for us was a good breakfast and a strong cup of coffee”, says Aditya. That birthed the idea of settling down in Goa and opening a German bakery of their own. They were supposed to get a friend from Germany who is a Baker to help and train them in baking but the pandemic didn’t allow them. They say they were lucky enough to get the help virtually from a South German baker who was guiding them to achieve quality German-style sourdough bread in the Indian climate.

as they want to know what it means and it goes with their concept of serving healthy bread as a snack. As they both were running a school in Rajasthan, they decided to continue with the theme of a school in their bakery. They sourced old school furniture from a school in Savordem as Andrea had lived and worked with her Hockey academy in that area and knew some of the schools in that area.

They revamped and converted old school furniture and installed it in their existing shop furniture. This innovative approach turned out to be quite creative and a money saver for them as shifting to Goa during the pandemic had eaten up most of their savings. They rented a baking place in Cunculim where a retired local baker showed them how to handle a huge oven, dough kneading machines and how to bake in bulk. PausenBrot sources organic flour from Gujarat and their sourdough breads are purely made of water, flour and salt with no added yeast or improvers, a fact of which they are very proud. They serve various kinds of sandwiches and their PausenBrot Sandwiches in a bread box which is offered with different vegetarian and nonvegetarian toppings are quite famous. Daily

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Andrea Thumshrin and eie Aditya Rai, th proprtors of BakeryPausenBrot

serve Cinnamon Rolls, Apple Cakes, Cheese Cakes, and Organic Coffee in different variations like Cappuccino, French Press, and Cold Coffee.

They offer loaves of bread which are available with Whole Wheat, Multi-flour with changing ingredients like herbs, jalapenos, turmeric etc. to choose from.

As they started amidst the pandemic they were mostly dependent on the locals and a few foreigners that lived there. Goa having a bread culture made people interested to try their bread. Since most Goans travel abroad, tasting PausenBrot’s bread made many remember their European vacations and the Foreigners were happy to get authentic German sourdough in South Goa. People come in, sit and listen to their stories over a cup of coffee. “We actually survived the pandemic due to the locals that came again and again.”, says Aditya.

The major challenge for them has been baking. As they have dedicated themselves to traditional sourdough bread, the climate plays a crucial role in daily baking. The proofing times vary drastically and at times when the weather suddenly changes, it makes it even more difficult. The advice they got from their German baker friend was to proof dough for 10 hours but when they did it, the dough had literally gone liquid in 10 hours. With trial and error with different

time intervals, they got it right. Sweet bakes like the croissants are no different, as it is near to impossible to bake croissants without AC. Opening during the pandemic was always challenging. At times they had to keep their shops closed and be open for takeaway and delivery as people were scared to leave their homes..

Recently they shifted to a new shop closer to the road with more space and better visibility, allowing them to have more seating and bake in a better environment. The entire process is transparent and customers love seeing their bread come out fresh from the oven. The everpresent smell of cinnamon rolls and freshly baked bread is irresistible. They also host Kaffeeklatsch every second Thursday from 4 to 5 in the evening.

BakeryPausenbrot

Benaulim outlet: Shop No. 6, Plaza D'Araujo, Next to Benaulim Panchayat, Mazilvaddo, Benaulim, Goa

Majorda outlet: At The Pomegranate Project, Utorda, Near Turning Point, Utorda, Majorda.

WhatsApp: +91 75062 44692/ 084592 71340 Instagram: instagram.com/bakerypausenbrot

Website: www.itsgoa.com I Instagram: @_itsgoa I Facebook: Itsgoa

German Cinnamon Rolls German sourdough bread loaves and baguettes

RECIPE

Ambadde Sansav

Sansav is a classic Goan Saraswat Hindu dish. It is found in almost every home during festivals. It captures all three elements of sourness, spice, and sweetness wonderfully. Website: www.itsgoa.com I Instagram: @_itsgoa I Facebook: Itsgoa

Aticlby: Crescy Baptista re Image: The Goan Kitchen) Ambadde Sansav (Image Courtesy:

captures all three elements of sourness, spice, and sweetness wonderfully. You would find this dish in almost every home during festivals. Its uniqueness is that it is made with seasonal ingredients. In summer, you would see mangoes being used. This time of the year is for ambadde; at other times, one would see pineapple being used.

Ambadde (Hog Plum) Sansav Serves 4

Ingredients

8 ambadde peeled and salted 1 coconut scraped 7-8 Kashmiri chillies 8-10 black peppercorns 100 gms sugarcane jaggery 1 tsp mustard seeds Pinch asafoetida 1 tbsp oil

Steps:

1.In a cooking vessel take the ambadde, 1 cup water, sugarcane jaggery and cook till the ambadde is done.

2. Grind coconut, pepper, and chillies to a paste. This should be medium ground (coarse).

3. In another vessel, heat oil, add mustard with the asafoetida, and splutter mustard.

4. Add the ground spice paste. Then add the ambadde along with its soaking liquid and cook well. Adjust salt, spice, and sweetness to your taste.

Sansav is enjoyed with rice, panpolle, or puris.

This recipe has been authored by Crescy Baptista, Partner at The Goan Kitchen, Margao. Crescy runs the restaurant along with her business partner Oliver Fernandes. The restaurant is nurtured by Crescy and Oliver’s deep love for Goan food. It is a platform that preserves and presents Goan food, from traditional festive to desserts to Goan goodies.

For more infomation about The Goan Kitchen,

Call:+91-8007762121 Website: www.thegoankitchen.com Instagram: instagram.com/hellotgk Facebook: facebook.com/hellotgk

Website: www.itsgoa.com I Instagram: @_itsgoa I Facebook: Itsgoa

Image Courtesy: Big Fat Tummy

Bakescape

Bakescape, a home-based bakery operating since July 2020 and located in Carmona-Zalor is owned and operated by Joana Luis. Bakescape is highly known for its customized cakes and also prepares diabetes-friendly and allergy-free baked goods for those with special dietary restrictions so that everyone can enjoy their baked goodies.

Bakescape was started amidst the Covid-19 pandemic in July 2020 by Joana. At that time, she was pursuing her final year of BSc. in International Hospitality Management at V.M Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Management, Raia. When everything was shut down due to the lockdown, stuck at home, Joana started diverting her mind from the ongoing crisis by baking things that she loved eating like brownies and cookies. She’d post her baked creations on social media which got the attraction it deserved and her family and friends would encourage her to take up orders. Soon, she took it up and her hobby turned into a business.

“I started loving the idea of making money by doing the things I loved the most”, says Joana. The name Bakescape was her brainchild, BAKESCAPE - Escaping reality through baking. Bakescape is run solely by Joana who has earned fame for baking cakes and pastries that are of utmost quality, made in a hygienic environment, taste delectable and of course for her unique creativity, all of these, and yet she provides quick service and even home delivers the baked goods. “These qualities have made me stand out from my competition”, she says.

Her clients include people of all age groups, from families and couples to school and college-going teenagers and young adults and that’s because she bakes something for everyone. Her most popular food offerings include Chocolate Cake, Cheesecake, Brownies, and Banana Bread, with the Christmas Rum Cake taking the top spot for the most loved on the menu. She provides the option for egg and eggless throughout her menu in all categories along with many allergy-friendly and diet-friendly cakes and goodies as well.

The primary USP of Bakescape has always been Joana’s creative designs, innovative ideas, and customization in terms of design, flavour, and ingredient usage. She did an internship at Anantara Resort in Portugal specializing in Bakery and Pastry which helped her gain knowledge and experience and that has been her biggest strength.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ragi Jaggery Brownies

Joana recalls her Mom, Dad, sister, and brother helping her out initially. They would help by cleaning the mess in the kitchen first that was caused by baking so many different cakes and then they’d help her by eating all those cakes. She’d take their feedback and that’s how she became skilled in her craft.

As the venture took off, Joana started getting more help from people she did not even know! Her customers loved her products as well. “I would wait for feedback from my customers and would ask them if there was something that the product lacked”, says Joana. She accepted both the positive and negative feedback and criticisms and worked on them. Her school teacher, Tr. Luiza Ferrao, helped and encouraged her the most as she stood beside her and even got more customers for her.

Joana says that Bakescape is a home business for now. However, she does plan on expanding the business after she completes her Master's Degree. She has plans of opening her own café or a studio in the next few years.

Joana never imagined herself starting and running her business even during the beginning of the pandemicinduced lockdown. She thought she was doing it just for herself. She believed God had different plans for her and helped her achieve a lot through her business. “Put God first, be humble, follow your dreams and do your work with honesty! The rest will follow! Focus on your own growth and eliminate the distractions!”.

Customized birthday cakes by Bakescape

Article by: Steve Antao Images Courtesy: Bo-Tai

Bar and Grill

bo-tai, VAGATOr

Situated atop the Ozran beach hill in Vagator, ‘Bo-Tai’ is a modern Thai Bar and Italian Grill which offers patrons an amazing dining experience with a 270degree view of the Arabian Sea.

Bo-Tai is a modern Thai Bar & Grill with an Italian touch against the backdrop of the Goan coastline. The restaurant, which opened its doors to the public in December 2021, is run by Mr. Zorawar Kalra, the founder of Massive Restaurants in association with co-owner and franchise partner Aman Anand.

Exhibiting a smart-casual vibe, Bo-Tai is designed for the young and socially smart. The peppery verbal ‘pun bow-tie’ denotes a high-energy vibe and also represents both the style and flavour of oriental cuisine. ‘Tai’, is an imperfect insinuation of the food philosophy-modern innovative Thai and Italian cooking techniques.

Situated atop the uber-stunning Ozran beach hill, with a beautiful view of the sea and the sun, BoTai promises to quickly become your favourite going-out spot in Goa. The restaurant exudes a modern chic beach-town vibe, incorporating the scenic beauty one can enjoy atop a hill facing the ocean. The space will transition from a stylish dining spot, into a high-energy bar as the night progresses.

Experience an expansive 270-degree view of the Arabian Sea as you walk into Bo-Tai. The central bar is the longest bar at any venue in Goa, open on all 4 sides to patrons to enjoy a leisurely cocktail with an unforgettable view. With a

Naga FireBall drink

Mr. Zorawar Kalra, Founder and Managing Director, Massive Restaurants Group

Aman Anand, Co-owner and Franchise Partner, 'Bo-Tai', Vagator

next level. London-based superstar bartenders have conceptualized the stellar bar menu and cocktails, thus making Bo-Tai a destination for the discerning. Tying into the restaurant’s culinary concept, the cocktails reflect Thai flavours with a modern twist. A few drinks to try out include Cool Heart, Full Moon & the Naga FireBall.

The menu at Bo-Tai stays true to authentic Thai and Italian flavours with a modern twist. It also showcases gourmet pizzas, handcrafted pasta, grills and much more. Offering patrons a gastronomic voyage, using the freshest ingredients, straight from Thailand and across the world, to achieve pure and intense flavours, Bo-Tai will be serving dishes such as Hokkaido Scallop Carpaccio, Truffle Mushrooms & Cream Cheese Dumplings, Crispy Lotus Stem, Tamarind Crab Cakes with Sago Wafers, Chili Veg Ragout, Grilled Soft Shell Crab, Tuna Tataki Pizzette, Pan Seared Red Snapper Chili Tamarind, and Pepperoni

Overloaded Pizza among others. The dessert menu boasts a delectable Belgian Chocolate Tart, a Coconut Creme Brule and Classic Tiramisu

"Bo Tai is a brand that has been loved by its patrons since the very beginning, says Zorawar Kalra. "With our fourth outlet, we chose Goa because it’s the perfect home for our brand. Goa has fast become the top destination for F&B in India. A vibrant local populace coupled with the fact that the whole of India descends upon with frequent abandon makes for a strong business case. But mostly it’s the vibe and the views of vibrant Goa that pulled us here. Our location has arguably one of the best views in Goa and is in harmony with the alfresco concept of Bo-Tai."

Franchise partner Aman Anand says that Goa being his hometown, it seemed natural for him to collaborate with his friends around the country and bring one of his favourite brands, Bo-Tai to Goa. "We have picked a gorgeous spot overlooking the sea, and created a vibe that our guests will cherish," adds Aman.

Bo-Tai, Goa

Chicken dimsum in Thai chilli oil

The Football Cake By

Deliciously URS

Article by: Greta Fernandes Images by: Greta Fernandes

Football fans where are you all?!! Deliciously URS has got the yummiest cake for you, just in time for the FIFA World Cup 0

We Goans are extremely passionate about the game and it will have us glued to the television for nearly a month. As we cheer for our favourite teams, let us bake a football - I mean an edible one!

Get your baking pans out and let’s bake a super impressive cake for all your loved ones and family. Game on!

For the Choco ate Cake

Ingredients cups all-purpose flour cups sugar /4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoons baking sod teaspoon salt teaspoon espresso powder homemade or storebought cup milk or buttermilk, almond, or coconut milk ½ cup vegetable oil or canola oil, or melted coconut oil large eggs tsp vanilla extract ethod

Preheat oven to 0º F

Prepare two -inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring

Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well

Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to the flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined Distribute the cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 0- minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the chocolate cake comes out clean Remove from the oven and allow to cool for

about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely.

9. Once cooled spread the chocolate ganache generously over the cake and assemble the cake. Cover the cake with white fondant.

10. Now cut green and black fondant into hexagonal shapes and arrange them over the white fondant. Once you are done with the placement. Start sticking the hexagonal shapes with alternate colours (green and black) as seen in the picture

You could decorate it with flower cut-outs as shown in the picture and Voila your FIFA inspired cake is ready!

For the Ganache

Deliciously URS makes their Chocolate ganache from the finest chocolate, that’s why there is a luxurious touch to all our cakes

How much cream to use in Chocolate Ganache ? The amount of cream required will vary depending on which chocolate you use because dark chocolate is firmer than white chocolate.

Website: www.itsgoa.com I Instagram: @_itsgoa I Facebook: Itsgoa

So, we use more cream for dark chocolate and less for white chocolate to achieve the same ganache consistency.

You can follow CHOCOLATE to CREAM RATIO as follows :

Dark Chocolate Ganache - 1:1 (eg 250g dark chocolate & 250g cream) Milk Chocolate Ganache - 3:1 (eg. 250g milk chocolate & 60g cream)

Step 1 : Finely chop the chocolate and put it into a bowl.

Step 2 : Place cream in a small saucepan over brain marie. Or heat it in microwave. Heat the cream ONLY until hot and steaming, but DO NOT let it boil – it might cause the chocolate to split or go grainy. Step 3 : Pour hot cream over the chocolate. Wait 10 minutes. Do not cover. Step 4 : Using a rubber spatula or spoon, stir until cream and chocolate are incorporated and it's silky smooth. Note : Ensure that the cream is full fat in order for the ganache to turn thick and luscious. Heavy cream, whipping cream and thickened whipping cream will all work.

(Do not use low-fat cream. It won’t give you the desired results.)

About the Author : Greta Fernandes is a Mumbai-based Goan. She is a self-taught baker and runs Deliciously URS, an online confectionery that specialises in sugar free cakes. Deliciously URS provides pan India deliveries of brownies, cookies, and tea cakes – both, sugar-free and regular versions.

To place orders for cakes and other confections from Deliciously URS, contact Greta on:

WhatsApp: 8369880446

Facebook: @deliciouslyursbygreta

Instagram: @deliciously__urs

Website: https://deliciouslyurs.com