From Portuguese almond cakes to liquor ice cream, there is much in store for those seeking more than just restaurant food in North Goa.
It is a piece of heaven. A cake that is moist, with the richness of almond shining through, and a lingering sweetness. My first bite of Toucinho do Céu and I am a fan. It is my introduction to this Portuguese almond cake, courtesy a home chef in Fontainhas. While this is her signature offering, she also makes a mean Pastéis de Nata (custard tart).
It certainly is a good time to be eating out or dining in, in Goa. Besides the burgeoning restaurant and bar industry, the pandemic lockdown has led to a rise in people turning home chefs, selling everything from tiffin boxes to customised ice cream.
Here, then, are some interesting food delivery options in North Goa.
Marlene’s Tasty Treats
Imagine eating a cake so delicate and rich, that it transports you to a happy place. This is the Toucinho do Céu (Portuguese almond cake), which translates to bacon from heaven because the original recipe used pork lard in it. This cake, served in cupcake form, is one of Marlene de Noronha Meneses’ specialities. Meneses started taking orders for baked goods, many of them Portuguese, during the lockdown. Marlene’s Tasty Treats makes Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese custard tarts), Empadinhas (pork, chicken or mushroom and cheese pies), jam tarts, chicken or pork puff, and Goan Chourico Puff. She also undertakes orders for weddings and events.
Details: Order at least 24 hours in advance. Minimum order of a dozen. Pick up from Fontainhas or deliver at extra cost. Starts at Rs 600. Call/ WA 9890993700.
Smoothie bowls
Jyotika Khilnani and Rupali Chandrashaker started Sunshine Bowls Goa in September 2020 to “offer a nutritious yet delicious order in option”. The smoothie bowls are packed with fresh fruit, vegetables like zucchini, sweet potatoes, amaranth leaves; coconut or almond milk; even tofu and hemp hearts. The more extravagant ones include the black forest smoothie bowl with three layers (avocado chocolate mousse, coconut chia pudding and cherry compote) and cranberry heaven bowl with cranberries, poha, custard apple, tahini and coconut milk and vegan coffee jello.
The standard menu — it changes every couple of months — has four options. They source as much locally, from the cocoa nibs from Ix Cacao Indica in Nachinola to peanut butter from Ambrosia organic farm. Signature bowls include the Coffee Chocolate Bowl, the Tropical Bowl and the Cookie Dough Bowl.
Details: Delivery every Wednesday and Saturday within a 15 km radius from Porvorim. Orders are to be placed a day prior, before 5 pm. Starts at Rs 350 (275ml). WA 8806184279.
Khow suey and more
It started with just khow suey. IT-specialist Edgardo (Eddie) Constancio Cruzet sold his Khao Suey at the Goa Collective Bazaar at Hilltop in 2020, using his mother’s recipe. Today, Suey My Way has branched out into ready-to-grill options like pork spare ribs, beef tenderloin, tiger prawns, whole chicken legs and tofu; munchies like spicy chilli chicken or pork loin, and Gambas Pil Pil; and Umame Bombs: crispy onion and garlic in (prawn) chilli oil.
The Khao Suey is still beloved, and offers options: prawn, tofu, mushroom or green beans, chicken, pork and a mixture of chicken and prawn. There is the option of choosing zoodles or rice noodles instead of wheat flour. The bowls are packed with flavour and come with toppings of spring onions, coriander, peanuts, fried potato sticks, fried garlic, and boiled egg. Cruzet will be launching Chicken Congee, Filipino Adobo Bowl, and Filipino BBQ Bowls in the coming tourist season.
Details: Pre-orders only, for Friday and Saturday. Delivery is mostly in the North, up to Panjim, Bambolim; delivery to the South depends on the order. Weekday orders require a minimum of 6 portions. Starts at Rs 650. WA 8080845189.
Liquor ice-cream
Gopika Khanna’s six-year-old ice-cream venture, Hice Cream offers everyone’s favourite sweet treat, with a boozy twist. Her creations are inspired by cocktails: Werewolves of London (pina colada), Rum and Raybans (mojito), The Dude Abides (White Russian), and Kokomo (Blue Hawaiian). The flavour options include organic products like dried apricots, limes, coffee, raisins, and mint, besides fresh fruit like strawberries, cherries, and mangoes. Khanna makes her own cream and liqueurs. The ice creams are flavoured with familiar liquor: Jack Daniels, Bacardi white rum, Jose Cuervo tequila, to Old Monk. Her chemical- and preservative-free ice creams also include vegan options with coconut cream. She also makes custom flavours.
Details: call 9810091483. Starts at Rs 450 (350 ml, non-alcoholic). Free delivery around Assagao but a minimum order of 1 large jar, or three small jars. Beyond Assagao, delivery is charged. Takeaway available. Delivery does not extend beyond Panjim.
Salad stories
GGB or Green Grain Bowl was born out of Avanti and Anuj Hiremath’s desire to make it “delightfully easy to eat well”. They started in 2019 with a WhatsApp group and took the plunge in February 2020 by renting out a small kitchen.
Their food fits those who identify as ‘flexitarians’ — limiting not only meat and animal products but also highly processed foods, refined grains, and added sugar. The bowls thus come in vegan, vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, the dressings are vegan, and they have gluten-free options like quinoa, brown rice and rice noodles.
Their popular bowls include Soba Noodle Bowl (Buckwheat noodles, greens, roasted vegetables and tofu/ paneer or chicken), Pick Me Up Bowl (Microgreens, roasted eggplants, beans with soy-sesame chicken or tofu), The Feel Good Bowl (pomegranate, pears, bell peppers, red cabbage, barley with boiled mung beans or roast chicken) and Strawberry Granola Bowl (quinoa, mixed greens, chicken/ chickpeas, strawberries, mint, feta and granola.
The menu updates every couple of days and uses as many locally sourced ingredients as possible. Better still, it’s served in 100% biodegradable delivery containers.
Details: Delivery only. Available on Swiggy and Zomato. WhatsApp/ Call: 7770004258.
Vegan Tiffin
In May 2020, mother-son duo Meena and Vikas Peswani (they earlier ran Pulp – The Juice Bar at Anjuna) started a tiffin service to “cater to the ‘outsiders’ working in Goa so they could feel like home while eating our food”. The family went 90% vegan (they have milk) after moving to Goa in 2016.
Each tiffin comes with two vegetable dishes, rice, chapatis and salad. The daily changing menu is uploaded on Instagram and features dishes like Kasuri Methi Aloo, Mushroom Masala, Tofu Mutter and more.
Details: Delivery in Porvorim, Panjim and GMC Bambolim. Orders are to be placed a day prior by 10 pm. Rs 120 (Tiffin to be provided by customer), Rs 130 (In Disposables). Call 7021861746.
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