Martin's Corner

Martin’s Corner had been on my list of favourite restaurants in Goa for a long time now. I’ve been there at least thrice before. The last visit in 2010 was a little disappointing. But keeping that aside, we decided to try MC this time around as well. And Martin’s Corner lived up to the reputation of dishing out some of the best Goan Cuisine you can lay your hands on.

Tucked away in a residential area in Betalbatim (South Goa), this place is a must visit while in the south of this paradise state and especially if you want to know where the celebs dine while in Goa.

Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Sanjay Dutt, Sachin Tendulkar, Bipasha Basu, Abhishek Bachchan, Aiswarya Rai-Bachchan, John Abhraham and a host of other biggies have visited this place. Sachin Tendulkar frequents this place so often that there is a dish named after him as well. Thanks to the Wall of photos, Martin’s Corner gives you a feeling of dining like the celebrities. While we were there for dinner, we too spotted a television anchor, whose name I have never known. Nonetheless, despite the rush of people throughout the day, the place still provides the Goan respite.

This restaurant was started with just four tables by Late Martin Pereira. Today it is run by his wife and sons. The ambience is that of an old house. Initially it was just the front portion of the house but over the years they’ve managed to expand in all directions – left, right and centre.

Every night there is live music at the restaurant. We were treated some great cover versions by one of the performers.

Now to the main attraction – the food. Martin’s Corner boasts of the best Goan food and rightly so. They have an extensive menu that covers Indian, Chinese and has a variety of seafood too.

In Goa and not drinking? That can never happen to us. We started our dinner with cocktails. I ordered a Sex on the Sunset Beach which is an enticing mix of Vodka, Peach schnapps, orange juice and lime juice. Vinod opted for the Coco Loco which is a creamy concoction of palm feni, gin, white rum, pineapple juice with coconut cream. Very Goan to say the least! The cocktails sure did lift our spirits high, literally.



Sex on the Sunset Beach



Coco Loco

For appetizers, we chose the Pork Chilli Fry. Not too spicy but at the same time tangy, this dish thoroughly teases the tastebuds. The kokum gave it its tangy flavour while red chillies added spice. 



Pork Chilli Fry

 

Fish Fingers

We then ordered Fish Fingers. Filleted fish, crumb fried and served with fries and a sour cream make a great snack. We totally enjoyed every bite.

Planters Punch

 Vinod ordered a Planters Punch (a mix of rum, grenadine and orange, pineapple and lime juice for his second round of drink and me a Breezer. For main course we selected the Prawn Pulao. The taste was good if not excellent.

As a side dish, we ordered the Chicken Masala Fry (Goan Style). The chicken tasted as good as it looked. The meat was tender and cooked with ground spices. The tinge of sweetness in the dish hinted at caramelized sugar. A perfect blend of spices and sweetness, every ingredient was in the right proportion and made it a great dish.



Chicken Masala Fry



A closer look at the masala coated chicken

To finish our lovely dinner, we decided to share a Caramel Custard. Steamed to perfection i must say! The dish was not too sweet and was done just right. It was a perfect ending to a superb meal.



Caramel Custard



Martin’s Corner also has a lodging facility attached to it by the name of Martin’s Comforts. But whether you stay there or not, make sure you visit Martin’s Corner at least once. Who knows which celebrity you would bump into!

Pay by : Cash or Credit Card

Restroom : Average clean. But you cant expect much with the large crowds they cater too

Average meal for two : Rs 1700 (including drinks)

Mel’s overall rating : 2.5 out of 5

Location: Binvaddo, Betalbatim, Salcete – Goa. Ph: 0832 2880061/ 6481518