Carnival de Goa

Carnival de Goa has been on the list for so long now. Either it was the distance or the timing, we never made it here earlier. But this time, when hubby and I had to meet a friend for lunch, we decided that Carnival de Goa it was going to be. With mommy time around the corner, I was not sure when I would find the next opportunity to travel for a nice meal considering I don’t stay anywhere close to the city.

At the entrance - the welcoming Goan tiles

 
Goan food has been a favourite for several years now, but I had not really found that one place that sold that authentic taste one finds in Goa. My search ended here. Carnival de Goa brought that exact Goan taste to Bangalore. To say that I loved the place is an understatement.

Situated close to the Gurudwara near Ulsoor lake and above Grill House, parking is not a hassle. Entering the place on the second floor, a tiled board welcomes you reminding you of old Goan homes. There is a choice of indoor or outdoor seating. Considering the busy street downstairs, we picked the indoor seating. A good choice considering there was a ‘one-man band’ singing there. With all the old English folk and country songs, the experience was definitely Goan. The ambience is good and the famous Mario Miranda- like caricature art work adorns one large wall.

Margarita

 

Ginger Fizz

I liked the menu. It wasn’t cluttered with non-Goan options. Clearly this place means serious business. The bar menu had a good choice of mocktails and cocktails. It was a day of ordering all the old favourites. We went in for a Virgin Mary, Ginger Fizz from the mocktails and a Margarita for a cocktail. The mocktails were great. You can judge a good bartender by the Virgin/Bloody Mary he makes and this one was definitely very good. If not for the pregnancy I would have gone for a second and third helping.

Virgin Mary

The Ginger Fizz had a good pungent punch to it with mint and lime, a good one if you like the flavor of ginger. The Margarita was a good and lemony mix of tequila and some fruit flavours.



The Goan Sausage Chilli Fry

I dived in for starters. The first one to go was The Goan Sausage Chilli Fry. Perfect in every way…I could cry thinking of Goa. Spicy, tangy, meaty……a total gastronomical seduction if you know what I mean. Beef Rissoles were next in line. Goans are good at cutlets and this was one of them. Though made of beef, this one had a strong smell and taste of mutton. The taste was good and can be ordered as a checklist item.

 



Beef Rissoles



When it comes to Goan food, I am not a sucker for seafood. But at a place like Carnival de Goa, it would be unfair to leave this out. So next in line, Squid fry it was. A plateful of rava fried squids arrived. The quantity was good but what stood out was the quality. 9 out of 10 times, you get rubbery squids that you have to chew on for long. These were so fresh and absolutely soft yet crispy. Could go in for second round of this but had to hold on for the main course.



Pork Vidaloo



Sannas

My friends let me choose the main course, so I was a little selfish and ordered all my favourites. We treated ourselves to much more food than we could handle.  Pork Vidaloo with sannas (puffy idlis famous in the west coast) was first to arrive. The sannas were soft, but being a Mangalorean, I think we score higher on this. The vindaloo was extremely high on flavor and spice. With generous quantities of gravy, this dish could burn your guts if you didn’t have it with loads of sannas on rice to combat the red chilli. Two favourites in succession – Prawn Pulao and Goan Saugage Pulao. Both were great in taste and fairly good in quantity.

Prawn Pulao

 

Sausage Pulao

The only dish I had not tried that day was the Chicken Cafreal. Another dish I could travel to Goa for. Carnival de Goa had Cafreal Wings and I had to try them. An easy dish that never goes wrong. But for some reason, this was a big let down at CdG. I really wish I hadn’t ordered for it.

Cafreal Wings

With a  couple of lime sodas to wash down the food and fight the spice, we were through with our Goan lunch party.

Fresh Lime Soda

The bill worked up to a little over Rs 2000 making it completely worth it. A mention of the restrooms here. The ladies restroom had two frames photos of men in their underwear. Wonder what that was supposed to mean. But yes, the loo was clean.

Pay by : Cash and cards

Average meal for two : Rs 1000-1500 (including drinks)

Mel’s overall rating : 4.5 out of 5

Location: 8/6, II floor, Kensington Point, Ulsoor Road, Ulsoor, Bangalore

Ph:  +91 7676767620

 

 

 

 

 

Mangala Bar & Restaurant

If you an old timer in Mangalore, you’re definitely familiar with Mangala. For years, this restaurant has dished out several delicacies for the Mangalorean palate. Situated near Fathima Retreat House in Jeppu, this place has come a long way from being just a bar and restaurant to a hip and happening hang-out. Thanks to the next generation that took over the management, Mangala has become a much sought after place for great food.

I had been to this place a few years ago with my uncle who has to pay his customary visit each time he comes down to India. Such was the restaurant’s reputation. But somehow having seen fancy restaurants around, a dark and dingy place didn’t go well with me.

Vinod convinced me that the place has changed and I decided to try it. I am sssoooo glad I did it. To begin with, the place has been strategically divided into various sections- pub, family seating area, smoking zone and the old dark section. These are not the names given by the owner, but that’s what I figured by looking around at the seating.

We seated ourselves in the family area, which was filled with a lot of youngsters intrestingly. I am guessing it was the spill-over crowd as the pub was jam packed on that Saturday night. Some things never change- like the old waiters who are right now going through a culture shock watching babes in short skirts as against middle aged aunties walking around in saris.

As the place was packed, we had to wait to place an order as well as to receive it. Mangala has long been famous for its bar and now in their new avatar, they serve some amazing cocktails too at throw-away prices. Vinod ordered a cocktail (missed writing the name) and me a Bloody Mary - classic cocktails that never fail to impress.

Bloody Mary

The menu offers a multi cuisine fare. The famous Freddies (burgers) are a recent super-hit addition amongst other great choices. To go with the drinks, We ordered a Fried Chicken which were diced chicken fried in Indian spices.

Fried Chicken

We also ordered Roast Pork Chops. What a  delight! Succulent, juicy pork chops in a dark sauce which tasted like a Teriyaki sauce. The meat was so soft, it came off the bone with absolutely no effort. Because of the long wait, the waiter himself suggested that we go onto the main course. So, we skipped our second round of cocktails and took Breezers instead.

Roast Pork Chops

For main course, Vinod ordered a Kori Rotti for himself. This is a Mangalorean delicacy of red-chili based chicken curry and crisp dry wafers (the thickness of a Khakra or even thinner) made from boiled rice. The wafers (rotti) are broken to pieces and soaked in the gravy. The gravy was truly delectable and was soon swept clean off the dish.

I was told never to miss the Freddie and chose a Phat Freddie. The look of this burger can add on a 1000 calories to your weight. The posters around the place make it absolutely irresistible. My Phat Freddie had a beef patty with bacon, sour cream, lettuce and cheese. This had heaven in every bite. The patty was done to perfection and gave  KFC and McD a run for their money. Phat Freddie comes in choices of chicken, beef and pork. 

Phat Freddie

We would have loved to eat more, but for the rush. Mangala is surely going to be added to my list must-visit places in Mangalore. 

Pay by : Cash and cards

Restroom : Did not try

Average meal for two : Rs 800 with cocktails

Mel’s overall rating : 3.5 out of 5

Location: Silva Cross, Jeppu, Mangalore. Ph: 0824 2436726.

Cafe Thulp

It was the first “Girlies” Outing and we decided that it was going to be Café Thulp. I had passed by this place a couple of times and wanted to visit it for long. Finally the day had come.

We decided to meet for lunch and I happened to reach the place ‘early’. I had checked their site for timings and they were to open their doors at 11am. However at 11.45, just when I thought I’d make myself comfortable at one of the tables, I was ushered out and was not-so-politely told that the restaurant opens at 12pm. That was probably a not-so-good start.

 Once the entire group had arrived we entered the place. The interiors are chic and a lot of thought has gone into the art work on the walls. Looking around, I was convinced that this was the place for a relaxed meal. There was a bookshelf at one corner and some board games. Random photographs found their place on the walls. Also the main wall had a black and red Manga art work and looked very neat. Each wall wore a different look and didn’t quite match the other.  A pastry counter with a display of mouth-watering cheese cakes and pies was indicative of the good things in store for us. 

Café Thulp can seat about 40-50 people. We were six of us (incidentally two boys too). We asked for a 4 and a 2 seater to be joined, obviously because there were no large tables. And again the waiter refused to oblige. Instead he brought in two more chairs and asked us to adjust. Rubbing our elbows against each other and touching shoulders, we didn’t have a choice, did we? This was somehow not going too well.

 With no options for us to whine about the pitiful service, we went through the menu given to us. Interesting is the word! The wacky names and their descriptions can keep you entertained for at least 10 minutes. Not many places would call their French fries The Heart Attack or their prawn cocktail Prawnic Healing. The options are vast and are a promise of a feast for lovers of meat. For the veggies, you might as well drive past this place.

 

The engaging menu



To begin our eating spree, we started with the Buffalo Bill. The first dish to arrive at the table and the first to disappear too. Fiery, red buffalo chicken wings served with a cream cheese dip. Crispy on the outside, tangy and absolutely hot, the tender chicken burns the tongue. A generous dash of vinegar and lots of red chilli pepper sauce along with some soy had surely made its way into the marinade.  Saritha and me love bacon and zeroed in on the Shot Through The Heart. Chunks of beef wrapped in bacon, braised with Teriyaki sauce and pierced on satay sticks. How does that sound for a starter? The beef in steak language was medium done, a little tough to eat but was tasty nonetheless. The bacon was crispy fried and the sauce had its soy with a tinge of honey /sugar flavour but was not very sweet as in some places.

Buffallo Bill



Shot Through The Heart

A closer look

Next in line was the Spuds Papunzie. The decoded version is spicy potato salad dressed with mayo, English mustard and red chilli sauce, laid on a bed of lettuce. Yummy would be an understatement. The succulent pieces of potato married to perfection with the dressing.  Abhi chose the Koli Dosa which was nothing but a masala omelet.

Spuds Papunzie

Koli Dosa

 Café Thulp offers a great choice of smoothies and shakes as well. From the Shiekh Yerbooty’s Old Fashioned Milkshakes, Neha and me ordered the Oreo Cookie shake and the Snickers Blizzard. The cookie shake was out of this world even if you were not a fan of the cookies. Thick and creamy, you can actually enjoy crushed cookies in every sip.

Oreo Cookie Shake

Snickers Blizzard

The Snickers Blizzard was a bar of snickers blended with milk of course. Nothing to write home about but I wished it were a little thicker. Saritha chose to take the diet track and ordered a Sour Puss – the basic home style lizzy lemonade with mint.

Sour Puss

For main course, Preeti selected the Veg Alphonso Hankypants. The dish was penne pasta with Alfredo sauce, mushrooms and red peppers. Bland to every bite, the pasta did not even contain salt. The white cream sauce was too little to even remotely coat the pasta. Preeti did her bit by adding chilli flakes, salt, pepper, ketchup and everything she could find and put together something palatable. The revamped pasta got over faster than expected. 

Veg Alphonso Hankypants

Karthik and Neha ordered the El Pollo Loco. This dish was a big wow, at least for me. Fried chicken strips with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach.  The quantity was impressive with about 7 large strips, dipped in a light batter and fried to perfection. The enormous helping of mashed potatoes with herbs was a mini meal in itself.

El Pollo Loco

Moo burger with bacon and cheese

My choice from the menu was Moo with Bacon and Cheese from the burger section. The best beef burger patty I have tasted, topped with pieces of bacon and cheese. This couldn’t get any better. Absolutely soft, this patty melts in the mouth. What’s more! It comes with fries and coleslaw. A must-try while at CT. 

Abhi carefully selected the Wok with Me.  Stir fried vegetables in a watery sauce/ gravy with fried rice and Thai papaya salad. Nothing special in this one.  The stir fried veggies were almost bland but partnered well with the rice. The salad did not carry the original Thai taste but a good attempt nonetheless.

Wok with Me

Fried rice with papaya salad

Crispy Pork Pomegranate Orange Salad

Another superhit dish was the Crispy Pork Pomegranate Orange Salad that Saritha picked from the ‘specials’ of the day. Green was the first impression. Shredded spinach stir fried in olive oil, the leaves were softened yet retained their freshness. This was tossed with white sesame seeds, garlic, peeled oranges, pomegranate and bits of red chillies. But the star of the dish was the roast pork and lots of it.  What a fusion of flavours! This salad thoroughly seduces the taste buds. The sweetness of the pomegranate and orange, mixed with the light taste of spinach, the saltiness of the pork and the olive oil dressing comes together to form an absolutely scrumptious salad.

Needless to say, after eating so much we did not have space for desserts. Café Thulp definitely knows how to strike the right chord with its customers. Though the service was not good, the food almost made up for it. Most dishes can be shared by two and hence watch out and don’t over order. The pricing cannot be termed cheap but considering the quantity and quality it is completely worth it. For six of us, the meal cost close to Rs 2000.

Pay by : Cash or Credit Card

Restroom : Didn’t try

Average meal for two : Rs 600 (including drinks).

Mel’s overall rating : 4 out of 5

Location: Near Wipro Park, Koramangala 1st block.



 

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



Viva Panjim

Viva Panjim! Literally. To say the least, this restaurant is a blessing to food lovers in Goa. If you enjoy Goan cuisine, this is the place to be. We found this place on the net listed amongst the numerous restaurants in Panjim but since it had a mention of local cuisine, we decided to give it a try.

Viva Panjim is located in a very small bylane close to the Panjim Church. We called the restaurant for directions to reach the place and the owner very politely guided us. A tiny board shows the way to this place we call heaven. In front of us was a beautiful orange and white heritage house. I do not know the style of architecture of the house, but to me it looked like one that you see in those nice paintings. There were small tables and chairs outside the house for those who like to enjoy their meal outdoors. But since we were keen on seeing the house, we opted to sit inside.

The beautiful exteriors

There is an A/C section as well as a non-A/C section. The hall where we sat had a bar counter with a huge antique mirror. Most of the furniture around were (or at least looked like) antique. The owner of the place Linda De Souza spent a good ten minutes chit chatting with us about everything from the history of Goans, its connection with Mangalore, to the kind of fish that is available at the markets. Felt quite at home I must say! Chef Linda De Souza has won many awards for her cooking and her restaurant, most of which are displayed at the restaurant.

A view of the interiors

The menu mostly offers local Goan and Portuguese cuisine, and Linda is around to help you choose in case you are in doubt. It was my birthday lunch that day and I decided to treat myself with a little extra than I do everyday.

It was a sunny afternoon and to beat the heat, I ordered a Gimlet which is gin, lime juice and lime cordial. The freshness of the lime and ice was very soothing. Vinod ordered a Goan Rumba, a cocktail made with Goan fenny, rum and pineapple juice. To go with it, we ordered a plate of rava fried mussels. During this trip, we’d fallen in love with mussels and hence you’ll see them in all our reviews. At Viva Panjim, the mussels were fried to perfection. Mildly spiced, this dish went very well with our cocktails.

Gimlet

Goan Rumba

Crumb fried mussels

The next interesting thing that caught my eye in the menu was the Pigling Torradinho. This Portuguese dish consists of delectable pieces of meat sautéed with onions, black pepper and spices that melt in your mouth. This dish is something you just can’t get enough of. We recommend this to all pork fans. Given the extremely good taste, the quantity could have been better. Well, there’s no harm in ordering a second plate/ helping.

Pigling Torradinho

Port Wine

Fresh Lime Soda

For our second round of drinks we ordered a glass of chilled Vinicola port wine and some fresh lime soda. Nothing to write home about here. For the main course, as recommended by Linda we tried the Prawn Curry and rice. Five stars for this one! The thick coconut based gravy with mild chilly was delicious. The quantity of rice though was little and sufficient for one who is not too hungry.



King fish recheido



Prawn Curry and Rice

As an accompaniment we ordered a king fish in recheido masala. This is another of our favourites. After all the places I have tried for Goan food, I can say that this was better than all of them and was closest to the authentic taste. Extremely spicy, the ingredients for this masala are ground in special Goan vinegar. For smaller fish like mackarels, this masala is often used as a stuffing.

Prawn Balchao

Since the rice was not too filling, we went in for some Prawn Balchao. This is not to be missed when you’re trying the local food. This fiery red dish is almost like a pickle but can be eaten as a side dish as well. The prawns are simmered in a smooth paste of ginger, garlic, onions and tomatoes along with a whole lot of spices and vinegar and is not for those who can’t handle spice. Since the Balchao had a thick gravy, we ordered for Goan Pav (bread). Though they look like buns, they are not as soft. It requires quite an effort to bring them down to pieces. But all said and none, it compliments the Balchao.

Goan Pav

Viva Panjim didn’t just offer us the best Goan food, but it also gave us the perfect place to relax and have a relaxed lunch. Our meal cost us a little less that Rs 800 and we’re surely going there, each time we are in Goa. Viva Panjim! Viva Goa!

Pay by : Cash or Credit Card

Restroom : Very clean

Average meal for two : Rs 800 (including drinks)

Mel’s overall rating : 4.5 out of 5

Location: Behind Mary Immaculate High School, Panjim. Ph: 0832 2422405 / 09850471363.