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.



 

Saanjhi Dopahar

Saanjhi Dopahar, a small eatery with a catchy black and red board caught my attention each time I passed the place. Over the weekend, going by the recommendation of a friend who was new to Bangalore, I decided to have lunch at SD.

The restaurant is situated in a lane near the Airtel Showroom in Koramangala, almost next to Furtados music store (if you’re familiar with the area). It's located at the corner of a building and has an entrance from two sides. As soon as I entered I realized it could hardly accommodate about 15 people. The ambience was very basic with a few tables and chairs with tall back rests. Being a very small place, there is not much place to move around.

We were handed the menu as soon as we were seated – two of them. One had a multi cuisine selection of food items while the other had a array of combo meals. My first impression – this place reminds you of home food. Especially for those from up north, the Rajma curry and Rice can be quite inviting. The menu ran into about four sides of a card and we chose to order some chicken tikkas and kebabs from the tandoori section and some butter naan with Chicken masala. It was a lunch we had to hurry through and quickly called for the waiter. As we listed our preferences, we were told that none of them were available. Not a nice thing I must say, considering we did not order anything exotic.

Of the 8-10 sections of the menu, the waiter told us to choose what we wanted only form about 3 sections. And with the limited choice, we placed our order a second time. Chicken 65 , Chicken Dum Biryani and Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani after confirming all were available. After a few minutes, the waiter returned to tell us that Chicken Dum Biryani and Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani were the same. Did we have a choice now? But why mention two names in a menu if both meant the same?

Chicken 65

Chicken Biryani

The Chicken 65 was a shade of bright red and had a generous amount of lime juice sprinkled on it. I like it that way. Spicy and tangy. The quantity was a too little for the price. The chicken was not dry as in other restaurants but the taste was not bad.

Soon followed the biryani. My friend liked it but having tasted some great biryanis, this did not live up to its name. It possibly had every ingredient off the kitchen shelf into it, the biryani was laden with spice. Very amateur to say the least. This simple dish could have been made much better. The quantity was good with a good helping of chicken pieces. But again, it failed to impress.

What was worse was that the kitchen did not have a proper exhaust/ chimney facility and all the fumes were out in the dining area. The pedestral fan obstructed the smoke from going out. For the rest of our meal, we had our eyes burning. The ‘not-so-clean’ wash basin near our table was a put-off as well.

Saanjhi Dopahar is probably a restaurant you would like to try for daily lunch if you were studying or working near-by. I would like to believe the Rajma and rice was far better than what we ordered. This place is a complete no for a leisure lunch.

Pay by : Cash. Not sure of Credit Cards

Restroom : Looking at the wash basin, I avoided using the loo. Could not see one either!

Average meal for two : Rs 350 (including soft drinks)

Mel’s overall rating : NA

Location: Next to Furtados Music Store, near the Airtel Showroom Koramangala. The first right turn after HDFC bank junction, if you are coming from the Forum.

Froth on Top

‘Froth on Top’ the name itself is inviting. This was a favourite hangout for Vinod and his bachelor friends and that’s how I found my way to this cozy beer joint at Balmatta, Mangalore. And boy, am I happy or what! And quiet a nice name for a beer joint!

It’s not one of those run-of-the-mill dingy, noisy pubs. FOT is a quaint house with a tiled roof renovated to make place for  this pub. Tall shrubs placed all around the house surely cuts down the din from the busy street.  Thanks to the shrubs, many students make themselves comfortable with a mug of beer away from the sight of passersby.

The décor of the place is simple. White walls with wacky sing boards and posters. The seating is very basic and is arranged to fit in a maximum crowd. Each room of the house is converted to provide seating. To make ordering food simple, the menu is placed under the glass toped table so you can look at it all the time while you’re wondering what to order next. On second thoughts, a good strategy to get the guests to order more!

The menu has a lot to offer and FOT is definitely the place to be if you like to spend half a day with your beer and friends. You can start your day with their good breakfast offerings. The American breakfast here is something you’d love to begin your day with. Apart from this, there are a whole variety of starters spanning across chicken, pork, seafood and of course veggies. There’s almost everything on a menu. The various cuisines at FOT are Goan, Mangalorean, Continental, Chinese and Thai. If you’re looking for a no-frill order, then there are always the burgers and sandwiches which are a good bet.



We reached Froth on Top for an early lunch. The bachelor boys, hubby and wifey! As ritual demands, beer was ordered first. Nothing to write home about KF Premium here. Bibhash, one of the boys ordered French Fries until he decided on what he actually wanted to order. The fries are yummy, similar to the ones you get at McD. Moderately plump and not follow in the centre like many other fries. The good thing is, there’s absolutely no oil sticking to your fingers. You can order a second and a third helping without feeling guilty.

French Fries





Vinod does not miss his Sausage and Corn Hash when he visits FOT. Chicken sausages chopped and tossed with corn hash and mashed potatoes in a white creamy sauce go into the making of this splendid dish. The dish is low on spice and can suit any palate. A dash of pepper is all it has. Top it with a little ketchup for a tangy twist and voila! Highly recommended, the Sausage and Corn Hash will make its way to your list of favourites.

Sausage and Corn Hash

The good thing about FOT is that many a times, they have new introductions to their menu. Bibhash ordered a pasta with chicken and corn. This dish does not feature on the menu but was one of those limited edition dishes they introduced. Bibhash being a regular here, gets to order it anyways. It looked like any other pasta. Penne with chunks of crunchy grilled chicken, steamed sweet corn in white sauce combined with spinach make it a whole meal. The combination of tastes is incredible in this dish but personally I would have preferred more sauce in it. I usually like pasta swimming in sauce rather than a mere coating.

Pasta with Chicken and Corn



Pasta from up close


Yashpal, another of our friends ordered a Paneer Shanghai. A starter which he chose to make the main course. Thanks to the back to back weddings in the month of May, the tummy craves for some simple vegetarian food. Not ours as yet, but Yashpal’s. The Panner Shanghai with its dark red colour looked tempting as compared to the previous two dishes. It tasted equally good with thinly sliced panner pieces in a semi spicy sauce of Capsicum and spring Onions. This dish would taste best when accompanied with a fried rice. The panner was not rubbery  and sufficiently soft, just enough to hold it together. The flavor of the soy sauce came out very well but at the same time blended with the other spices as well.

Paneer Shanghai

After a lot of speculation, I ordered a Chicken and Sausage Steak. Yes sausage once again! By now you know what my favourite food is. This dish had a generous amount of sausages and sliced of grilled chicken. The meats were stirred in a brown sauce. I do not know the exact name of the sauce but yes it was medium spicy and had a lot of pepper in it. The steak was served with a helping of buttered veggies and mashed potatoes. While the sausage and chicken tasted great as always, the hero in this dish was the portion of mashed potatoes. The texture was smooth and was tasted fantastic with its creamy flavor. Unlike other mashed potatoes, there was a distinct cheesy/ creamy taste to it.

Chicken and sausage steak

There are many reasons why you should go to Froth on Top. The menu is vast, the ambience is good, the food is great, the service is fast and above all it does not cost much. The bill for the four of us for a light lunch including the beer came up a little more than a 1000 bucks.

Pay by : Cash and cards
Restroom : Did not explore
Average meal for two : approx Rs 500
Mel’s overall rating : 4 out of 5
Location: Balmatta, Balmatta Arya Samaj Rd, Mangalore - 575001, Karnataka, India. Phone : 0824-4256855

Pizzeria Romano

When we intended to go out on dinner that weekend, we had a place serving coastal food in mind. As we were travelling, all of a sudden we decided to try a different place. We had seen Pizzeria Romano many times before but never really ventured inside. Vinod and me had lots to “discuss” and decided we could give ourselves a luxury meal that evening.

The restaurant is situated amongst many other restaurants in Koramangala 6th block. As we entered the gate, a waitress ushered us to the first floor. Posters covering every inch of the wall is what welcomes you as you take the flight of stairs. As you enter the restaurant, the décor screams out the theme of music and movies. Every rock star you can think of has found a place on the wall here. We took a while just to look around. Though at first everything looked crowded and cluttered, it didn’t take time for us to slip into nostalgia. The place sure reminds you of your favourite singers and movies through your growing years.

The contemporary, plush interiors offer different sections of seating depending on the kind of privacy you expect. The lighting of the place gives it a very warm look. We forgot we had to “discuss” something and took the seats right opposite the band. Yes, there was a band playing that night. The three member band sang some fabulous cover versions.  A perfect way to start the evening I must say.

Now the objective of this review- the food! Pizzeria Romano believes in serving superb Italian and continental food. The menu runs into pages and offers a wide variety of pizzas and a vast choice of pastas, risottos, chargrilled, meats, exotic salads and desserts. This is no average priced place. Be ready to cough up a good amount if you want to enjoy a meal.

For starters, we ordered a Tex Max Buffalo Wings. This was the first time I actually ordered wings at a restaurant other than KFC. The dish was fiery red and rested on white plate. The sharp tangy and spicy smell of it had my mouth watering. With no delay, I dug my knife and fork into grilled chicken wings marinated in Indian spices served with sun dried tomato chilly pesto. The so called marinade looks like the Indian masala and tastes fantastic. The hot spice of the chilli as against the tangy taste of the sundried tomatoes created a superb blend of flavours. The wings though grilled were easy to bite into. The meat was absolutely tender and delectable.

Tex Max Buffalo Wings

To beat the heat, we ordered some mocktails. We decided to skip alcohol this time. I was brave to try a mocktail called Crazy Knockers. I specifically asked for a spicy drink. This one had a spicy syrup mixed with a ginger syrup and topped with soda and Sprite. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? It tasted crazy too, but in the good sense. It shook my senses thoroughly. Don’t try this if you are not in for some adventure.

Crazy Knockers

Vinod orders safe and chose a Virgin Pina Colada. The usual concoction of pineapple juice staright out of the can, thick coconut milk, cream and sugar to sweeten it. It was filling to say the least considering the tall glass it was served in.

Virgin Pina Colada

At Pizzeria Romano don’t skip the pizzas. There are a zillion options to choose from. Ask the staff there to help you choose. I am meat lover. The more I can get my hands on, the happier I am. After giving a lot of thought I opted for a Joyride pizza. Perfectly baked pepperoni, hot Italian sausage, pepper bacon made sure the meats absolutely pleased the senses. Not just this, the pizza was also topped with caramelized onions, garlic, oregano and hot chilli peppers all laid on a thin crust. I am fan of the deep dish crust at Dominos and usually avoid thin crusts but given the toppings of this one, the crust didn’t matter at all.  Spicy is an understatement for this pizza.

Joyride

I went a step ahead and ate it with some red chilli pepper saucy. Super hot! The waitress suggested we try a wood fired pizza. The cooking surface of these ovens is apparently between 500-600 degrees, the upper chamber of the oven can reach over 900 degrees. The heat produced is very dry, which is perfect for quickly sealing in flavors. We’ll buy that explanation anyways since the pizza was like a mouthful of heaven in every bite.

Vinod wanted something from the steak section and chose a Chicken Pepperonata. Exotic as the name sounds, this dish came like a mountain on a plate as against a steak in a sauce that we were expecting. The long pieces of chicken were very visible amongst the bell peppers and was a delight to the eyes. The meat was exceptionally tender and was marinated with mild spices and herbs. The bell peppers were of all colours the market had to offer. After two pieces of chicken, we were left with a heap of peppers. The tomato sauce in it made it palatable but it was definitely a rip off. For the rest of the meal, Vinod and me kept finishing the peppers.

Chicken Pepperonata

Pizzeria Romano is great place to take your special someone on a nice dinner or lunch. A little overpriced, I cannot really say that it is value for money. The prices on the menu are without taxes and amount to a good sum on the bill. The cocktails are priced way too high to leave your throat dry. Will I go there again? Sure I will! But only when I feel rich.

Pay by : Cash and cards

Restroom : Did not explore

Average meal for two : approx Rs 1500 (including mocktails)

Mel’s overall rating : 3.5 out of 5

Location: 55, 5th Cross, 6th Block, Koramangala, Bangalore. Ph: 080 40953751 / 52,

Zeebop

Vinod selected this place as a birthday surprise for me. After a lot of research, he zeroed in on Zeebop going by the numerous reviews on the net.

A beach front restaurant at Utorda, South Goa, Zeebop is known for its seafood. The approach to this place is through a narrow dusky lane beyond the Royal Orchid Resorts. The décor is simple with white tables and chairs. Candles on every table give the ambience a soft look.

To begin the celebration, we ordered two cocktails. A Long Island Iced Tea for Vinod and a Bloody Mary for me. The Long Island Iced tea, with its smooth blend of white spirits and splash of cola topped with a slice of lime provided a good start to a great evening.

Long Island Iced Tea

The Bloody Mary was perfect with vodka, tomato juice, spice and tobasco or Worcestershire sauce. I wonder why most people don’t like this cocktail. There’s something special and nice in a spicy drink.

Bloody Mary

For starters, we had Prawn Stuffed Papadams. Quite an innovative and interesting recipe, I must say. Semi crispy papadam wrapped around a mixture of prawn and onion held together with a tooth pick, this is something you would want to try at home as well with a variety of stuffing.



Prawn Stuffed Papadams

To put the slightly salty flavor of the papadam to rest, we ordered the Mussel Fry. Vinod was just getting used to the taste of mussels, though he hails from a coastal town. Considering the reputation that Zeebop has built for seafood, we had our expectations set high. But the mussels fry let us down. To begin with, the mussels carried the fishy smell and was a turn-off. Very bland to say the least but the dash of lime made it palatable. The mussels which were extremely overpriced were served with potato wedges, slices of garlic bread and buttered vegetables.

Mussel Fry

As it was a birthday dinner, we wanted to indulge in some exotic food and hence chose to try lobsters. After choosing the lobster we wanted to be served, we were asked our preference of sauces. Being a fan of Goan food, I opted for the recheiado. The lobster was big and so was the let-down. The accompaniments were the same as the earlier dish. Having tasted authentic recheido masala several times, I could vouch that this was nowhere close. The meat didn’t suffice even for four spoonfuls.
As this was not too filling we ordered a Chicken Cafreal and Seafood Pulao.

Lobster @ Zeebop

The Cafreal was just average like anywhere else in Goa but has an excess of onions making the quantity look huge. The pulao had a very amateur home-made taste to it. The Goans add soup cubes to many pulaos but if you use this ingredient regularly, you would know that a little in excess can ruin your dish. And same was the case with this dish. It didn’t matter that there were squids, prawns and crab meat, the salt overruled everything else.

Chicken Cafreal

Seafood Pulao

This got us wondering about what is it that makes Zeebop so popular. Team Zeebop, you have a great place but the food didn’t just do the magic.

Pay by : Cash and cards
Restroom : Very clean with great art work
Average meal for two : Rs 2700 (with drinks)
Mel’s overall rating : 1.5 out of 5
Location: Utorda Beach, South Goa

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



Café Xavier

It was a Friday that day. And whenever I get to be in Goa on a Friday, I never miss the Friday Market at Mapusa. Walking past and through the makeshift stalls that sell everything from furniture to fruits to clothes is a thrill not to be missed.

One of the jewels I found while on one of my previous visits to the Mapusa market is this place called Café F Xavier. For those familiar with Goa, this name is sure familiar. But for those who are not, I’d suggest you add this to the list of places to eat while at Goa.

Café Xavier is one among the many stores in the crowded Mapusa Market (that’s if you are there on a  Friday). Given the numerous stalls lined in front of it, you stand a good chance of missing it too. The best way to find your way here is to ask around.



This café is a humble eatery and serves as a good stop for a quick snack or lunch while shopping. The blue and yellow mosaic décor on the walls adds a creative touch to the place. The same colour scheme is followed for the tables and chair, partitions as well as the waiters’ dressing.



The blue & yellow decor



The menu has a mix of Goan as well as other Indian delicacies. The place also has a bar counter and serves simple liquor and does not have fancy cocktails. Nothing like having a chilled port wine in the sweltering Goan heat. That’s what we ordered. At 20 bucks per glass, it well worth it. The best part about Goa is that you can sip on a glass of port wine at any time of the day. Vinod had a second and a third helping that day.

Port ine chilled to perfection

Café Xavier has an interesting practice. As soon as you take your seat, they place before you plates full of samosas, cutlets, patties, croissants and other spicy snacks. You pay for what you eat. Not only are these super scorers on taste, they are also light on the pocket. We emptied a plate of beef cutlets that best appealed to us from the spread. Minced beef with onions, chillies and spices rolled into cutlets melt in your mouth. Keep eating these snacks and you don’t even have to look at the menu. Sorry, we have no pictures to share because we were busy eating.

We were not too hungry when it was actually time to have lunch and hence chose to stick to a simple order.

I am a fan of the Chicken Cafreal at Café Xavier’s. It’s the one thing I order every time I come here. No change this time around either. You taste it and you’ll know why. The Cafreal is one of the very famous Goan dishes. Chicken cooked till tender in a thick paste made of onions, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, pepper, chilli and coriander leaves. The paste is tangy and spicy and leaves both the eyes and mouth watering. But the dash of sweetness in it, balances it out completely. The Portuguese must be thanked for leaving this recipe behind.

Chicken Cafreal

The colour is a dark brown almost a shade of black and screams out every ingredient that has gone into its making. The cafreal was served with some buttered veggies, potato wedges, tomato cooked in the sauce and a small helping of salad.

The mood called for a traditional Goan Prawn Curry with steamed rice. It felt like home. A not-so-thick coconut based gravy ground with red chillies and other spices was light and not very spicy. Interestingly, the gravy had ladies fingers (okra) with the prawns. Not a great combination to try at home. I’m still wondering if that’s an original recipe or a variant. This meal came with a dry prawn balchao, pickle and some vegetable curry. It’s a complete meal and works well if you are in a hurry.

Prawn Curry and Rice

Apart from the distinct flavours we got to taste at Café Xavier, a meal for two cost us just over 300 rupees. Not bad at all!

Pay by : Cash, not sure about cards

Restroom : Basic, not too clean

Average meal for two : Rs 400 (with wine)

Mel’s overall rating : 3 out of 5

Location: No 141, Mapusa Municipality Market, Mapusa, North Goa