Best Lifestyle Blog of Goa
For food enthusiasts out there, who like to experiment and enjoy different types of cuisines, World Tapas Day is just around the corner. A quick background on tapas; tapas are small bites of food – snacks or finger food which is accompanied by beer. In Spain, drinks are enjoyed in small glasses called “cañas” and this Cañas y Tapas culture is now becoming a favourite of Indians as well.
When it comes to having a Pizza at a restaurant, I am very particular, because I don’t end up enjoying them at most of the places. I don’t fancy the well known and popular pizza chains either, because for me sometimes the base is too thick, or the toppings are not up to the mark, and the biggest challenge is to find that perfect cheesy pizza. What’s a pizza without that quintessential cheese pull. But thank god for Davide’s Pizzeria, I won’t be able to complain anymore. Its hands down the best pizza place in town.
Often when we think of Sunday Brunch, it means a laid back food scene and when we imagine what a Sunday brunch at a five-star hotel means, we only think of a lavish buffet spread. But what if I tell you that Sunday Brunch at DoubleTree By Hilton, Panaji is not just an expansive multicuisine spread, but it offers much more than that. Organized at their all-day dining restaurant, Comida, this brunch should definitely be on your list. This brunch is more like an experience, a fun time with family and friends, a place to unwind and get rejuvenated and of course all this while you enjoy scrumptious meals and drinks.
Awadhi cuisine is native to the land of Nawabs, Lucknow and is highly influenced by the Mughal style of cooking. The
But when you get to gorge on this culturally rich cuisine in Goa, it’s simply wonderful. You don’t have to travel miles to get the taste of Lucknow, as Goa Marriott Resort and Spa has an ongoing food festival called Miya Ji Ki Rasoi curated by guest chef Asif Quereshi who has specially flown in from Lucknow. In fact, not just the chef has come from Lucknow to host this food festival, but he has also brought in some ingredients from Lucknow in order to replicate the exact tastes and maintain the authenticity of the cuisine.
The elaborate spread has the infamous
Chef has taken a lot of effort in building the menu keeping both non-veg and veg options in mind and thus the vegetarians can actually enjoy this Awadhi feast as much, contrary to the popular belief that Awadhi food is only for non-vegetarians.
My personal recommendations include
Galauti Kebabs– these were delish! For those who have been to Lucknow and tasted the famous Tunday Kebabs, oh boy, these tasted just the same. They were so so tender that they simply melted in my mouth. And a great insight was shared by the chef, that all the meat was cooked for hours in order to become very tender and soft, all because the Nawabs did not want to put any efforts in eating. They wanted easy to eat food that didn’t take much strength to even chew!
Haldi Mitch Ki Tawa Machhi-This too made for one of my favorite dish of the evening. It was very flavourful and delicious.
Ananas Ke Tikke- a great option for vegetarians, although the paneer tikka was good too, these chunks of pineapple marinated in tandoori masala and roasted, were truly amazing. The sweetness of pineapple was so perfectly balanced by the spiciness of tandoori masala.
Haleem- can’t really describe in words, but it was amazing. Top the haleem with some fried onions, lemon juice, green chilies and coriander leaves and savor it with some sheermal and you will taste the heaven!
Finish the meal with sweets like Imarti, Shahi Tukda, and Zarda and enjoy a wholesome foodie experience.
The festival is on from 13th May to 26th May, 7PM-11PM, so make the most of it and do
Situated in the Golden Plateau Hotel, right on the Porvorim Highway, is the recently opened fine dine restaurant Basil Leaf. Honestly speaking when I attended the launch of the place, I couldn’t make much of it. There were a lot of guests back then and I had reached quite late, also I tried only Thai Chicken Curry and Rice during the launch which was good, but I wasn’t really sure how it would turn out when dining on a normal regular day. So when I headed to The Basil Leaf for a lunch with my family, I had no expectations at all, but at the onset, I have to say that I was taken by a complete surprise.
There is food, then there is food made with a lot of love, there are restaurants, and then there are dreams, this place Cuebebar Smokehouse Goa falls in the latter category because it isn’t just a restaurant but a dream that a young boy of 23 all has seen and pursued, it reflects his passion along with that of his friend. Arjun and his friend Bunty are the two boys behind this amazing place. Arjun who worked with Marriott in Texas before coming back to India is the main chef while his friend Bunty takes up the charge for the bar and shakes up some amazing cocktails.
Bohra Muslims, who are said to have migrated originally from Yemen to Gujarat, are firm believers in the maxim: “The family that eats together, stays together.” The entire Bohra family dines out of one platter called the thaal and it typically accommodates 4-8 people. Each dish is placed in the centre of the thaal and every member pulls his or her share. Bohras have a no-wastage policy. Not a single grain of rice is left on the plate when it is taken away.
To promote this thought and keep the tradition alive, Rumana came up with the idea of ‘Thaal’ as she too believes in community eating and bonding over food.
Even though Bombay doesn’t have any specific cuisine, different parts of Bombay are famous for different types of food. From the typical street food that includes Pav Bhaji, the very famous Bombay Sandwich to the food made popular by the old Parsi cafes in South Bombay, it has a lot of variety to offer. When in Bombay, you have to travel across the length and breadth of the city to savor these different delicacies, but when in Goa, you can taste all of this amazing food right from one beautiful cafe, bar and bistro.
Living in Goa is like being on a holiday 365 days, and while on holiday, exploring new and happening spots in terms of food and drinks is something that one cannot ignore. Being a blogger gives the added advantage and hence here I present to you a list of 6 new places in Goa that you should not miss.
Well, Sundays are actually meant to be spent in a leisurely manner and whoever came up with the idea of brunch was a really wise man.
Brunch is a combination of breakfast and lunch eaten usually during the late morning to early afternoon, generally served from 10 am up to 2 pm, and regularly has some form of alcoholic drink which mostly includes champagne or a cocktail. The word is a portmanteau of breakfast and lunch. Brunch originated in the late 19th century in England and became popular in the United States in the 1930s. From there on the trend started catching up with the rest of the world and each country twisted and turned around with their ideas of brunch. Sunday brunches started becoming extremely popular because of the leisurely feeling attached with a Sunday. Usually, people party late nights on a Saturday and a Sunday Brunch seemed just like a perfect meal. Slowly restaurants started picking up the idea and the brunches became even more popular. One the timings made a lot of sense to late risers, plus Sunday could be a no-cook day and it also gave an opportunity for the entire family or even friends to head out together and enjoy a relaxed meal.
Ok now after the brief history and increasing popularity details about the Sunday Brunch lets bring the focus back to the fact that why am I writing about a Sunday Brunch. Of course, because I recently enjoyed a great Sunday Brunch that I would want to share with all of you. Life Beach Lounge recently got launched in Goa and this happened to be their first Sunday Brunch and so I had to attend it anyhow. All thanks to my PR friend Sinead, I got the opportunity to review the Sunday Brunch and we a handful of foodies headed straight to Life Beach Resort in Morjim.
Even though you head out for a food review, you cannot ignore the effect that the ambiance of the place creates on you. Right from the entrance, the place is a picturesque beauty. The pathway that leads to the main seating area in itself is an Instagram friendly point and yes we did stop there to click some pictures first.
As you walk in, the first look of the place mesmerizes you completely. The classy seating, the lounge area, the lavish bar and then the blue sky above, the beach and the sea view that you can’t take your eyes off. I mean I could just sit there and do nothing for hours. Lucky are those who can call such a place their workplace. I could actually urge the management to hire me and allow me to work from such a quaint and beautiful place and
Anyway, I won’t say much, just see the pictures and you will know exactly what I mean.
The Sunday Brunch comprises
Som Tam, Fresh Ice Berg Salad, Japanese Beef Salad and Chicken Glass Noodles Salad
Gazpacho Soup and Hot & Sour Soup
Margarita, Peri-Peri and Pepperoni
Fusion Uramaki Roll, Veg Tempura Uramaki Roll, Prawn Tempura Uramaki Roll, Salmon Uramaki Roll and Spicy Tuna Roll
Thai Red Curry-Chicken with Steamed Jasmine Rice
Panna Cotta, Fruit Salad & Brownie
Champagne Cocktail and Rose Wine
Overall the food was very well done, my recommendations and favorites from all segments would include, The Japanese Beef Salad, The Som Tam Salad, The Chicken Glass Noodles Salad, The Gazpacho Soup, The Spicy Tuna Uramaki Roll, The Prawn Tempura Uramaki Roll, Margarita Pizza, Red Thai Curry with Rice and The Panna Cotta. And trust me on this, order minimum of two portions of the Panna Cotta, It was so so delicious that one would not be able to satiate the craving.
So be it the ambiance, the music, the drinks or the food, this place is a perfect hangout place to chill and relax with your family and friends. Go with leisure in mind and don’t look at the watch, I am sure you will enjoy more that way. Sit back, relax, enjoy the food, drinks, music, get some sun and sand, dip in the sea and come back home fully charged up to tackle the new week and to kick off the Monday blues. For me spending this Sunday afternoon with my friends, enjoying amazing food and drinks by the beach was just the kind of relaxation I dig. Kudos to the entire team at LIFE especially the chefs to pull out such a lovely menu and the ever smiling and hospitable staff.
The Silver Brunch that includes all of the
Other sushi variety can be ordered at an additional price of Rs 1000 and drinks also come in two packages priced at Rs 1200 and Rs 1800 respectively.
Follow them on Instagram and Facebook to get regular updates about their events @life.beach.goa
