Nestled in the picturesque lanes of Latin Quarter of Panjim, known as Fontainhas, this cosy Caravela Cafe & Bistro, should be on your list of must-visit places in Goa. It is known to serve the best coffee in Goa and also offers some delicious savouries and desserts to give a great company to your coffees.
These cute little adorable Minnion characters have been loved by all age groups since long now. From stuff toys, to balloons, we even try to make them a part of our day to day life and if you love Minnions, The Minnion Cafe is just the place for you, and if you don’t love them, visit this cafe, and I am sure you will fall in love with both Minnions and the cafe.
Minnion cafe situated in the by lanes of Laxmi Nagar Market is like an underdog for cafes. It just opened a few months back and has been on a hype and to-visit list of many food enthusiasts. This hype is mostly due to the edge given to it by its owners, regarding the theme.
The ambience is quite innovative, with posters, paintings as well as a special wall portion for Minnions language dictionary. It gives a happy go lucky feel around the cafe which will appeal to children, youth and even elderly people. The vibes, the music, is all peppy and alive. The walls have been specially painted by hand and that rawness has its own appeal. They even have an area dedicated for playstation games which can be accessed for a very nominal amount. In fact the place is perfect to host private parties/birthday celebrations etc whether you have a small group of friends or a full-blown guest list.
Coming to food, the innovation has been kept in mind while developing the menu, simple things made with a twist are the highlight of the cafe.
For example, we tried the Nachos Pizza, Jalapeno Cheesy Poppers, Dhaba Maggi and Baked Paneer Tikka and each and every item was simply delicious. I highly recommend the Dhaba Maggi and Jalapeno Cheesy Poppers, they are not to be missed for sure. Try their amazing shakes to go along and I am sure you will enjoy this foodie experience to the core. Nutella Shake, Oreo Shake and Paan Mojito were the best and highly recommended.
Over all, I would not rate this place, rather visit it again. Which will tell you, how wonderful my experience was, that I am already planning my second delightful visit.
Recently when my blog completed 2 years, I though of celebrating the special day with my special friends and headed out to Summer House Cafe for the same. It was a Sunday evening, and Summer House was also organising a Salsa night and this gave us another reason to chose this place for our celebration. Music, Dance, Friends, Amazing Food, I mean what more do you need to celebrate an important day.
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Initially we settled ourselves on the Terrace and enjoyed some starters and drinks. The terrace was a very cool vibe to it and feels like a perfect place to hangout and chill with friends.
A veg platter, Oriental Spring Rolls and Falafel & Hummus made for our starters while Mai Tai and Junniper Pimms were our selection for drinks. The veg platter included Paneer Tikka, Roasted Pineapple and Stuffed Soya Tikka along with mint sauce, kachumbar salad and yogurt dip. The paneer tikka and soya tikka were perfectly done and spiced. Though the pineapple too was good, very juicy and nicely roasted, but I found it too spicy, if it would have been a little less spicier, it would have been better, as too much of spiciness doesn’t gel with everyones tastebuds.
Oriental Spring Rolls were to die for, crispy on the outside, stuffed with sautéed veggies, it was awesome. I can gorge on them anytime. Falafel served with Pita and Hummus were good too, though I would have preferred if the falafel wasn’t too dry. If eaten alone without the dips, it didn’t go down too well with me because of its dryness.
As for drinks, Junniper Pimms was a gin based cocktail with chunks of cucumber which give it a very refreshing taste and Mai Tai was a rum based cocktail, which had both dark rum and white rum along with orange and pineapple juice. Both the drinks not just looked good, but tasted good as well.
After sometime, we came downstairs to explore the inside seating and also enjoy the Salsa night. We ordered Bloody Mary, LIIT, a Pineapple and Red Bull based Mocktail and one other Pineapple Mocktail, both of which were amazing. Then we also ordered some Nachos to go along and sat ourselves in comfortable couches. The ambience downstairs is also very alive and quirky. Paintings, artefacts and random quotes on the walls, make for an interesting decor overall.
By 9:30, the place was buzzing with people dancing away to some great music and showing Salsa moves with their partners. Those who didn’t have partners, also found like minded people, who were all set to explore and thump their feet on the ground. It was an amazing sight to see so many people dancing, looked like many poetries in motion together.
We further tried a thin crust Bell Pepper & Onion pizza and loved it. To end our evening at a sweet note, Banoffee Pie made for a perfect companion. The taste still lingers on. Well in the end all I can say is that I had a perfect evening spent at Summer House Cafe and for me this place will always remain on my go to list when hanging out with friends.
Chaayos has been my all time favourite place, it has such a cool and amazing vibes that I love spending time with family and friends, catching up over a cup of tea and some lip smacking snacks. Also I love the fact about Chaayos that they keep experimenting with their menu, and hence every visit is full of a surprise. New items are kept added to keep the monotonous away whereas the hot selling dishes are always retained.
Over the weekend, I went on to explore the current rage, the Monsoon Special Menu and it was totally worth it. The new dishes added in the menu are apt with the theme and each one of the items taste awesome. You will have a tough time choosing which to have and which to let go, I suggest go with a bigger group of friends and get your hands on everything 🙂
Bund Samosa, a very typical old Delhi charm and a popular street food that finds it place even in homes especially during monsoons. Yes we may not typically have samosa in a bun, but samosa wrapped in bread slices is a common thing. Here at Chaayos, the same home like flavours were beautifully crafted in a soft bun stuffed with a crisp samosa and dollops of chutneys and it surely made for a delightful preparation.
Masala Kulcha with Kulhad Chicken was another amazing preparation, loved the presentation and also the taste. The kulchas seemed freshly prepared and were really soft, the chicken masala was a well cooked, loved the thick tomato gravy.
How can one not have pakodas with tea and that too on a rainy evening, or afternoon, or any time of the day for that matter, the pakodas platter at Chaayos is just amazing. Loaded with Kanda Bhajiyas, Paneer Pakodas and Mirch Pakoda, its a true monsoon delight which you can’t afford to miss.
The other two things that I totally got bowled over by were, Loaded Chicken Open Parantha and Kadhai Chicken Sandwich, both these dishes were remarkable. The open parantha was absolutely delicious and I regret not having it more. I really could have digged in for a couple of pieces more, but nevertheless, now I know what i have to go back here for. Words can’t justify this dish and hence you have to go and figure out for yourself, if you don’t eat it, you surely are missing something.
The Kadhai Chicken Sandwich was a unique preparation where in kadhai chicken was stuffed in soft bun bread and this one again is worth relishing with a cup of tea of your choice.
You must try their Shahi Chai, which is a special monsoon edition, its not like a regular tea, in fact its a thick custard like version of tea made with condensed milk, and can be enjoyed like a dessert after the savouries.
Also don’t forget to indulge in some piping hot Jalebis, crisp, tiny jalebies served in a kulhad are worth every calorie.
My love for this place can only keep increasing, so all I can say is, just got for it and experience it for yourself.
