We land in Goa every year. Not because I’m Goan or that we make it a point to visit, but we somehow end up spending our holidays in Goa, as it feels like home. We love the food, though we don’t like the heat so much. We love chilling on the beach as we are beach-deprived in Bangalore. And, because we understand Konkani, it’s familiar.
Goa does not have a good public transport system, though you may find rickshaws in busy cities like Panjim and Mapusa. So, we usually drive to Goa in order to make commuting within the state convenient. If you know the bus routes, you could probably survive, but we don’t. Anyway, this time we flew to Goa because none of us were enthusiastic about a road trip. Even otherwise, except the husband, we aren’t very happy road trip travellers.
This time, we decided to stay at Candolim (after many years) and move around on foot. If required, there were private taxis to take us places, but we didn’t need them. This time our kids encountered walking in the rain, escaping muddy puddles and being splashed with dirty road water by zooming cars. I know! Ewwww! They were flabbergasted by the experience, but had a different experience, nevertheless.
However, the food we enjoyed made up for all the watery shenanigans. We explored quite a few eateries around Candolim just by walking. Here we shall fill you in on what foods to enjoy so you can decide which restaurants you want to explore in Candolim and beyond.
Here are some must-try foods to tickle your taste buds in Candolim, Goa.
The best thing to eat in Goa is the Goan Sausage or choris (as we locally call it). It’s pork and fat mixed with spices stuffed inside a casing to look like a sausage or balls tied together. The Spanish and Mexican versions are called chorizo.
The traditional bread made in Goa is called Goan Poi/Poee. And, choris stuffed in poi is the first thing I want to eat when I land in Goa. We do get some choris back to Bangalore, but nothing like having it in Goa. You can order the same through Swiggy or find it at Kuzner Bar and Restaurant in Candolim. Only at Kuzner, you will have to order for Goan Sausage Chilli Fry and stuff the choris into the poee yourself.
Kuzner Location – Aguada, Siolim Rd, Candolim, Goa 403515
Check their menu on the Google location pin itself.
If you’re passing Anjuna, you can try the yummy choris poi, mince poi and beef croquettes from Noronha’s Corner, too.
I ate a lot of choris pulao in Goa. We found it, on the third day, at Kuzner Bar and Restaurant. Well made, only we wished that the cardamom and cinnamon sticks would be easily visible while we ate it. Kuzner also has good prawn curry rice.
Another good place to eat choris pulao is Hotel Fidalgo in Panjim.
Normally, in the thali, you will find fish/prawn curry with steamed/boiled rice, chappati, fried prawns or fish, vegetable, some dry dish, dry prawns mix, pickle, kokum juice, papad, some salad and a sweet. In Candolim, Soi – Local Goan Food has this really yummy thali that we probably had on three separate days.
Soi Location – Beside SinQ Nightclub, Sinquerim, Candolim, Goa 403515.
Check their menu on the Google location pin itself.
The best prawn/fish thalis we had were at Ritz Classic in Panjim. Here, weekends are crazy so you may want to reach on time. Also note that the kokum juice is prepared in numerous ways so it could differ from restaurant to restaurant.
Yazu – Pan Asian Beach Club did not have any other Goan dish, so we tried the Goan Beef curry there. It was yum. The consistency and taste were both good. They also had beef momos and ramen, which were yum. We shamelessly tried the maki rolls here, too. A die-hard sushi fan just cannot resist, right?
Yazu Location – Marquis Beach Resort, Dando, Candolim, Goa 403515
Click to check their menu here.
The main reason I like going to Goa is to eat as much calamari in rechado masala (mix of spices) as possible. Rechado masala is a paste of various spices from Goa that makes the food spicy, tangy and slightly sweet. Calamari fried in this paste is what I love best, though this time, my kids seemed to gobble it up more than I did. We found this dish yum at Nova Kitchen and Bar and Soi in Candolim.
Nova Location – Royal Residency 199 L G-3 Dando, Candolim, Goa 403515.
Check their menu on the Google location pin itself.
At Fat Fish, Calangute, you will find yummy Calamari in rechado masala, Goan Sausage fry and almost every other food item mentioned in this article.
Who doesn’t eat fish when in Goa? Vegetarians only, perhaps! And, my husband! Hahaha! Nova, Fat Fish and Ritz Classic have good fried king fish and red/white snappers but if you want some yummy rava fried chonak in Candolim, then you should visit Soi or Palms and Sands Beach Restobar, located right next to Yazu.
Palms and Sands Location – Dando, near Marquis Beach Resort, Candolim, Goa 403515.
Click to check their menu here.
When we weren’t too hungry, we visited this place called Nanbai/Sweet Nation. Sweet Nation is located on the ground floor where you get chaats and sweets. Nanbai (located above Sweet Nation) is where you get yummy puffs and croissants. We had the chorizo puffs and loved them. There were puffs stuffed with chicken, mushroom and spinach and ham and cheese, which were good, too. We also tried the yummy baguettes and hoped such a place would open in North Bangalore.
Nanbai Location – SH9, First Floor, Alcon Holiday Village, SH4, Candolim, Goa 403515.
Click to check their menu here.
Serradura is a Portuguese pudding made from heavy cream and condensed milk, topped with finely crushed biscuit (like sawdust). In Goa, we add tender coconut to give it a yummy tropical twist. We enjoyed this dessert at Fat Fish and Kuzner. It tasted different at both places, though yum.
For us, Goa is a place to visit family who live there, drink some beer with or without them, eat some good non-vegetarian food, enjoy the sunset by the beach or just inhale the cool sea breeze. It’s home away from home and we can spend days there. And these are some of the must-try foods in Candolim, Goa.
Have you been to Goa? What do you enjoy doing the most there? What Goan food is your favourite?
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