Email
Print
ShareSome time ago, this was called Trafalgar Chowk and was much loved by rock music junkies. I never visited it then, so this is hearsay evidence. However, at Café Goa on a Thursday -- Karaoke -- night, the guests are warbling to Top of the World by the Carpenters. If you can think of a song further away from rock than that one, then you are not suffering from a morning after hangover.
Anyway, that's another kahani. Of course, rock chick regular dining companion had been here before in its earlier avatar and nodded favourably at the change. It is all white-washed textured walls with woody accents, bits of colour here and there, very pleasant.
The prices on the bar menu are even pleasanter -- Rs85 for 30 ml of Old Monk is a dream when you consider what I have to shell out sometimes for my inexpensive tastes. Meanwhile, the guests are singing If I said you had a beautiful body would you hold it against me. This is a terrible question because you can neither answer yes or no so a better option would be to run away screaming.
Instead, the rava fried prawns and Panjim spiced potatoes for starters. The prawns are good -- fresh enough to be slightly sweet and no flavour is overpowering. I quite like the spicy potatoes, because they're baby potatoes sautéed in their skins with some chatpata masala on top -- not too chilli hot. Rock chick does not eat potato skins because they have too many vitamins in them. She orders French fries instead. Also, we try fish fingers. Which are okay. No tartare sauce but the same mint chutney as the prawns got. Interesting idea.
By now they're singing the Eagles -- inevitable -- and Take it easy. We order a Pork Vindaloo and a Crab Xacuti. The vindaloo is too lightly spiced I think. It is sour as befitting something based on vinegar but had a couple too many potatoes and not enough pork or even enough kick for my liking. A bit blah. Maybe you should best eat at someone's home. The poyee -- pao-like bun -- was a great mopper-upper of the gravy, though. The DJ intersperses karaoke hits with contemporary hip hop stuff. Blah gets to him too, perhaps.
The Crab Xacuti was better, for me. The crab was not too big but had enough flavour to make the effort of eating it worthwhile. The gravy was mild, a bit sweet -- befitting the crab -- and slight aromas of coconut. The guests had now made a massive jump and started singing Sweet Child of Mine Guns 'n' Roses? This was not going to last.
Alas no bebinca, so we have to settle for a sizzling chocolate brownie. Okay, that's not really a punishment. The punishment is Stevie Wonder's smash hit I just called to say I love you. Luckily, there's not much brownie and the ice-cream was been sizzled to a light gravy. Time to go before someone starts singing Lionel Ritchie's Hello.
I would come back to Café Goa, but not necessarily for the food. It's got a nice feel to it, karaoke fans with an interesting taste in music, pleasant décor and staff.
Rating: ***
Café Goa, Agnelo Building, Off John Baptista Road, Bandra (West). Tel: 65299167.
