A newly opened eatery in Bandra is a hat tip to wholesome, traditional fare from north and south Goa with sharp, clean, palate-pleasing flavours
Goan tea stall vegetable samosa
For a true Goan culinary experience of the authentic kind, with no frills, you could either dine at one of Goa’s iconic haunts or, easier, get yourself invited to a meal to a Goan friend’s home. Now, there’s another option to consider — one that we discovered in Bandra called The Coconut Boy (TCB) that opened its doors earlier this month.
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From the get-go, you walk into a Goan mirage with the shack-like up-do — the mimic thatched roof, planters in a sandy border, large wicker lamps, old Goan house doors and barnis as décor, Portuguese azulejo tile plates and accent walls; even the playlist in parts transports you to Goa’s beachfront joints. With its relaxed pace, friendly and attentive staff and chatter in the air even on a weeknight, this new joint passed the ‘susegad’ vibe check that Bandra West desperately needs.
The interiors of the restaurant. Pics/Aishwarya Deodhar
The menu offers extensive options for pescatarians and meat-lovers, as well as vegetarians. We began with Goan tea stall vegetable samosas (R355) filled with mildly spiced mushrooms, peas, carrots, potatoes, and chana dal in a flaky light pastry. This is paired with a perfectly balanced kokum chutney that catches our attention. In fact, the restaurant aces all their sauces, sides and dips from the raw cabbage salad that is served at Goan functions, to the mayo mustard dip and the side of thick-cut fries.
The masala fried squid (Rs 475) has a spicy kick of toddy vinegar and recheado masala that doesn’t mask the squid. This is a quality about Goan cooking that many eateries get wrong. The cuisine doesn’t shy away from using a lot of masala, yet it will complement the protein, pulse or vegetable without overpowering it. For the Portuguese prawn rissois (R510), we miss the promised peppery note in the cheesy prawn filling wrapped in a crumbed and fried crêpe, but it might make for a good bar snack if you’re looking for a non-spicy bite.
Masala rawa chonak and tuna onion salad
For the mains, we opt for the pork sorpotel (Rs 540). It’s well-spiced with a sweet and spicy thick gravy that alludes to the consistency of its stone-ground masala, with thick clean-cut pieces of meat. The pork amsol (Rs 595), though flavourful and wholesome, was more stew-like than what we’ve usually tasted. We ate the pork dishes with poi, which was dense and hard. Cafreal masala banana leaf kingfish steal (Rs 680) again balanced the thick masala paste and the chosen protein, with heavy notes of cinnamon, clove and a certain pleasant pungency and bitterness that certain traditional Goan dishes offer.
Pasteis de nata or Portuguese custard tart
The recheado fried chonak with tuna onion salad (Rs 680) hit the spot with a thin rawa coating that was fried to a good crisp, similar to the way a rawa-coated fish is prepared in Goan households, it is fried to a char giving off a slightly bitter and burnt flavour. We had 60 and 70-year-olds at the table who experienced many throwbacks to granny’s cooking, thanks to the homely spread, especially the spicy and thick village dal with coconut and mustard seed rice (Rs 490), another must-try. With a fine line between pushing the boundaries of a complementary balance and just plain overpowering, TCB achieves the balance. And, to no surprise, we learnt later that chef Rohan D’Souza has crafted the menu.
Pork sorpotel served with poi, a Goan bread
Don’t miss the intensely creamy coconut ice cream sundae (Rs 320) with dark chocolate puffs and coconut macaroon. The Portuguese custard tart or pastéis de nata (Rs 295) is a delightful bite even if the custard was a tad overcooked.
The Coconut Boy
At: Ground floor, Epitome Building, 29th Road, Pali Hill, Bandra West
Time: 12.30 pm to 4 pm; 7 pm to 1 am
Call: 8591212049
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