Eat & Stay Goa - FEBRUARY 2023 ISSUE

Eat & Stay Goa

COVER FEATURE

paper moon: an italian voyage

Located at the luxurious Taj Fort Aguada Resort & Spa, Goa, Paper Moon is an elegant restaurant that offers cuisine served to Milanese locals and several international travellers.

Mr. Sunil Kumar

ItsGoa in conversation with Mr. Sunil Kumar, GM, The Westin Goa

BReakfast Waffles

Mumbai-based Greta Fernandes shares her recipe for preparing healthy Breakfast Waffles

MumMai

A Panjim-based restaurant that specialises in authentic Goan dishes and snacks

Editorial

Hi friends,

Welcome to the February issue of our e-magazine Eat&Stay Goa.

This month, on the cover, we have featured Paper Moon, a restaurant which opened last November at the Taj Fort Aguada Resort and Spa, Goa. The restaurant, which is the first outlet of the world-renowned brand in India, offers diners a taste of authentic Italian flavours right here in Goa. Read the feature to know more about this newly opened restaurant.

Our inside pages feature stories on MumMai, a restaurant based in Panjim and House of Nomad, a new gastro bar which opened last year at the Taj Holiday Village in Sinquerim.

MumMai, which is a family-run restaurant, started its journey as a food truck during the pandemic. The restaurant offers authentic Goan dishes and snacks to customers and has slowly become a popular spot for casual dining in Panjim.

House of Nomad at the Taj Holiday Village offers diners a taste of the world with its selection of innovative cocktails and dishes from across the globe. What truly sets the guests' experience at House of Nomad apart is the interactive tabletop experience and immersive lounge.

Consumers can interact with touch-activated screens to arrive at the perfect cocktail suited to their palette and discover a symphony of flavour at the immersive lounge creating a truly sensory experience.

The world-famous Goa Carnival got off to a grand start on the 18th of February in Panaji. The start of the 4-day festival was marked by a parade which was flagged off by Goa Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant in the presence of Goa's Minister for Tourism, IT, Printing,  and Stationery Shri. Rohan Khaunte and other respected dignitaries. This year's edition of the carnival featured floats and helicopters that showered flower petals as people stared in awe. The city seemed to be awash in carnival colours, and the fleets chanted the festival's song.

From Panaji, the carnival made its way to Margao on the 19th of February. People flocked to the streets of Goa's commercial capital to witness over 46 floats transit the old carnival route.

From Margao, the carnival made its way to Goa's port town of Vasco on the 20th of February. Thousands of revellers from Mormugao Taluka flocked to the streets of Swatantra Path in Vasco to watch the colourful Carnival parade. The streets were brightly decorated as several floats, some with live bands, paraded alongside the first float carrying King Momo and his Queen.

The four-day festival will come to a close on the 21st of February when it makes its final stop in Mapusa.

I hope you enjoy reading this month's edition of Eat&Stay Goa. Do share it with your friends all across the globe.

Until next month, cheers!

Jessyl Fernandez Editor

Index

01 Paper Moon: An Italian Voyage

02 MumMai

03 House of Nomad

04 The Twin Bakes

05 Interview: Mr. Sunil Kumar, GM, Westin Goa

06 Sahil Essani

07 Breakfast Waffles

Introduction

Goa, the tiniest state on the western coast of India, boasts golden pristine beaches, palmfringed avenues, flavourful food, delicious Portuguese-influenced sweets, and warm, hospitable people. Also known as the Ibiza of India for its partying. A tropical paradise of flora and fauna, from the very famous 'almi' (mushrooms) endemic to its forests, that grow only on the red mud anthills, to the solar prawns that are fished immediately after the monsoons, Goa is unique. Tourists are also attracted to Goa for its cultural heritage - from the famous old Portuguese churches like Se Cathedral in Old Goa, the 16th Century Safa Masjid in Ponda and Shree Mangesha Temple in Mardol, the legendary Arvalem or Pandava Caves where the Pandavas of the Mahabharat fame lived, to its two unique festivals - Carnival and Shigmo. Goa plays host to many festivals - the International Film Festival of India that promotes cinema, the Serendipity Art Festival, Sunburn Music Festival, The Grape Escapade to name a few. To showcase this varied heritage of culture, art, tradition, food, and people, in 2015 ItsGoa was born. The main aim was to make it the premier portal for all things Goa. We were able to showcase Goa like never before. Soon our blog-based website transcended the virtual space, with the ItsGoa magazine – a sought-after resource for visitors to Goa from countries like Norway, Germany, UK, USA, UAE, etc.

Editorial Team

Chief Editor

Jessyl Fernandez

Content Manager Steve Antao

Content curators: Prataya Sarkar

Greta Fernandes

Sales & Marketing

Donald Fernandez

Graphics & Layout Shankar Kamble

Aniket Naik

Social Media Manager Saviola Dias

For advertising queries:

9370502124 / 9209005127

Nordic Intent HQ Floor 3, PDA Colony, Porvorim, Goa 403521

Email : mail@itsgoa.com

Website: itsgoa.com

Website: www.itsgoa.com I Instagram: @_itsgoa I Facebook: Itsgoa

Paper Moon from Milan Goa to

Cover Feature

The first Indian branch of the world renowned restaurant brand, Paper Moon at the Taj Fort Aguada Resort & Spa offers diners a taste of authentic Italian flavours right here in Goa

The Taj has been known for epicurean excellence for over a century, introducing the country to a host of global cuisines and culinary experiences. We were the pioneers of International cuisine in India and have been the first to bring global chefs and iconic International brands to the country. Continuing this legacy we are delighted to bring the iconic restaurant Paper Moon from Milan to Goa presenting the city with the authentic taste of honest Italian food.

Goa has become a gourmands parade with a host of independent restaurants and nationally acclaimed chains starting outlets here. Paper Moon has already crafted a name across the globe for excellence. Now, with its first outpost in India, we have already captured the market in Goa and are delighted to have become a popular culinary destination for our discerning patrons.

Paper Moon is driving audiences from the independent bars and restaurants in the city as it is centrally located in the heart of North Goa. With this flagship outlet, we are catering to the tourists and locals too and not only concentrating on our in-house clientele which is usually the norm amongst five-star properties. The impeccable service associated with The Taj and the culinary prowess of Paper Moon has already been welcomed and appreciated by the locals. We will be expanding our reach with this new eatery.

Paper Moon is an elegant restaurant that offers cuisine served to Milanese locals and several international travelers. The refined location

The bar area at paper moon

combines interiors with clean green and warm lighting. Long before farm-to-table was a trend, it was the way of life of most Italian families, they pay attention to raw ingredients and ways of preparing that makes all the difference to the dish. Taking advantage of the fresh produce available in Goa, we are determined to serve the best of our signature dishes which will transport your heart to Italy. This same simplicity and balance of taste define our restaurant's concept: matching a few perfectly chosen ingredients with the techniques and precision necessary to turn a dish into a true sensory experience. We pair our dishes with signature drinks to make sure each element pairs well together. Our Tartare di Salmone Marinato which is marinated Salmon Tartare with avocado, cucumber, and tomato coulis pairs perfectly with Sparkling Rosé wine. Our homemade cheese ravioli with Piedmont truffle cream pairs perfectly with the Chardonnay. An ode to Goa, our grilled prawns with roasted bell peppers and parsley will leave you salivating for more.

Tomato carpaccio, goat cheese, Taggiasca olives capers

Baby spinach, goat cheese, champignon mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes & caramelized walnuts

The restaurant's exquisite cellar collection of premium wines from around the globe best compliment our striking Italian flavors. Our wine list typically includes a wide selection of white wine from the Friuli - Venezia Giulia and Veneto regions as well as Piedmont and Tuscany for the reds. Our cocktails list is divided into seasonal cocktails, Italian cocktails, and international cocktails. Our international drinks are then subdivided into classical and signature drinks. There is something for everyone. Our cafeteria offers a wide range of coffees and speciality hot drinks which are perfect against the crashing waves of the ocean. We work with coffee machines and coffee brands that are synonymous with Italian quality and thus are able to serve topquality coffees throughout the year.

We plan to play host to elegant private events and offer many different attractive setups to consider based on the size of the party and occasion. We are dedicated to making each business, social, or personal event memorable and suited to your needs. Born out of love for honest Italian cuisine, Papermoon stands as a beacon of authenticity among its peers. In each of our locations, we have committed to always combine experience, research, rigor, and creativity while never forgetting the sense of awe each of us felt in our nonnas kitchen, where everything always begins. The alfresco transports you to a vintage Italian garden in a new-age setting. Tourist-forward destination with an established global brand offering exquisite Italian dining at an iconic property - Taj Fort Aguada Resort & Spa, Goa. This new upscale restaurant will be an experience like no other!

Website:

Dining area at Paper Moon

Goan restaurant

MumMai

Founded in 2021 as a cloud kitchen, MumMai  is a restaurant based in Panjim that specialises in serving authentic Goan dishes and snacks

Article by: Steve Antao

Images by: MumMai

Website: www.itsgoa.com I Instagram: @_itsgoa I Facebook:

Situated at the Arora Gomes building on Menezes Braganza Road in Panjim is MumMai, a family-run restaurant that specialises in serving authentic Goan dishes and snacks. The restaurant is run by Emilia Victor, her son, Chef Elvis Victor and her nephew, Chef Roland Sequiera.

While the restaurant commenced operations at its present-day outlet in April 2021, the journey of MumMai actually began in 2020 during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Emilia had always been passionate about cooking and over the years, her dishes had garnered appreciation from her family and friends. Despite the restrictions of the pandemic, Emilia still wanted to find ways to spread joy with her home-cooked recipes and extend it beyond her family and friends.

With the help of her son Elvis, MumMai came to fruition as a cloud kitchen. Initially, they operated on weekends, preparing food and inviting people to pick up their orders. As they established regular customers, Emilia’s younger son, Stanford Victor set up MumMai’s social media to get the word out.

Word about MumMai spread fast and they started to receive more orders than they could handle over the weekend. Hence, in April 2021, with the help of Emilia’s nephew, Chef Roland Sequeria, they opened their outlet in Panjim.

The inspiration behind the name, MumMai, came from Emilia’s mother, Maria Georgina Victoria, whose grandchildren lovingly called her “mummai,” which means, grandmother in Konkani. Emilia’s recipes at the restaurant have all been passed down from her mother and she considers her the driving force of inspiration for the restaurant.

About The Founders

Emilia Victor, with her roots in Panjim, Goa, is one of the Founders of MumMai. She cooks, conceptualises and brings her years of experience in the kitchen to life in MumMai. In the past, she co-owned Ge Gems Gift Centre along with her husband, George Victor. The shops. offered toys, books, merchandise, crockery and cutlery and cutlery and was popular amongst tourists and locals. The business strived for a good twent

years with a niche market of customers. People still remember the location as it was located at Trionara Apts, at the heart of Panjim Market.

Emilia’s son, Elvis Victor, is a qualified Chef and has worked with brands such as Taj Holiday Village, JW Marriott, Mumbai, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Liner. He fulfilled his vision of starting his own establishments with a couple of restaurants. He also started a food truck Antojitos, which is also the food partner for Pinch Bistro & Bar at Panjim, Goa.

The third co-founder, Emilia’s nephew, Roland Sequiera holds a BA in Hotel Management from IHM, Goa and holds a Diploma in Culinary Arts from Canada. He has worked with restaurants across the world with brands such as The Hilton, The Marriott, Radisson, Taj, Kuwait Airways, and Crown Plaza and also managed a few hotels in Goa.

Food and Drinks Offered

MumMai aims to serve homely meals to its customers. The restaurant specialises in hearty homemade meals, and small bites, and is popular for its bestselling dishes such as xacuti, pork sorpotel, chops, cutlets, and its signature dish, pulled pork choris pao. They also specialise in the traditional Goan dessert, ‘Vonn’, made of coconut, jaggery and lentils.

Website: www.itsgoa.com

As a tribute to its foundation, every weekend, MumMai curates a special menu based on fresh produce. Some of the dishes on the specially crafted menu include pork solantulem, cafreal, kokum spiced pork ribs, and beef tongue roast. They also serve caramel pudding, Seradurra, homemade bebinca, and kokum soda infused with basil and orange.

Their USP

MumMai brings home-cooked delicacies to the plate. The authentic Goan taste can be found in each dish served by them and customers have vouched that it reminds them of their grandma’s food. They use local ingredients and work with local suppliers for meat such as chicken, and seafood, among others. Also, their seafood menu is updated daily to maintain freshness and ensure that they only serve quality dishes to their customers. Dining at MumMai is a cosy and comforting experience, bringing the wholesomeness of the food to its ambience. The owners of MumMai are at the premises, most times and customers can chat with them to learn more about them and the restaurant. If the setting is right, they might even strum a few tunes on their guitar.

Response From The Public

The response from the public to MumMai when it just started operations was a lot warmer and more welcoming than expected, especially by locals. The owners consider themselves lucky to have several loyal customers and seeing the familiar faces actualises the vision that they started off with. They have also received appreciation from foreign tourists.

Challenges Faced and Future Plans

Emilia says that the growth of the restaurant was slow initially, but word of mouth and their social media presence helped the business to grow steadily. “Also, procuring a steady supply of raw materials such as fresh produce was a hassle at the beginning”, she says.

As for the future, she would like to expand to a full-fledged restaurant, with the scope of serving over a hundred people at a time, she adds. “Also, we are looking into starting a second

establishment, like a Tapas with a bar.”

Final Words

Emilia says that with the ongoing developments in modernisation, traditional Goan food is losing its demand. “Our project aims at keeping the tradition alive and providing our local and tourist customers with a taste of history. We believe that with each dish we prepare and serve, we are recreating a part of our roots. With each visit, you can help us in our quest to preserve the culinary aspect of Goa’s tradition.”

MumMai, Panaji

Phone: 097653 44560

Facebook/Instagram: @mummai.in

Kokum Spiced Ribs

Pulled Pork Choris Pao

House of Nomad

Situated at the Taj Holiday Village Resort & Spa, at Sinquerim - Goa, House of Nomad offers a taste of the world with a unique selection of multi cuisine dishes and innovative cocktails and wines.

Images by: House of Nomad

Website: www.itsgoa.com I Instagram: @_itsgoa I

Restaurant review

The House of Nomad draws inspiration from the life of a wanderer, always moving, adapting, and innovating. It is bohemian and warm with exposed walls, Edison bulbs, and a chalkboard with specials written on it. Life is undoubtedly a journey, one that is best taken with friends, food, and fine spirits for companions. Taj Holiday Village Resort & Spa, Goa new gastrobar - The House of Nomad, is the perfect destination to discover everything in abundance.

Uniting beer guzzlers, wine connoisseurs and malt mavens, there is something for all kinds of parched souls. It offers a taste of the world with its selection of innovative cocktails and wines from across the globe, including Australia, New Zealand, France, America, Italy, Argentina, and Chile. Sitting at the epicentre of Taj Holiday Village Resort & Spa, Goa’s newly-launched House of Nomad is the perfect oasis in the heart of this vibrant destination, providing travellers with the ideal hub for camaraderie, conversations, cocktails, and cuisines.

House of Nomad, which focuses on using local produce to cater to non fussy eaters and pure foodies alike, has a range of dishes like French fries Okonomiyaki dusted with gun powder and curry leaves, Crispy Calamari with chilli garlic, Chorizo sliders with pineapple slaw that will take your palate on a culinary trip of its own! Some of our other special tributes to Goa include Pepper Tenderloin Steak, Prawn Curry and Vietnamese Banh Mi.

Our cocktails list is divided into cultural cocktails, land & locale cocktails, classic cocktails and community cocktails. Some of our specials include Sinquerim Sour where we used kokum infused vodka, The Time Traveller with passion fruit and Amber Snap made with a ginger honey syrup. The Mariposa with butterfly pea infused tanqueray, white wine, and elderflower is the most refreshing.

House of Nomad is filled with life’s unexpected experiences – initially surprising but ultimately intriguing. We want to keep our guests curious and excited for “what’s next?” at every step of

their journey. The flavours we produce and elixirs we concoct are familiar yet surprising; close to the heart yet far from home. Just as nomads of old sojourned, from place to place finding a home, our food and drink creations take you on a sensory journey filled with adventure. Every step of your journey at House of Nomad brings with it excitement and a true sense of place. We don’t just want to be a hotel “destination bar” - at House of Nomad, we live to bring destinations to you. The House of Nomad works as both a destination and a short halt, where the travellers can celebrate the impermanence of life itself.

There is something for everyone #youbelonghere

Sinquerim Sour Cocktail

Soft Pork Ribs Vindaloo

Siracha Patatas Bravasz

home bakers

the Twin Bakes

Situated at Jairamnagar in Dabolim, Twin Bakes is a home bakery run by twin sisters Artha Naik and Pritha Naik. The fact that Artha and Pritha happen to be twins led them to name their enterprise as Twin Bakes.

Article by: Prataya Sarkar

Images by: Twin Bakes

The Twin Bakes is a home bakery based at Jairamnagar in Dabolim. The bakery is run by twin sisters Artha Naik and Pritha Naik. The fact that Artha and Pritha happen to be twins led them to name their enterprise as The Twin Bakes.

The bakery offers a wide variety of delicious cakes and other baked items like cupcakes, brownies, macarons, doughnuts, cheesecakes and lots more. However, their area of expertise lies in making customized cakes for occasions like weddings, birthdays, baby showers, engagement parties etc. Artha and Pritha’s love for cakes and baked goods is what drove them to start The Twin Bakes. “We don’t just bake cakes, we create pieces of art,” says Artha.

The Twin Bakes also caters to the dessert spread for various kinds of occasions and events. Artha and Pritha also conduct baking workshops for beginners and aspiring bakers where they teach them the basics as well as the advanced intricacies of baking.

Artha and Pritha learnt the art of baking all by themselves. Watching videos about baking on YouTube help them to learn more about the various methods of baking. Later, they attended a couple of baking workshops to enhance their skills. They have been in this field for nearly four years now. They started baking only as a hobby. They never imagined that this hobby of theirs would eventually turn into a successful home business.

How Did It All Start?

Artha and Pritha got inspired to venture into the field of baking full-time after they participated in a healthy food competition organized by the college they were studying at. They won a prize for the Apple Oats Cake which they had made at the competition. One of the judges of the contest liked their cake so much that she placed an order for it the very next day!

After many attempts at baking various kinds of cakes, Artha and Pritha started to gift cakes to their family members and friends on their birthdays. After this, they started receiving many

orders for their cakes by word of mouth and this is how twin bakes came into being.

Although Pritha never had an interest in baking, she used to help Artha by just whipping the cream for the cake using a hand beater. Later, when Artha had to move to Bangalore for further studies, Pritha stepped in her shoes and tried her hand at baking cakes. She tried making a cake and it turned out extremely beautiful. There was no looking back for her after that.

Their USP

The secret behind the delicious cake made by us at The Twin Bakes lies in the fact that we use good quality and premium ingredients rather than premix and cake gels to make our cakes”, says Pritha. We make the entire cake from scratch while ensuring genuine taste and texture. and once people taste our products, they simply can't resist not coming back for more” she adds. twin bakes mostly caters to domestic clients with a few tourist clients from various age groups. Their best-selling cakes are the Nutella hazelnut and rose pistachio.

Website: www.itsgoa.com

Pritha Naik (left) and Artha Naik (right), the founders of The Twin Bakes

Challenges Faced

Starting the bakery before Covid proved to be challenging for Artha and Pritha because the availability and sourcing of raw materials was a bit difficult. Also, post-Covid, many home bakers emerged, acting as competition for The Twin Bakes. Keeping up with the recent trends in cakemaking also turned out to be quite demanding for them

Another major setback which Artha and Pritha faced was in November 2020 when their Instagram handle got hacked and since their business is mostly based online, they lost everything. Their entire follower base along with the engagements flushed away in no time. “Setting up another account and building it up from scratch was hard and took quite a lot of time”, says Pritha.

Accolades Won

Artha and Pritha have won a number of accolades and awards ever since they started The Twin Bakes in 2019, They were selected in the top 15 Super Bakers in India for the second season of a TV show called Baker’s Studio. The show was

They also won second place in the wedding cake contest organized by Weddings De Goa. The Twin Bakes is ranked amongst the top 200 in India by Home Bakers India.

Future Plans

In the next few years to come, Artha and Pritha plan on expanding The Twin Bakes and intend on getting in more people to join them. They are also looking at opening a dessert bar or café very soon.

“Home baking or cooking isn’t just a side business but a vocation”. This is something which Artha and Pritha would like the world to know, as they feel that not much value is given to the home baking industry.

To place an order for cakes and other items offered by The Twin Bakes:

WhatsApp/ Call: 7219595536/ 8669005670

Instagram: the.twin.bakes

Facebook: The Twin Bakes

Orders for customized cakes must be placed at least 7 days before the desired date of delivery. The minimum requirement for orders for customized wedding cakes is that the cake should weigh at least 3 kg. Pan-Goa delivery of wedding cakes is available.

(Left to right) Pritha, Chef Amrita Raichand & Artha on the sets of the show Baker’s Studio

Artha (left), Chef Kunal Kapoor (middle) and PrItha (right) on the sets of the show Baker’s Studio

Interview

Mr. Sunil kumar, GM, The WEstin Goa

In a brief conversation with ItsGoa, Mr. Sunil Kumar, General Manager, The Westin Goa, talks about his journey in the world of hospitality, things about Goa he admires the most, and lots more...

Article by: ItsGoa Team

Images by: The Westin Goa

Mr. Sunil Kumar serves as the General Manager of The Westin Goa at Anjuna. Having taken charge of the property when it opened in March 2021, Mr. Kumar has over the past two years, taken the hotel to greater heights and has seen it win a number of awards.

In a brief tete-a-tete with ItsGoa, Mr. Kumar shared insights into his life, his journey in the hospitality industry, things about Goa he admires the most, and lots more…

Excerpts

Give us a brief introduction about yourself. My stint with the hospitality industry began whilst I was pursuing my Bachelor's in Hotel Management in Bangalore after which my first project was with Trident Oberoi in Jaipur. It’s been almost two decades since I stepped foot in this magnanimous industry and in all honesty, there’s no looking back.

What was your childhood ambition?

If I’m being completely honest, I never imagined or thought about hospitality as a future profession. I was driven towards becoming an architect and engineering seemed to be the route to pursue that career path. It was actually my cousin who inspired me to explore the hospitality industry by making me see the bigger picture of this absolutely exciting and booming industry.

What inspired you to take up hotel management as a full-time profession?

It was after my first stint in Jaipur that I got a feel of the grandeur and thrill of working in this industry, in all honestly there was no turning back after that. I had a vision, and that was to one day run the show and today I’m extremely proud and humbled to have the opportunity to live my dream.

Take us through the journey of your career in the hospitality industry.

I’ve been working in the industry for over 2 decades now and the journey has been absolutely incredible. Through the course of my career, I’ve worked with a vast portfolio of premium hospitality brands like Hyatt, Oberoi, Marriott and Starwood amongst others. The vast exposure to the industry and journey up the ranks has been challenging

, but proved to be an incredible learning experience and I’ve met such incredible and inspiring people along the way.

Coming to awards and achievements, in 2022 our top 3 at The Westin Goa would be;

1. We hit the #1 Rank on TripAdvisor as the bestranked hotel in Goa,

2. Secured two extremely prestigious awards at the 2022 APEC General Managers Summit for the 'Highest Internal Alumni Hiring' and

3. The 'Hotel Opening of The Year’ – that was, without a doubt a big win for us considering we opened the hotel amidst the pandemic.

How long has it been since you took over the reins of The Westin Goa?

I’ve been with The Westin Goa right from the start, it’s why I feel so attached to the property. I feel like the hotel is like my baby and I’ve watched it grow both architecturally and as a brand.

How has your experience in Goa been so far? Goa is a truly fabulous place, with a small and tight-knit network. I think the charm of working in Goa as a hospitality professional is that the restaurant owners and hoteliers work in unison and are incredibly supportive of one another.

Name a few things about Goa that you appreciate the most.

The sustainability practices set in place for hotels in Goa, such as greywater recycling and wet waste disposal are super progressive and a need of the hour. The community too is extremely supportive, we see this in the form of the support you receive from the panchayat. Apart from a social and political front, the F&B industry is one to really look out for in Goa. It’s incredible how there are countless opportunities for restaurateurs to explore right from bustling beach shacks and classy beach clubs to quaint restaurants and hotels like ours.

Name a few Goan dishes which are your favourites.

I absolutely love food, and Goan food is so diverse with an amazing profile of flavours. The 3 dishes that top my list are; Goan Prawn Curry, Pork Sorpotel and Bebinca.

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What is Sunil Kumar like when he is not working? What kind of activities do you indulge in for recreation and leisure? I’m huge on socializing and I love meeting people, making friends and exploring the ever-growing F&B scene of Goa. Apart from this, in my downtime, I like spending quality time and going for long walks and pampering my four-legged companions.

How have the tourist footfalls been during this past festive season at The Westin Goa? In comparison to the last couple of years, tourist footfalls were considerably lower this season. I think a huge cause for that is the increase in international travel considering the markets have opened up and access to destinations like Sri Lanka, Thailand and Dubai has skyrocketed.

An upcoming events/ initiatives at The Westin Goa that people can look forward to in 2023? There isn’t a dull week at the Westin, we’ve got something exciting almost every single day from Thursday to Sunday. Recently we’ve started an inwater dining experience at Drift with fresh grills and live music, which without a bias I’d say tops my list. Apart from this on a larger scale, we have Yasmin Karachiwala hosting the Pilates Festival India 4.0 at the property from the 2nd – 5th of February, An uber exclusive Fashion Show with designer Vikram Phadnis in March and 2-3 popups with well-known fashion and lifestyle curators from around the country planned for the first quarter of the year.

Finally, what thought would you like to leave our readers with?

All I’d say is follow us on Instagram and keep your eyes out for uber-exclusive offers, experiences and fun events to elevate your social scene by a notch.

a toast to the king of bartending!

Goa-based Sahil Essani ,won the Diageo World Class India Competition and landed the title of ‘Bartender of the Year 2022’ last year.

Goa recognizes and appreciates artisanallycrafted liquor. Right from our local, beloved Feni to the highly refreshing Urrak, we have several drinks that bring out Goa’s essence. Even though bartending appears to be a 'cool' career option where it’s all fun and games, there is a lot of hard work, persistence, and training that goes into mastering the art.

An alumnus of V. M Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education (VMSIIHE), Goabased Sahil Essani won the Diageo World Class India Competition and landed the title of ‘Bartender of the Year 2022’ last year. After months of hard work, persistence, and sheer dedication, the young prodigy represented India at the World Class Finals held in Australia as well.

The story begins all the way back in 2018 when Sahil entered the World Class India Championship just for fun, and the feedback received from the judge and preceding winner, Devi Singh took him a step closer to understanding what bartending is all about. “The more I understood the art of bartending, the more I realized how little I know, and I found myself in a pursuit of knowledge that had me more engaged than any kind of learning I had ever pursued. Since then, I never looked back and found myself in a career that I absolutely adore,” said Sahil.

Although being a part of the World Class Championship was a choice, winning it was more than an achievement for the Goan bartender. None of this would be possible if it wasn’t for the platform provided by V. M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education (VMSIIHE), Manora-Raia, Goa from where he attained his Bachelor of Science degree in International Hospitality Management. The institute imbibed in Sahil the skills, confidence, and a winning attitude that saw him soar past the other contenders to make it to the top spot of the national competition. From having classmates help him in recording videos till 4 AM to painting personalized glasses for his drinks for over 6 hours, he had the support and guidance from his faculty and colleagues that will forever be memorable.

“I remember looking at YouTube videos of former World Class winners late into the night and

dreaming of being on that same stage and once I felt confident in my abilities, I decided to enroll myself. It had a lot of sleepless nights of planning and execution, but my relentless attitude bore me fruit and I found myself in the finals.” Says Sahil.

He definitely had a say when asked what his favorite drink was. “A Martini, definitely a dirty martini! I mean, it’s the one drink that cannot be outshone by the latest trends and there is a specific way to make it too” he shared. Bartending isn’t just about making mainstream drinks and serving them in fancy glasses. It is also about mixing different concoctions and using creativity to put together blends that strike the right chord with the crowd.

When asked about a creation of his own that he is proud of, Sahil went on to tell us about Sohrai, a cocktail named after the celebration of nature by the tribals of Munda, Santhal, Oraon and other

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Sahil Essani with the ‘Bartender of the Year 2022’ award which he won last year at the Diageo World Class India Competition

tribes of Jharkhand. The art form used to decorate the walls of homes to celebrate nature is also called Sohrai, a 6000-year-old art form that uses coloured soils as hues. “I had the opportunity to visit Jharkhand and work with 19 tribes from across the country on a holistic food and beverage experience along with the CSR team of TATA Steel. This allowed us to explore, understand and document the various unique processes and recipes of the tribes. On one such visit, we were treated to a golden warm tisane or herbal tea with a toasty nutty aroma that made us curious about the same. Sohrai is a tribute to the celebration of nature, and all the tribes that celebrate it.” shares Sahil.

Apart from the fun and glamour, bartending has its hardships, sleepless nights and at times, disappointments too. The career takes unreal levels of dedication and motivation. He is back from his fruitful run in the finals held in Sydney, Australia. The king of bartending only has fond memories of his experience at the Finals. He says, “I had a great time meeting so many budding mixologists from all over the world. The crowd was filled with people with similar interests and passions which was so overwhelming yet enlightening at the same time. I got the opportunity of a lifetime to meet my icons in the alco-bev industry and everybody was so kind and grounded. I feel privileged to have shared a slice of Goa with the International crowd through my drinks at the finals. It was a challenge indeed but I

was able to experiment with different spirits and put together a tequila-based drink that represented the locality of Fontainhas and the legacy of the renowned Joseph Bar. ”

The bright alumnus is very fondly remembered by Prof. Irfan Mirza, Director/Principal of VMSIIHE, who shares, “Like every student, Sahil too entered our college with dreams and the desire to learn. Initially, he lacked the basic foundational knowledge about the industry and its workings. He pleasantly surprised us with his organizational and management skills when he was bestowed with the responsibility of handling several mega events on campus like the ‘Go Cheese Indian Chef Awards 2018’ hosted by our Institute. He headed his team with utmost drive and dedication. The internship at the Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Resort in the UAE increased his confidence greatly which is crucial in the hospitality industry. We are glad we were able to provide him with an array of opportunities to aid in his growth. We feel immense pride to have had him as a part of the family at VMSIIHE and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

For Sahil, the desire was to make the country and the Indian bar community proud. The young star still has a long way to go. “Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. The journey till the finals was everything and it always will be,” adds Essani.

RECIPE

Breakfast Waffles

In this article, Mumbai-based home chef Greta Fernandes shares her unique recipe for preparing tasty breakfast waffles

Aticlby: Gta Fs re reernande

Images by: Greta Fernandes

On our fitness journey, there are times when we crave for certain foods and it leaves us wondering how to make them as healthy as possible, to avoid the feeling of guilt. This is where today’s recipe fits in.

So, let’s look at one of the most trending desserts - BREAKFAST WAFFLES!

These are neither extremely unhealthy nor healthy, but they are somewhere in between and can be your perfect Sunday Binge.

Compared to refined flour the whole-wheat waffles are more hearty, but that’s kind of a given considering that you are using whole-grain flour.

I love adding fresh fruits and whipped cream on top of piping hot waffles. But you can also drizzle them with chocolate sauce, hazelnut spread, peanut butter, honey or maple syrup and toasted nuts.

Whole-Wheat Waffles (2 to 4 servings)

Crack the eggs into a large bowl

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

1 and ¾ cups milk (I used skim milk, but any kind will work.)

¼ cup oil 2 tbsp coconut sugar

½ tbsp cinnamon

½ tsp vanilla extract

2 cups whole wheat flour  2 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt

For Garnish: Oranges, Black grapes, Green grapes, Bananas slices & Hazelnut Spread

Add the milk, oil, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. (Don’t stir yet.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt’

2. In a cup, whisk an egg and add melted butter and powdered palm sugar. Mix everything using a hand whisk. Add in milk and give a quick mix.

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Use whisk to stir everything together just until the lumps re gone.

Pour the tter into the hot w ffle iron, nd ook until golden rown

Now the texture is spot on nd oth sides re ooked evenly

Remove from the w ffle iron nd top the hot w ffles with fruits nd drizzle of h zelnut spre d nd enjoy.

About the Author :

Greta Fernandes is Mum i- sed nutritionist nd home hef. She runs Deliciously URS, n online onfe tionery th t spe i lises in sug r-free kes nd onfe tion ries. Deli iously URS provides p n Indi delivery of rownies, ookies, nd te kes.

To place orders for cakes and other confections, contact Greta on WhatsApp at 8369880446 Website: https://deliciouslyurs.com/