Food Review: Café Goancho Brings Goan Flavours To Mumbai With Poietos, Xacuti & More

You might just miss the place if your eyes are not glued to searching for it or you are not following a Google map. Café Goancho is a cute little café that makes you feel welcome immediately after you enter. An old black phone instrument in the corner with a mini television, a picture of Our Lady of Immaculation painted on wood adorning the wall, niches on one wall that have books and knick-knacks… “We want people to feel like they have entered a home for a meal,” informs Nandan Khanolkar, the chef and owner of the place.

Chicken Cafreal Poieto Chicken Cafreal

Nandan introduces me to his compact menu and its USP – Poieto! I am super excited to know that they make poies at their bakery in Vasai, owned by Neha, his wife who is a baker. They stuff the poies with varied stuffings and then toast them like a Mumbai sandwich toastie! Innovative, and challenging. “Yes. Definitey challenging,” Nandan agrees. “To keep the poies from breaking, we had play with the dough a little bit and change the texture,” he admits.

Chicken Cafreal is the first Poieto I have. Masalas are right. I love the Jack n Cheese poieto – jackfruit cooked in traditional masala and then mixed with cheese before stuffing it in poie. The flavours are titiliating. Both poietos are perfectly toasted and served with salad and garlic aioli. Their Chicken Chorizo Poieto is a replacement for the pork chorizo Goans are used to. They get the fire nearly right keeping the Mumbai tastes in mind.

Chonak Rava Fry

They make some very good sourdough bread sandwiches as well. The sourdough, again, comes from Neha’s bakery in Vasai. Sandwiches and Poietos, both have variations that pay tribute to Mumbai and Goa. Interestingly, neither Neha nor Nandan are from Goa or Mumbai. Though Nandan is close enough to claim to be a Goan – Kudal. Display of products from their Kudal factory – cashews, sandge nirchi, kokum, kokum syrup, mango barfi – is quite attractive. They don’t use preservatives. The taste of the products is genuine and wholesome. Especially the with skin, salted and roasted cashews.

Chicken Khola sandwich with khola mirchi marinated chicken is surely a must try in sandwiches.

The mains have rechado, balchao, vindaloo, cafreal and xacuti. If you like spicy stuff, don’t forget the Goan Chilly Chicken. From the multiple xacuti recipes available in Goa, Nandan has chosen the closest to his native which is influenced by Maharashtrian flavours. And he hits the bull’s eye with it. You can mains with poie, steamed rice or coconut rice. The coconut rice is so delicious that I would suggest you have it just on its own or with vegetarian gravies; just cafreal gravy or rechado gravy suggested. And, seafood lovers don’t forget the Chonak.

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Serradurra, the traditional Portuguese dessert is just right with the mix of textures achieved. Start the meal with kokum aagal mojito that you can carry through the meal. And finish it with a Hot Toddy that’s ideal for the weather.

(Average cost for two ₹ 1100)

Where: Café Goancho, Pali Hill, Mumbai