Review for Friends Restaurant – Candolim Goa

Seeing the name Friend’s it automatically made me think of the old sitcom, Cheers.  ‘The place where everyone knows your name.’  

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

For a Tuesday night the place was certainly busy, thankfully our friends had arrived before us and grabbed a table.

STAFF

 We had numerous staff serving us. One guy who we never had a chance to know his name seemed pleasant, others just seemed to go through the routine of serving us without any passion for their job least of all customer service.  

SERVICE

The staff seemed very stretched, which I could not pinpoint down to either, too many guests or to the fact they had not been allocated set tables to serve. Consequently, they seemed to run around like headless chickens. Finally locating a waiter we inquired if we could order food, he obliged asking what we wanted, only to finish ordering he dashed off and came back with a notepad asking to repeat the order.  After waiting just short of an hour and seeing a table that came in after we ordered had food, I went to what I presumed was the owner and ask where our food was. With no word of apology he screamed to a waiter, and went back to his bills.  15 minutes later our food arrived.

HYGIENE

The restaurant was clean, so too were the toilets.

FOOD

Fish Chips and Mushy Peas Rupees 350/£4.08/€4.79/₽305.64/$5.14

An acceptable fish steak, chips and mushy peas.

Kingfish with garlic sauce with rice or chips and salad Rupees 350/£4.08/€4.79/₽305.64/$5.14

The fish was nice and moist, not a bid sized fillet and the sauce was good.

Tuna fish with Goan sauce with rice or chips and salad Rupees 350/£4.08/€4.79/₽305.64/$5.14

Sadly this was the worst meal out of the three. The tuna was well overcooked to the point of cremated. As for the Goan sauce, there was none.  The rice I have to say on the kingfish and the tuna was cooked to perfection. Please do not get me started on both the kingfish and tuna’s side salad. That was just an insult.

THE SCORES:

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 4/5

AMBIENCE 3/5

STAFF 2/5

SERVICE 2/5

HYGIENE 4/5

FOOD 2.5/5

OVERALL

 

 

 

2.25 Red Hot chillies 

 

WOULD I GO AGAIN?

Sadly to say no not for a meal. However a great place for a drink and meeting friends.  After my visit was Friend’s the place where everyone knows your name? Maybe some customers may know your name, but I doubt very much the staff would, and the owners? I got the impression they couldn’t care less.

 

 

 

Review Monica’s Restaurant – Candolim Goa

A unique restaurant, a true expression of Goan warmth and amazing home cooked food.  

With Goa attracting more and more outside and I use restaurateurs – loosely, with their hiked prices, mediocre food and service I had begun to reside myself to the fact that Goa had lost forever its legendary Goan family hospitably.   

Remember the time when we would eat in a family garden. Mama would be busy in the family kitchen doing the best she could with what little they had. Papa serving us tepid kings beer or honey bee as that was all their bar included. Their small children played in the garden amongst the tables and the teenagers, practiced their English while helping out where they could.  Leaving with satisfied bellies, you would have a smile on your face and a warm heart for the humble family whose home you just shared.  

Well my friends, let me restore your faith, the legend is alive and kicking in Candolim. Look no further than Monica’s Restaurant.

This is a unique restaurant, a true expression of Goan warmth and amazing home cooked food.  

Everyone who climbs the rickety stairs is greeted by the engaging smile of Melinda, sister to the owner Menetta who slips causally in and out of the kitchen to talk with tables in-between cooking. As the tables start to fill, Mama Monica arrives greeting the whole restaurant with Papa in tow. They flit between tables chatting to customers, taking orders and helping out in the kitchen.  

Okeydokey, the décor to this rooftop restaurant may be basic but spotlessly clean. However, in coming to Monica’s you are not here for the décor you are here to sample their culinary delights.  A small menu but something for every palate. I assure you, you will not be disappointed.

 

RED SNAPPER CHIPS AND SALAD RUPEES 500/£5.93/€6.86/₽437.42/$7.34

When ordering asked if you want the fish on or off the bone, with or without a head. OMG it was amazing it is now officially the best snapper I have ever had in Goa. It just fell off the bone and the skin, just how I like it – crispy, and the addition of the cheese, wow! 10/10.

 Added bonus a plate given to me on service for my bones. That rates another 10/10 in my book.

 

KING FISH IN GARLIC BUTTER CHIPS AND SALAD RUPEES 350/£4.15/€4.80/₽306.40/$5.14

Tender fillets that just melt in your mouth, and the garlic butter yum-my. On both dishes amazing homemade chips cooked twice, no doubt about that. Par boiled and then fried. Well done Menetta another 10/10 for the chips.

 

 

CHICKEN DOPYAZA RICE OR CHAPATT’S RUPEES 320/£3.79/€4.39/₽280.14/$4.70

Thank you, thank you, not only was this the first authentic Dopyaza I have had in years, Yeah! I got chunks of tenderly cooked chicken that MR R and I were not fighting over.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BEEF CHILLY WITH RICE OR CHAPATTI’S RUPEES 400/£4.74/€5.49/₽350.17/$5.87

 In the past MR R and I have had many different versions of chilly beef, in Goa and this was by far our best. The best beef chilli I have had was in Malaysia, this dish reminded me of that, but as MR R pointed out it also tasted like the pepper pot beef I cook at home. Either way this dish was sublime.

Ordering one rice and one chapatti. The rice was cooked to perfection, and may I say not a stingy portion. The chapatti’s light and fluffy just how we like them.

THE SCORES:

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 4/5

AMBIENCE 5/5

STAFF 5/5

SERVICE 5/5

HYGIENE 5/5

FOOD 5/5   5/5  5/5  5/5

OVERALL

 

 

4.8 Red Hot chillies

WOULD I GO AGAIN?

After two visits, Monica’s is now in my top three of frequent places to eat. I take my hat off to these two amazing women. As MR R has said all through our restaurant career, ‘the good restaurants are run by women.’

MONICA”S RESTAURANT AND BAR

BEFORE KINGFISHER VILLA DANDO CANDOLIM BARDEZ  GOA

098221 42212

Hours 18:30 - 11:30

FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/Monicas-Bar-Restaurant-272290529527210/