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Goa Garnishes: Upper Crust

There’s a certain joy in having your own little circuit of indulgence across Goa. The last couple of months had mine swing from the beer tanks and laidback chaos of Lizard Brewing Company, to the slick comfort-food swagger of One8 Commune.

Then there’s Odd Pizza; where pizzas come with personality disorders in the best possible way 😍🥰 and finally OGS, a haunt that feels like the afterparty Goa never wants to end.

Each spot has its own rhythm, its own tribe, and together they pretty much sum up what Goa does best ; good food, better drinks, and conversations that stretch far longer than planned.

BTS: The Unseen TubCast.

What a wonderful morning setting with shooting for something exciting and my first TubCast.

Thank you for this beautiful concept .narang. Super stoked.

Stay tuned for more updates shortly.

😍🫶💫🤗

What happens when 70 curious minds, cacao, and conversation come together?
An afternoon that reminds you why stories matter as much as process. 🍫

At the Serendipity Arts Festival 2026 – Food Lab, we unpacked the journey of chocolate—from its ancient origins and fermenting rituals to the quiet, patient alchemy of craft.

From soil to story, from bean to bar, the room was alive with questions, tasting notes, and moments of pause—those rare silences where learning settles in.

Grateful and Honoured to share the table, the dialogue, and the philosophy of slow craft with Goa's very own Cacao Whisperer and Founder of Dodā Craft Chocolate (Goa's First Farm to Bar Initiative) Alvinia Desouza as she explained the process and challenges over the years to bring to table the magic that is DoDā.

Chocolate, after all, isn’t just a flavour.

It’s history. It’s culture. It’s time.

This is one of the hardest posts to wrap into words, but I'll try my best.

I was recently conferred a Doctorate of Philosophy in Culinary Anthropology ( Honoris Causa) by Dunster Business School, Switzerland

This accolade recognised my not so longstanding contribution to documenting, interpreting, and shaping India’s evolving culinary narrative.

This honour reflects not just academic merit, but the impact of my fifteen-year plus journey as a writer, curator, cultural observer, and culinary advocate who tirelessly tries to bridge kitchens, communities, and culture.

As mentioned by the presenter of the award, my journey stands as a testament to a larger role in elevating India’s and the world's food stories onto a wider stage while championing the people and traditions behind them.

2006 a magical year! Elbow-deep in service slips, balancing plates, prayers, and dreams while waiting tables and manning the kitchen pass — mostly to pay my way, partly to stay close to the only world that ever made sense to me- Hospitality. I didn’t know it then, but those chaotic dinner rushes, those chef glares, those midnight train rides home with the perfume of garlic and ambition on my shirt fuelled by Omlette Pao at Churchgate station.

Somewhere between the clang of pans and the poetry of a perfect plate, I found my voice — not shouting across a kitchen line, but whispering through the written word. Over the years, that whisper grew into a steady presence in India’s culinary story-a custodian of flavours, memories, and all the unspoken things that make this country’s food culture so wildly magnificent.

And today, that long, messy, magical journey has led to something I accept with equal parts disbelief and gratitude. This honour is not mine alone. It belongs to every mentor ( I have many thankfully) who knocked sense into me, every chef/mixologist who inspired me, every mate who cheered from the sidelines, and every well-wisher who believed in my work even on days I didn’t.

You shaped my palate, my prose and my perspective.

Now and Always- a student 🫶

Grateful beyond words to Prime Entertainers for honouring me with the Leadership Award 2025 in Culinary Alchemy.

To me, a Culinary Alchemist is someone who listens—to ingredients, to people, to culture—and gently transforms stories, memories and traditions into something meaningful on a plate and beyond.

This recognition belongs as much to my mentors, peers, collaborators and the many kitchens, farms and conversations that shaped me along the way.

Thank you for this!!! Closing out the year on a gracious note 🙏💫 I unfortunately wasn't avaiable to be there in person, so AI tried it's best.

Walking into feels like stepping into a kitchen that decides it has zero intention of playing safe. And honestly? Thank god. Because what slings out is bold, loud, unfussy brilliance — the kind of food that grabs you by the collar and says, “Sit down, shut up, and eat.” And while I thought I was ready… I absolutely wasn’t.

The EY-UP PAL-oma- A drink that doesn’t walk in — it struts.Bright, zesty, pepper-kissed, and dangerously easy to down.It’s sunshine with shoulder pads.It’s grapefruit with attitude.It’s the kind of cocktail that winks at you across the bar and says,“Let’s make bad decisions today.” I made them twice and was guilty as charged!

The Hog Shoulder Benny - Overnight-roasted pork shoulder shredded into a sinful pile, crowned with poached eggs and drenched in hollandaise.This isn’t a brunch dish — this is a slow-cooked sermon.The pork falls apart like it has trust issues.The eggs burst like tiny golden water balloons of joy.And that togarashi-spiked slaw on the side?A crispy reality check that keeps you from licking the plate (barely).

The Mackerel on Toast is a toasted slice of heaven carrying butter-flecked mackerel, red grapes, and ajo blanco.This dish is audacity on carbs — smoky, slick, creamy, with a surprising grape pop that makes you go,“Who the hell thought of this? And how do I thank them properly?”It’s coastal comfort wearing a tuxedo.

Not far behind is a prayer for the Herbivores with the Wild Mushrooms on Toast. If forests had a VIP room, this is what they’d serve.

The Lamb Koobideh was quintessentially the show-off of the afternoon.A juicy koobideh skewer wrapped in pita with lemony tahini yoghurt, radishes, cucumbers, and shoestring fries.This dish tastes like someone taught Middle Eastern street food how to flirt.Smoky lamb, creamy yoghurt, crunchy string fries- every bite is a text message you shouldn’t be sending but absolutely will.

If The Foundry were a TV show, it would be a chaotic cooking series where everything is unhinged but every episode is a banger.

And me?I left full, happy, and plotting my next visit like a man with unfinished business.

Bangkok’s iconic No Name Noodle (yes, the Michelin Bib Gourmand legend ramen shop that sells out faster than Goa sells out New Year rooms) is currently taking over Mizu Izakaya Goa, and Chef Shinji & Chef Lakhan — the warrior duo have served up a 6-course umami riot.

From the silky Kimono noodles in bright ponzu, to a jazzed-up chawanmushi with tobiko pops…
then the meditative kombusui tsukemen with Hokkaido scallop, a soul-hugging shoyu ramen, a sake appreciation tasting, and a dreamy crab donabe dotted with marigold petals.

Finished with a cheeky melon pan + matcha ice cream — complete with Shinji’s hidden “ramen twist.”

Playful, precise, drool-worthy. What unfolded was part theatre, part poetry… and entirely umami-driven wizardry.

They are doing the Omakase experience on reservations and last I checked they had a few slots left for Saturday.

Thank you for this beautiful experience and the lovely folk .goa for all the ❤️🫶

Arigatō 🙏🫂

Cocktail Spotlight: Proper Nawty
Location: The Foundry, Nagoa

A glass that looks innocent, sun-lit and tropical… until it hits you with that cheeky undercurrent of jalapeño heat and coriander brightness. Jose Cuervo at play forms the backbone — smooth, warm, and willing — while passionfruit adds that lush, pulpy seduction that coats the tongue in gold.

But the real mischief?
That cube of charred pineapple dusted in tajín.🍍

One bite and the world shifts — sweet smoke, citrus spice, the soft burn of chilli teasing the edges of your lips.👄

Follow it with a sip… and suddenly the cocktail blooms. 🌺

The sweetness deepens, the jalapeño whispers louder, the coriander wakes up and dances. It’s a flirtation — an edible wink — between fruit and fire, between sip and bite.

Every mouthful is tropical temptation.
Every sip, a slow slide into something wickedly refreshing.

And before you know it, you’re already craving the next one.

Proper Nawty. A drink that knows exactly what it’s doing and lives upto every syllable.😍

The halo 😇 slipped, but at least the wings 💸 stayed on.