The quiet,
commercial street that took you
from Campal to St Inez without much ado now beckons you to stop and grab a
bite, thanks to the aromas of ‘home food’ that waft out of the quaint new
restaurant on the block, named ‘Bombil’.
It’s just been a month but the place is teeming with patrons. It
has enchanted the locals and tourists with soft music of famous Goan numbers
and a lazy breeze that simply slows down time, giving you the much talked about
‘susegado’ feel – a pocket of calm in the bustling capital city. It’s actually
easy to imagine the lull of the sea and fishermen coming in with fresh catch,
dragging in sand from the shore.
The food too reflects this same feature – freshness! The fish
thali is flexible; it has varieties of fish, changing every day. If it’s sole
fish today, it’s mackerel tomorrow. The restaurant aims at promoting the
smaller yet tastier fish that are common in Goan households. Bombil’s thalis
will also have dry bombil, pickle, local vegetable and raw mango. For something
special on the side, do try the fried squid or prawns, either rawa or masala
fried.
As the writing on the
blackboard informs, you can also opt for the chicken or mutton thali, in which,
the seafood is replaced by chicken curry or mutton xacuti respectively. You can
also choose between regular steamed rice and Goan rice. In fact, the mutton
thali deserves a special mention as it’s not a common option on the Goan menu,
but at Bombil, it seems to be getting a lot of takers.
The breakfast on the
menu has bhaaji, local bread and interestingly, ‘kalchi kodi’ (yesterday’s
curry), the latter being a rural favourite.
Like they say, ‘One’s
stomach isn’t completely full unless one feeds it with their own fingers.’ And
that’s just what you can do here, without a second thought. The home-like feel
of the place puts you at ease, allowing you to get comfortable and enjoy
your meal… don’t hesitate to lick your fingers at the end; the
flavours certainly call for it.
I have to mention the spic and span washroom; a major plus point
of this place (and another reason to lose the hesitation to lick your fingers).
The
hearty food, the spicy mango, the fried bombil, the music, the vibe and even
the tamarind candy at the counter, all come together to steal your heart,
making your meal at Bombil a memorable experience you’d love to repeat.