Cesar
Chavez once said, “If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house
and eat with him…the people who give you their food give you their heart.” If
that’s true, you don’t have to visit Mohak and Reema’s home because their
restaurant, Rafflezz, is their second home. The young couple opened their
restaurant in the month of April 2019 and have innovative and fresh recipes
that intrigue the minds of food lovers who would want to try something new.
A
small space near Kadam Place in Fatorda, the walls of the cosy restaurant are
adorned with quotes about food in English and Hindi that give you a sense of
the varied cuisines on offer. Mohak Paroolkar, the chef and owner, is the son
of Manoj and Anjali from Chicalim and is married to Reema Bandodkar, the
daughter of Anuradha and late Arun from Margao. The restaurant is their first
endeavour post marriage. They combined their talents of hospitality and hotel
management to plan the functioning of the restaurant.
“Rafflezz
was my college project, which got rejected because the professor said it was
not feasible. The place is doing well and in the monsoons, it receives a lot of
orders via Swiggy and Zomato,” says Mohak, who studied at Institute of Hotel
Management, Aurangabad and later worked at TajSATS in Dabolim.
One
of the interesting things about the place is that instead of being greeted by a
manager, and seeing the wait-staff running about the place, here it’s just the
couple doing all the work; everything, from taking the order, to cooking to
stopping by for a chat. The owners are proud of their open kitchen concept.
The
menu features a variety of salads, starters, sandwiches, burgers, wraps and the
main course. The Caesar Salad was flavourful with a good balance of romaine
lettuce and croutons. The boiled eggs with a slight crunch and the juicy chicken
pieces added a different note to the classic recipe. The Spinach and Corn Sandwich
showed off Mohak’s expertise with the sandwich filling that he learnt at the TajSATS,
while working on sandwiches for different destinations. The Spinach and Corn Sandwich
was not just a treat for the eyes with its mix of vibrant yellow and green
colours but the filling was also great in taste. The pops made of a mix of
carrot, potato and corn as a side to the dish along with fresh salad can
actually make up a meal for small eaters.
One
of the highlights of the restaurant, which are also their most talked about dishes
are the burgers at this place. And they did not disappoint. The Roasted Chicken
Burger was served with a good amount of French fries and fresh salad. A bite
into the burger and the meat just melts in your mouth. Mohak’s attention for
small details makes the dish stand out. For this burger, the star is obviously
the chicken patty that is really juicy but the sides of the bun are also
toasted, which adds a whole mix of textures to a simple burger.
The
Hot and Spicy Chicken Wings are another take by Mohak as he has made his own
mix of spices to give the sizeable wings more flavour and make it appealing for
the Goan taste buds with the right amount of spice. The menu also features
Cafreal Burger, Goan Pulled Chicken Burger, Thai Spicy Chicken Burger, Cheesy
Chicken Burger and Goan Fish Burger. In the vegetarian section, Mohak has tried
to experiment with a Jackfruit Burger. “Jackfruit Burger is for vegetarians as
jackfruit’s texture is like chicken. I believe in quality and I don’t cook with
frozen food stuff. I make the patty for the burger and it is the common base
for three burgers. It’s a play on the ingredients. It’s all about salt and the right
amount of spices. I don’t go by the book,” says Mohak. Besides featuring Maharashtran
food on the menu like Marathi Masale Bhat, Kande Pohe and Jumbo Vada Pav, they
are also planning to open a section on Parsi food.
The
restaurant is open throughout the week except Thursdays and is a peaceful place
to drop in for a quick but filling and appetising bite.
