Upon the
recommendations of a few friends, we finally made it to Antojitos, the gourmet food truck that serves the
most delectable food on the streets. The vibe is a very peaceful one, as one
can sit on a wall, overlooking the beautiful fields at the promenade in
Taleigao while inhaling the sweet aromas of what’s cooking at the truck (bacon
in our case). It’s early evening around 7:30Pm and the truck is surrounded by
its patrons from all age groups and walks of life.
The menu is short and concise with a very well curated fare. The
names of the various offerings were pretty amusing and put a smile on our
faces. We ordered ‘The Tres Amigos’, a ‘Chicken Pablo Quesadilla’, the ‘Speedy
Gone Ribs’ and the dessert ‘Snickerdilla’ with bacon.
The burger was simply to die for with the explosions of three
different flavours in one bite, the sweetness of the prawns with the saltiness
of the bacon and the flavour of beef all cooked to perfection encapsulated in a
burger bun with homemade pickles. We’d love to think that this was one of the
best burgers we’ve had.
Next was the Quesadilla which was served up with fresh Tomato
Salsa and Sour Cream. It had just the right mix of veg and chicken, which was
pretty succulent, would have loved a bit of guacamole to go with this. But we
were informed that it was not available and we were asked, if we would like to
try a spicy sauce. In came the bomb, whose level of spiciness grows on you with
every bite; it’s not for the faint hearted.
The Speedy Gone Ribs that were the weekend specials, are aptly
named. An absolute treat for the taste buds and it wasn’t surprising, to see
them disappear so quickly that evening. The meat is slow cooked, literally
slides of the bone and braised with a BBQ sauce. It is accompanied by a Potato
salad that is dressed with a honey mustard sauce, which is absolutely
delightful and a piece of corn. We also got to know that the sauces are
homemade and that definitely makes a difference in terms of how it tastes.
We were also pleasantly
surprised, to learn that dessert was available as well and we decided to go for
it. We were in for a bigger surprise though, when we were asked to try it with
bacon. A quesadilla filled with the right amount of chocolate, marshmallows,
nuts and bacon drizzled with a salty caramel sauce was the perfect end to a
hearty meal.
The lads Steve Dias
and Chef Elvis Victor, who run the truck are absolutely delightful to talk to
and are very friendly. During the course of our dinner, we got to know that the
truck was almost two years old and we wondered what took us so long to reach
here. As we dig into their story, which was as fascinating as the amazing food
they serve, we learned that Steve and Elvis, who hail from Panjim, were earlier
working in The United Kingdom and along the routes of Mexico and the Caribbean
islands respectively.
Their dream was to
offer food from the around the world to the streets of Goa but it took them a
year to put things together and in May 2016, Antojitos (pronounced as Antohitos),
which means little cravings in South America came to life.
The street food
culture and cuisine indigenous to these cities and the other countries they had
visited left quite an impression.
Elvis quit his job as
a Sous Chef to follow his culinary dream of getting gourmet food out on the
streets. He then went to work with several International 5 star hotels and
cruise liners within India and abroad. With over 20 years of experience in
International cuisine, Elvis loves to explore and experiment with new flavors,
which led him to take a plunge and follow his ultimate dream of opening a
gourmet food truck. While working on the cruise liner, Elvis traveled along the
Caribbean Islands. He was inspired by their cuisine and ‘way of life’ and found
a deep connection with Goan cuisine that also has sharp spice flavours.
“The atmosphere and
the aromas around street food vendors abroad is simply delightful and amazing”
said Elvis, while speaking about what motivated them. ”We started with an idea,
a pen and paper, two enthusiasts, some beers and voila – Antojitos was born.
The freedom to go wherever possible and serve up the same amazing food with no
compromise sounded super appealing at the time. That’s when the food truck was
conceptualized,” added Steve.
Steve’s career with
the hospitality industry began in the UK and he slowly climbed his way into
managerial positions with various international hospitality chains. Besides
this, he has been a marketing consultant to various hospitality brands and
instrumental in the launch of various outlets in the hospitality sector in Goa
and Mumbai. His constant idea of innovation within the marketing and
hospitality industry led to partnering with Elvis to start up Antojitos. They
settled down for the Tex Mex cuisine on seeing a gap in the market.
Further prodding
about the preparation that goes into their daily routine, and they speak
passionately about their constant need to innovate with food using the freshest
and local ingredients that makes way for their weekend specials, which are
announced through their various digital platforms.
From their menu,
their burgers, hot dogs and steaks are well received and a clear favourite
followed by the nachos, tacos and quesadillas. Not to forget their vegetarian
options.
Before we leave this
spot that appears to be a favourite for many people who live or work this side,
the lads tell us that they are currently working on a second truck and that it
should be out some point during season. The kitchen looked specifically
designed for the menu that is served and savoured by all. An interesting fact,
we noticed during our visit is that the fans, lights and fridge on the truck is
powered by solar power. Upon asking if we could reuse the plates they were more
than happy and we were also informed that the disposables were eco friendly.
The
truck can be found at the Taleigao bypass on most days, or can be found at
community centric events all across Goa. They started at Carnival 2016 with a
lot of help from friends and family and since then, they have been generating a
great deal of interest and curiosity among foodies across Goa; and have
certainly taken the street food culture in Goa to a higher unprecedented level.
