There is a story about an Assolna boy that has got everyone excited. It reminds them of the hit movie ‘Chef’ where a professional chef decided to fix up a food truck and how the food cart concept became an instant hit with the crowd.
While most people his age choose the restaurant or hotel line, Mauricio De Deus Diniz decided to go off the beaten path and create a niche for himself and find a new of way of directly meeting his customers on a platform where he can express himself.
Mauricio recently started a mobile food cart currently located at Fradilem,Navelim, opposite St Francis Xavier chapel. Named The Vintage Kitchen, the 25-year-old serves only authentic Goan food. “It’s different as I intend to promote only food of Goan and Portuguese origin/influence. It’s modern enough to meet the standards of the people. I’m not using tomato ketchup for instance,” said Mauricio.
Items served at the mobile food cart like ‘sorpotel’, ‘sausage’ or ‘roast beef bread’ have started bringing in crowds. Incidentally, he has studied computers and law but his passion is what drove his heart to make these choices. “I always had the urge of getting into business. I once read a quote which was good enough to strengthen my ambition. It read ‘If you don’t build your dream someone else will hire you to build theirs’,” Mauricio said.
His inspiration comes from his family members, especially his maternal grandmother Albertina Coelho, who he has been with since the age of 5. His mother Yashodhara Coelho and his aunts Krita Coelho and Ernestina Diniz have also been a big part of Mauricio’s journey, be it in providing him with recipes, helping him to learn traditional cooking methods or generally in life. “I owe my gratitude to them for what I am today and my success lies with them,” said Mauricio.
Speaking about the beginning of this journey, Mauricio recalled the time when he was a child and prepared a bowl of custard after watching a TV show based on what he remembered. Since then, Mauricio has been captivated and with the help of his family, he immersed himself in the kitchen improving his skills and nurturing his talent since the age of 12.
Recently, for the last two years he had gotten into the business of catering services through this other enterprise known as ‘Cozinha Antiga’.
However, the idea of a mobile cart appealed to him and he decided to take it up despite the odds and risks. It took him about eight months just to assembly the cart and 2 months for the various licences. He reasoned that unless you go forward you do not know whether one can fulfill goals. “An oil lamp can be blown off by the wind but a wild fire grows. My efforts are to be the same,” added Mauricio as he got ready to serve his customers late evening.
He added that there were some concerns from the family given that this meant giving up a traditional job but now they are not only happy for him, they share his excitement and also help him in his endeavour, as do his cousins.
Mauricio’s dream of taking what he was taught at home and recipes passed on to him by the generations before him to the streets, has already whipped up a storm and Navelim is just his first stop.
