On the way from calangute to candolim you will find this place that is truly one of a kind.The ambience here is uniquely beyond the imagination.The place right from the tables  and chairs to even the surrounding and lighting is absolutely facinating.And as the name  suggests you will find the noodles from all the continents here.Oh and no wonder the taste  is ought to be a little spicy

Ambience:
The ambience here like I said is like no other.The tables and chairs here are made up of  some kind of unique material.You will have plants besides you and at the same time water flowing in the form of fountains.Besides that you will have antiques, ones like no other.They certailny have taken innovativeness and experimentation blend to a whole new different level.The chef service counter is worth watching.Besides these the kind of lighting they have managed to put here is simply amazing.The table is worth a watch! If thats not enough you should really go and have a look urself for more surprises

The Chef  Service Counter

The Table

The Surroundings

The Antiques

Starters:
Crispy Veg
Really crispy but little on the spicier side.Make sure you have a glass of water besides you Even the plates here are amazing.But yeah, the quantity here is a little dissapointing specially looking at the cost.Quantity good enough for 2 people.

Noodles:
Veg Bagne Goreng
Whats the use of going to this restaurant and not trying the noodles.Noodles wre very rich in quality as expected and again very spicy.Perhaps typical asian style that we are not much used to.Dish was well presented and quantity i must say would appetise 3 people properly.But yes, noodles at its best

Desserts:
Apple toffee
One dish I will never suggest here.Not because of the taste.Taste was pretty ok.But not worth the price unless of course you really want to try out something.It comes with apple that is covered a hard crispy sugar coating.Also not to mention the sugary stick dipped in the scoop of ice cream.Quantity good enough for 3 people but fight for the scoop of ice cream is assured

Ratings:

In a nutshell
The hotel like I said is a perfect blend of innovation and experimentation and besides the chef here do a great job with the food.Authentic in one word!!!Definitely a must visit.

What drove us to this hotel were its reviews that often made their onto the papers.Located on the way from porvorim to calangute road this hotel is not the most exotic kind of hotel but what makes it different is the variety of cuisines available here.One of the most unique dish here is the ‘chinese thali’ which comprises of hakka noodles and many other chinese cuisines which comes at a staggering rate of only 75/-. Although this is available only for lunch!!

Ambience:
Ambience is not one of the greatest but still good enough for a perfect dine out.Its not really a huge place but food freaks do pop in.The looks are pretty much that of a typical looking A/c restaurant with a little bit of fancy lighting here and there.But the table I must say is well layed.In short they created a beautiful place within a short given available area.

Starters:
Cheese pakoda
Pretty much like the normal ‘pakodas’ with cheese inside.For people who have tried the cheese balls in any retaurants, please dont expect the same.The pakodas are not so crispy as you would expect but yes definitely worth a try.Quantity enough for 3 people.

Veg Tempura
Crispy eggies to tell in short.What we expected was deep fried crispies but not all that bad, pretty good.You have large slices of capsicum, onion and potatoes.Enough to appetise 3 people.Not really a professional chef product but still pretty ok.

Main Course:

Paneer Hong Kong
A mixture of the veggies and paneer to be specific in hong kong gravy.Not really spicy, had cashewnuts all over it that gave it a diffferent essence. Quantity enough for 3 people.Forms a good gravy dish

Veg Fried Rice
All that is needed for a perfectly god fried rice with the inclusion of cashewnuts again!good for 3 people fried rice and does carry the chinese taste.

Paneer Manchurian
Medium hot and spicy, jus about perfect taste of manchurian.Had just about enough pieces of paneer.Good enough to appetise 2 people i must say.Quantity here was a little less… but good enough.

Veg Schezwan Noodles
Again carrying the chinese taste with it and again having cashewnuts:P. Good enough to appetise 3 people.Not too spicy…not too sweet!

Ratings:

In a nutshell:

The hotel is unique because of the way they intend to take the art of serving food to a dfferent level.The first thing you will find in the menu will justify the same.

The restaurant that has served panjim for a long time.It has gone through a number ofrenovation phases and the customers just keep coming In the earlier days it did not hav an authentic chinese look but off late it does have a chinese aura to go with it.The location would not be as much as one would want, falls in the city but not a place that an be easily sited.Now that it has been making or rather already made a mark…its not too difficult to find it!

Ambience:

The ambience is nice and has a few chinese antiques to go along with it.since it is just a restaurant, it does not have external ambience enhancing showpieces But yes definitely a perfect place for a good cozy and a wonderful nightout.Even though it is not a big place like 5-star hotels but the ambience wiill definitely make you forget that.

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Starters:

Manchow veg soup:
Soup is pretty much the same that you will find in other hotels.Never noticed anything authentic chinese in it, but yes was very good.Quantity enough for 2

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Chilly crispy veg:
Came with a very good quantity but so was the price.Were really crispy and the spics they use here is simply mouth watering.The quantity would be sufficient for about 3-4 people if looked upon as a starter or appetiser.

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Corn toast:
Well looking at it , has an appearance of a local samosa You hav cooked corn stuffed into it and the outer covering that is pretty crispy.The quantity will be as per the people I guess.

Red cooked paneer:
This is one dish that not many people must have tried out.A combination of paneer with chines cuisine seems to be a little odd.Besides having paneer chilly, paneer 65 this was a new addition to the tally! The dish is simply superb and like i said, the spices that they use is simply great!

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Bamee pahd veg:
Strange name ….thats what made us try this dish.We wanted something deep fried or something crispy.The dish was pretty much similar to chilly veg crispy with a nominal difference.The quantity was good enough or 3 people.

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Noodles:
Chow chow fah:
Whats a visit to a chinese restaurant and not trying out the noodles?They were pretty nice.Not much spicy not much sweet….just about hit the rite balance to satisfy the food freak in you.Quantity suffcient for about 3 people.

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Mocktails:
Well not really a place to try oput mocktails if you enjoy having them.No wonder they will serve you with a variety but agai that would just be expected in many typical hotels.Not a profesional mocktail menu. This was another mocktail perhaps which they didnt even name in the bill.So one can imagine their interest in serving mocktails Nevertheless a good one again!

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Goenchin delight:
A typical mocktail with a hint of pineapple and a combo of some other fruit elements. Nothing great but yes good enough for passing time.

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Ratings:

In a Nutshell the hotel is a very nice blend of unique  indo chinese cuisines and draws a huge number of people or the same.

Ambience:
The ambience is definitely comparable to the todays world hotels with pretty much fancy lightings and antiques.The LOTUS restaurant has a nice decent outlook with a goood looking bar counter where the bar tenders serve you with delicious mocktails and cocktails.Well the ceiling is a little on the shorter side and perhaps a tall guy might find it a little cramped for room, nevertheless before he takes a seat.Overall a pretty common look you would expect in a 3-start hotel.

Starters:
Well to begin with we did get a complementary plate of cheeselings

Paneer Tikka:
A normal paneer tikka dish that had big thick pieces of paneer and pretty good in taste.The tandoor dishes here are typically good and would definitely attract people from north.But it gives a real treat along with the mint sauce and the salad.Would do for 2-3 people.

Tandoori Phool:
Another dish from the tandoor consisting of cauliflowers and may be some veggies along with the usual salad and mint sauce.The taste is same as that of any tandoori dish and price is also reasonable.Wolud be sufficient for 3 people.The dish is pretty crispy as well.

Mocktails:
We tried 3 different mocktails.Fruit punch,virgin pina colada and barmans special.Fruit punch was very gud and so were the other 2.Main thing is that they were very cheap, just for 50/-. And looking at that perspective they were definitely great.

L-R fruit punch, virgin pina colada and barmans special!

Main Course:
Veg Au-Gratin:
A sweet dish full of veggies.Pretty much like the navaratan koarma.Though it had its own unique taste along with the veggies.Quantity enugh for about 3-4 people.

Paneer Tikka Masala:
Just like any other tikka masala dish bt stuffed with paneer and also good in quantity.Good enough for 3 people.And of course the north paneer touch from the tandoor.

Veg Hakka Noodles:
Hakka noodles woudn’t be so good as much as the chinese hotels can get you.But nevertheless had a very nice taste.Lots of veggies stuffed in there and quantity was also good for about 2-3 people.More like Indian hakka noodles but nice

Ratings:

In a Nutshell:
The hotel has a very nice service with complementary dishes.Nevertheless it carries history with itself so really a hotel worth trying.People are definitely proud to be a part of it!!

Ambience:
Ambience would be a thing the one would not talk about much.Its got an ambience that is below par compared to any good restaurant.Nevertheless a good place for an occasional dine out.
You will find some artistic paintings on the smooth unicoloured walls

Starters:
Drunken vegetables:
Nothing related to alchohol, name just suggests a mixture of veggies taht were cooked differently.Appetiser for about 2-3 people.

Crispy Shangai Cauliflower:
Pretty crispy, worthy enough to hold the name shanghai Had a very different and unique taste.Would again be enough for 2-3 people.

Salt n Pepper special Paneer:
Floating in salad, it had pieces of paneer that were fried if i am not wrong.Uniqueness again the key here.Appetiser for 2-3 people.

Main Course:

Shanghai fried rice,Goumet pasta and Mix veg in green curry

Shangai Fried Rice:
this fried rice definitely had a different taste than other chinese fried rice cuisines.I think the veggie combination in this was probably altered.Enough again for 2-3 people.

Mix Veg In Green Curry:
All the veggies mixed in a gravy dish.Gave an awesome taste….And really cant be classified as ‘close to’ any of the dishes.Enough for 3-4 people for a gravy.

Gourmet Pastas:
Again giving a lot more meaning to the Italian pastas… came along with Ample cheese and about 4 pizza slices.Very innovative i can say.Enough for 3 people easily!

American corn, Capsicum, N Cheese Enchiladas:
This was totally out of the blues.Never tasted and never even heard of!The combo is definitely deadly specially for Italian freaks.Perhaps this would click for anybody.A must try.Enough for 2-3 people.A good substitute for a pizza taste Not spicy but sweet in taste.

Ratings:

In a Nutshell:
This place is a must for food freaks who like to try out the new dishes.The variety of cuisines available would definitely drag a person here once more…and if they renovate it, it will definitely be a stand alone unit!

Orion,Porvorim Goa

Ambience:
Eveything you see over there right from the showpieces and walls to the tables and plates shows more than what meets the eye.You can simply call it ‘modern’.The lighting electric work put in should also be apprecated.Not much you can say….let the pics do the talking.The hotel will be definitely be known for its infrastructure more than anything else.Also they have spent a lot on the appearance, like having an LCD and royale play effects on the wall with paintings.In simple words they have tried to shine each and every corner of the hotel.

Starters:
Crispy vegetables:
As expected crispy veg are always great to have on the table and the chefs here see to it that you dont regret for ordering one.Quantity will be enough to appetise 2 people easily.

Mixed Veg Platter:
The platter her is definitely worth a try.You have many veggies like mushroom,potato,paneer and baby corn…not to mention onion and capsicum.All this presented in a beautiful tray with salad surrounding from all 4 sides.Good enough for 2-3 people easily.

Main Course:
Kadai Paneer:
In the main course we tried Kadai paneer in gravy.The taste was nice as expected.Enough for 2-3 people.Was densely populated with paneer.

Fried Rice:
Fried rice again never let us down.Wolud be enough for 2-3 people just about.It did have loads of veggies along with rice itself.

Rating:

In a Nutshell:
The hotel is definitely worth a visit and having a look at the ambience is a pleasure to the eyes.Not only the restaurant but its worth walking through the entire hotel once.

One of the most talked about hotels in panjim.Coolest thing about this hotel-Its straight from the sky.This heaven is built in a place that perhaps could not have been imagined by anybody.taj has really converted such a small and a lame area into a true paradise and not to mention,within no time at all!!!

Ambience:

The ambience can be simply linked with the name TAJ.As in the case of all the taj chains, it has a mind blowing ambience.Rather then giving it a typical original-indian-taj look they took it a little off-track to give it a modern-indian-taj look.Since this is in the heart of the capital city, rather then an ‘away from home’ location.Even though taj has its own thing about its hotels, vivanta has a different aura around itself. Tamari is an authentic japanese restarant!

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Starters:

Crispy Water Chestnuts

Being authentic japanese restaurant,you will find the restaurant pure japanese right from the food to the staff! The menu is of course tempting and one will find himself clueless lookin at the name of cuisines. Waiters to the rescue…Crispy water chestnuts was indeed very tempting.You hav chestnuts fried and made very crispy.Could be enough to appetise 2 people.

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Maincourse:

Dim Sum veg Sui

As you see the name dosen’t suggest anything. It pretty much has a feel lik manchurian from china but taste is very much exotic.Would definately satisfy 2 people.Not to mention the common veggies found in and around the dish.

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The Veg Dumpling:

Well this is a steamed dish got right from the kitchen in a special kind of container.You may or may not find it steaming but can feel it in the plate.It is contains onions and other fine veggies that are wrapped just like in a spring roll, just that springroll is fried and has a crispy skin unlike the dumpling. Enough for 2-3 people.

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The Chef’s  Point…

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Rating

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In a Nutshell

The hotel has a new fresh different look compared to other taj chains.Besides the royal experience just lookin at the effort in bringing up a hotel in such a small place would make one say………hats off!!!

The hotel as seen from outside

The interiors. They certainly look better in real life

Soups and Starters :

Since this is a Chinese restaurant. It’s easy for them to make the menu feel exotic by renaming the dishes to something kung-fu. We tried some fun-sounding dishes and also some waiter’s recommendations.

The Koday Soup

The Koday soup was recommended by the waiter. However, as you can see in the pic, it is just a vegetable soup with little vegetables in it.

Crispies... Yumm

The veg crispy was probably the dish which got emptied fastest. The quantity is goodd enough for 3 people, unlike some other hotels who are frugal even whn it comes to serving cheap veggies.

The Dragon Veg. It has nothing to do with dragons or even dogs

The dragon veg was a nice tarter which tastes like veg Manchurians dipped in schezwan sauce. As you can see in the pic, it’s just enough for tasting if you are a group of 3-4 people.

Main Course

The menu has quite a choice when it comes to main course. We decided to go as per the waiter’s recommendations and tried out some unique type of noodles called ‘dragon’ noodles. However, it tastes just like ‘shevyancha sanjaa’ we make at home. I guess the Chinese have been copying stuff from quite early .

Dragon Noodles

The next dish was a combination of chopsey and regular noodles. I liked the concept. This way, we get to try 2 dishes for the price of 1.

The Combo - It's called mee-foo !

A gravy that he recommended was “Dragon Veg”, which was like malai kofta, just replace malai with some spicy curry.

Some other dishes which were not so great ..

Dragon Balls

Singapore Rice

Rating

In a Nutshell,

Gaylin a a nice place for those seeking exotc food in Margao. Bon Appetit !

The Ambiance

Li-bai, Taj Exotica – Benaulim Goa

What to say about this hotel………a paradise to say the least.The hotel is undoubtedly the ultimate blend of hotel management along with great ambiance and utter hospitality.If there are any celebrities coming to Goa, the first place you will find them is over here.A picture perfect place to be in.Situated right besides the Benaulim beach, this resort has a different world in its bounding and the view is no less than a mirage.The things here are so unimaginable that nobody can complain about it when compared to any international hotel.

The area is so huge that you will have to spend probably 2 nights or more to check out everything.

Aesthetics:

The Lobby

Food:
The service here is so well implemented that you are not left isolated even for a second.The order takes a little time to be served , but that is something you will except in such hotel…:).Of course you will not notice it when you have time just flying noticing everything.
Now talking about the food…….The chefs here are magical.Since we had already tried italian in the other Taj, from the chinese menu we tried

Hakka Noodles

Chilli Garlic Noodles

Seasonal veg manchow

In a Nutshell, Taj exotica at benaulim is worth a visit just to experience it’s grand aesthetics. The food is just like the regular chinese restaurants, but who cares !

Average Cost Per Dish : Rs.400

RATINGS

Parking : Plenty of space + driver to park your car.Value for money just reflects the cost of ambience and service….but definitely worth the experience!!!

Ambience

Situated in calangute this hotel does make a statement.The ambience both inside and outside is simply superb and so cachy that it would attract everyone. One can call it a buffet paradise not because of its buffet speciality but also because of the price The range it offers for hat particular price is tempting. One simply cannot say no.

The Buffet

The buffet that was there at the weekend  offered 26 dishes for only 175/- per head. Honestly speaking he dine out is more than worth it.The range the offer is so different and so unique. To start with we had soup of two different types tomato-egg flavour and carto-yarde that was something in veg.Then we had 5-6 different types of salads and pastas that would serve as appetisers.The main course was gigantic.So much to choose from and so small stomach. One would probably burst trying to taste them all.No complaints from both the veg and non-veg sides.

Soups:

Carto-yarde

Tomato-egg drop

The soups had their own diferent taste,sort of the one that would make you demand more, anyways they were really unique and the person under test would conclude the best

Salads:

There were 5 differnt types of salads including pastas……..and by different , i mean really diferent.They were so’not related’ to each other’.One would have been in a fuggy mess if had had tried all together in a plate.No to salads were close in the taste context

Maincourse:

The veg plate

Non veg plate

Now just a line on each of the dishes ………..

chicken vindalu:It was pretty good……..only one in chicken.

Paneer malai kofta: It was not bad …probably you needed extra-ordinary taste sense to sniff paneer in it

Khichdi:not all that great but worth a try.

Allu-bayngan:It was ok…..

Rice, kadi and fish curry: a perfect goan combo presented in somewhat .north indian stlye which was different but one of the best.

There was also some dish in muter that was the stand out ones in the veg range.

Dal tadka:It was ok again.

Not to forget the butter nans

Desserts:

In desserts we had…..

Gulab jamun, kheer and of course ice-cream.All were extremely good and were in utmost demand.You could see people hogging them a lot.

Mocktails:

Mocktails

The mocktails were simply awesome……….one of its kind.Although nothin great in presentation the taste was out of the blues…..