The first thought that strikes you on entering The Tanjore Tiffin Room in Goa — especially if you are familiar with its two outlets in Mumbai — is that it can fit in at least five of its Mumbai counterparts in the 6,500-square-foot area with indoor and outdoor seating. The Tanjore Tiffin Rooms in Mumbai are around 2,000 square feet, each.
The restaurant’s garden area | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The newly-opened restaurant, which pays tribute to the flavours of traditional Tamilian cuisine, is housed inside a 150-year-old Portuguese bungalow. For restaurateur Kishore DF, expanding his popular F&B space to Goa was a natural progression, since he also owns a home there. “Goa is the food capital of India when it comes to vibe, produce and the space,” he says.
Potted plants hang from atop and traditional brass lamps light the way as one steps inside and encounters a tropical paradise of sorts in the restaurant’s garden area. There is also a small bookstore to engage with while waiting for your food.
Green Latifah, a refreshing gin-based drink | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The greenery inspires us to order a Green Latifah, a refreshing gin-based drink with ginger, basil and rosemary. If you prefer fruity flavours, then tequila-based Sundance Kid unfurls a concoction of passion fruit puree and Triple Sec on the palate.
The Tanjore Tiffin Room simplifies the menu with a short summary of commonly used terms such as kolumbu, kurma and poriyal. We are told that about 15 new dishes have been added to the original Mumbai menu, including a couple of vegetarian options.
The Tanjore Tiffin Room simplifies the menu with a short summary of commonly used terms such as kolumbu, khorma and poriyal | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The jackfruit ghee roast birria tacos, for instance, are stuffed with pulled jackfruit and cheese, which you dip in the Uma Athai curry — named after Kishore’s childhood cook — for a mouthful of deliciousness. The paniyarams are a must-try, whether you have the stuffing of chilli cheese, paneer Chettinad, Madurai chicken or Madurai ghee roast.
A Tamilian take on the Maharashtrian batata vada, the puri bondas are masala potatoes-stuffed pani puris dipped in batter and fried for extra crunchiness. Also try the stuffed grilled calamari, with its minced-prawn stuffing, and the succulent Madras tiger prawns, served with baby parottas.
A payasam platter with four varieties of the pudding | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
There is a possibility that one might never reach the mains, given that there is such a wide variety of starters, but we plough on. Although there is plenty to choose from here as well, including a superlative chonak curry and crab kolumbu, we recommend the nattu-kozhi kolumbu, country chicken simmered in a village-style curry.
End the meal on a sweet note with a payasam platter with four varieties of the pudding.
Address: 1111, Road, near Orchard Stores, near Corporation Bank, Mazal Waddo, Anjuna. A meal for two is approximately ₹1,600 without alcohol.
