Happy Meals in Goa
 

Hi Folks,

As you probably already know im heading back to Goa in December with the family for 3-4 weeks.
Now what concerns me slightly is the food choice for kids. My two are eight and ten and like most kids they are picky eaters. They love Goa but foodwise will not eat anything spicy.
On our last trip out Ryan(the eight year old) practically lived on Cornflakes and bread rolls for the two weeks.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Has anyone out there come across eating houses that would sort of cater to their european tastebuds?

Also is meat safe to eat in India?
I have read recently that it is not recommended. Why is this?
I am not vegitarian and love a bit of meat from time to time.
Im afraid i dont like Lobster or any shellfish so a lot of Goas fine seafood specials are wasted on me except of course the ever popular Goan fish curry rice.
Only ever had food poisening once in Goa some years back but had it bad and never want to go through it again.......I definately dont want the kids to end up with delhi belly..............so what are the dos and donts?...........the wheres and where nots?

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Kind Regards,
Remy

Re: Happy Meals in Goa
 

You may be lucky if the rumours are true - the happy meal gang are coming to Calangute - the one with the golden arches. Looking on another Goan website there was a great discussion about McD opening soon on Calangute High Street although cannot verify this. There is Subway on the Baga Road, a pizza place near the Baga Road roundabout, the 24hour eating house near the old petrol station which has different fast food stuff - Domino Pizza just past the market - The Chippy on the High Street next to the Log Cabin Pub. Lots of Brits have opened bars serving burgers, pies and Sunday lunches etc. So soon there will be more choice of UK food than Indian.

Re: Happy Meals in Goa
 

Hi Thatman,

Wow were have i been?
Dont remember seeing half those places last time i was there.
Although i wasnt along the baga road much in February as i was way too busy sorting out the apartment in Arpora but brilliant, sounds good......for the kids. My two would be in their element if McDs arrived.
They dont eat there very much , but as a now and again safe haven it would be great for them.
Many thanks for the info. Let me know if you here any confirmation on this please.

Regards,
Remy

Re: Happy Meals in Goa
 

:thumbup:
Hi All,

We have never found it a problem with the grandchildren 6 and 10, and they are fussy eaters.

:thumbsup: The Fishermans Cove, and Mario's on the Beach Road, Candolim will always do them plain chicken in the Tandoor, and they can have mash pots, chips, or jacket pots.

:thumbsup: The Sea Shell Candolim, and Casa Sea Shell will do anything they can to make children welcome, ours like the spagetti bol. and mild curry's.

Any of the resturants will make a very mild curry you only have to ask. Our grandson loves curry sauce, although now he will eat chicken in the sauce, but nothing was too much trouble. You have just got to ask.

Relish - on the top of the beach road, have small homemade pitzzas, much better then Dominio, and also lasagna.

Best :thumbsup::thumbsup: steak by far is the Bristro Candolim. Better than over in this country, their scampi is wonderful. Olga said anything the children wanted, they would do their utmost to accommodate.

:beer::beer::beer: Keeps son-in-law and husband happy

Tony's Place - Candolim have wonderful Fish/Chips and mushy peas. He will cut the fish into "fish fingers" His Sunday lunches are excellent. I know people laugh when we have this sort of food - but sometimes you get sick of curry,

Cactus Shepherds Pie Resturant - near the supermarket have all the usual menus, but their individual shephers pies are like you make at home, and after being out in Goa for months a real treat.

Regards Noni

Re: Happy Meals in Goa
 

Brilliant info Noni,

This is all great stuff and i will print this info out and take it with me.
I had a lovely steak at the Midus Touch in Candolim and they had good entertainment laid on the same night but the cocktails were yuk....so THE WIFE said. Hit or miss I guess.

Its funny i have been to Goa many times and yet most of these eating places are new to me. This gives us plenty of scope.

Keep it coming folks this is essential stuff when travelling with kids and all yous veterans who go out for the entire season know all the hot spots to wine and dine with or without kids. Super Info and many thanks,

Kind Regards,
Remy:thumbsup:

Re: Happy Meals in Goa
 

By the way Noni,

Your little drinking smileys arnt refering to Guinness by any chance?

Someone told me you can actually get good Guinness in Goa but I cant remember were they said.

Regards,
Remy

Re: Happy Meals in Goa
 

Hi Remy,

Can't say I have seen Guinness :beer:out there, have taken a tinnie out for a friend who was desperate.

What a pity you are not coming from the 2nd week January as our children will be there then. They have been once before and cannot wait to "wash an elephant".

Noni :wink_smile:

Re: Happy Meals in Goa
 

Hi Noni,

That would have been good for the kids.
You never know we might still be there ..........if only the kids school was ok about it.

By the way have a browse sometime at :

http://picasaweb.google.com/myindiaphotos

Ryan and Rachel are a bit older now, Ryan is 8 and Rachel 10.

Regards,
Remy

Re: Happy Meals in Goa
 

Hi Noni,

i dont know if you meant this washing bit literally but -

I washed an elephant once in sri lanka, along with another tourist. We were introduced to them whilst they were lying in the river where they were both having a splash about.

Firstly we washed them with coconut shells, then climbed on their backs, then they stood up on command, then they squirted water over their back and us from their trunks, the force was incredible.

Finally,they climbed out of the river up a set of steep stone steps with us on board, then we dismounted, then they picked us up in their trunks.

What an experience, the guy i was with shit himself due to the shear size, power, uniqueness, height of the experience.

I had kept and ridden horses, so i had little fear and i could appreciate it more.

kind regards

douglas

Re: Happy Meals in Goa
 

Hi Douglas,
Done much the same thing in Goa, It was fabulous.:thumbsup:
Some photos on

http://picasaweb.google.com/myindiaphotos

Regards,
Remy

Re: Happy Meals in Goa
 

Hi Remy,

Nice pics, nice family.That guy with the banana looks a bit like douglas.

Re: Happy Meals in Goa
 

Molly Malones Irish Pub near to the Calangute High Street/Baga Road roundabout had Guinness last season.
Back to the food - John at Hot Tuna shack (aka Good Luck shack) at the bottom of Titos Road has done good "english" food for years. Started off doing mash potato and fried onions for people who wanted a change after a few weeks in Goa and now does pies, roasts, cornish pasties, brilliant veggie and meat burgers etc. He is also the guy who runs the Olde English Pie and Peas stall on Ingos Saturday Market.

Re: Happy Meals in Goa
 

:tounge_smile:
Hi Douglas,

Yes I was serious, I believe the trip is to the Spice Gardens, (which we thoroughly enjoyed a few years ago) now you can wash a baby elephant there. It is only for the grandchildren - I will have enough trouble washing the kids never mind washing an elephant. :rofl::mad:

Back to food - Rock Cafe Calengute, do lovely bagettes with steak and onions, tuna and onions, egg mayo salad and cheese etc. Great when you are fed up of other things. Bayview Shack, Candolim have lovely salads, with fresh rolls, and good old chip butties, a tomato sauce. They also have lovely tomato soup, that is great with grated cheese on the top.

Re: Happy Meals in Goa
 

Hi Noni,

Thanks for that, we went to the spice gardens years ago somewhere near ponda i think, very interesting day. They didnt have any efelumps though, must be a new addition or a different place.

Similar story and a bit off thread.

When we were in thailand we visited an elephant sanctuary and we immediately noticed a mummy elephant and its baby standing at the entrance.

As soon as we got through the gate, baby elephant grabbed my wifes hand with its trunk and walked her over to the banana stall about 20 yards away.

Mum looked on unconcerned and stayed put, wife buys bananas from the stall, bananas were presented to the baby elephant in a basket with a loop handle on it.

Baby elephant strolls back to mum with basket held in its trunk and offers the basket to my wife. Wife feeds baby and mum. lovely.

douglas

Re: Happy Meals in Goa
 

Hi Noni
I agree with you, a lot of the shacks are very good considering the kitchen facilities, my OH likes CoCo beach, part of it got washed away during last season's monsoon so some of the shacks were lost.
We ate lunch in one, and I had a real craving for egg and chips, so I asked for double egg and chips, and because you don't always get a lot of chips I asked for an extra portion of chips. Something got lost in translation so I ended up with 4 eggs an enormous pile of chips and 2 extra plates of chips, only cost 100 Rupees, felt quite guilty so had to eat it all.:o
Don't really eat a lot of Indian food, coriander makes me ill, even the smell of fresh coriander makes me feel sick. I Love garlic, chillies etc so I just have to be careful but everybody seems to use coriander in everything
nowadays.:frown:
I think that a lot of people get spiced out after a while and they just want to give it a rest and eat something that hasn't been overflavoured.
What the Indians call bland, I call the real taste of the food and I think that it is nice to be able to taste a potato or vegetable or piece of meat without the masking flavours of spices and herbs. Too much of the food like paneer or veg like potatoes just act as a carrier for the spice.
Biggest disappointment is lack of Pork and lamb in non-curried form, they have pigs and sheep and goats but it is hardly ever on the menu and GOOD cheese, you can buy some in packets but I don't think it is very good.
And I wouldn't eat in McDonalds for anything.
Regards
Tony P