Viva Delhi

All you folk who crave for a taste of a dhaba styled meal and perhaps whizzed past this junction without giving the signboard a further thought-say Viva! This time its Delhi and proprietor Roland Rodrigues has created a sunken nook in an old house with basic interiors. It’s rough, its basic…the popular hangout space is the balcony. The tables for dinner are covered with bright red checked table cloths the old fashioned glass on top, the chairs ‘old fashioned’ straight backed but comfortable enough. This would be our very own styled ‘Goan Indian dhaba’. Breakfasts include Aloo paratha and a cuppa of your choice of tea or coffee; the locals find it a place to blow away the elevenses rumblings. The Tandoor is great here and the marination just right. We are lucky to get a red snapper grilled whole. Most of these preparations take about 30 minutes so try their momos. The Chicken Momos are good and the sauce a little Delhish and spiced but would go great with a drink. There is a whole list of preparations – vegetarian and non-vegetarian. 22 preparations of vegetables and 18 dishes of meat, meat and meat only. That is what the captions states. The choice of meat preparations are with or without bones, the portions being served quarter, half or full. There is a tall list of Indian breads too…from Roomali Roti to Laccha Paratha too. That this place brings a taste of Delhi to Goa is unmistakable. The Tandoori Fish is soft and flaky, the marination subtle. Simply put it is finger licking good. The Chicken Butter Masala is great, the Laccha Paratha crispy and the sliced onion with its chaat masala on top as accompaniment. The Dal Bukhara is nice…kept overnight in the simmering tandoor. You can look forward to the Aloo Chaat, Dahiwada, Papdi Chaat and deserts too (Gulab Jamun/Ice Cream). All in all Viva Delhi is the local man’s let’s-drop-in-for-a-chat-styled-place although there are some serious foodles who patronize it too. So if the Butter Masala is your choice for the day and you are on this side of town…just say Viva! For tandoors and the Butter Chicken one cannot find a better place to drop in.

9890422440 Near Panchayat & Lightning club, Mae-de-Deus Vaddo, Chogm Road, Sangolda, Goa