Give peas a chance.
Make peace, not sausages.
He is so vegan that he doesn’t even call me honey.
You’ll never have beef with a vegan.
Supermarket – the place vegans go to study food labels.
In a land known for its bebinca, chorizo, xacuti, cafreal and fish curry, you’ll hear a lot of these witty slogans. Veganism is being embraced in Goa. And how. The demand for plant-based food and kitchen essentials is growing and vegan restaurants are mushrooming. If you are in Goa, celebrate World Vegan Day (November 1) by stepping into any of the 7 must-try plant-based cafe/restaurants that have gone beyond the tasteless boiled veggies and a glass of soy milk. Options are endless and the taste priceless.
Bean Me Up:
Where: 1639/2 Devulvaddo, Ozran Beach Rd, Vagator
Often tagged the OG of Goa’s great vegan revolution, Bean Me Up calls itself ‘a place for nomadic traveller’ that has an award-winning vegan restaurant, yoga at sundown, suites under a canopy of ancient mango & jackfruit trees, a boutique with clothing from organic and fair trade labels. The menu is endless with soups, smoothies, small plates, Buddha bowls, pizza, pasta, sandwiches, pancakes, wraps and desserts. Shawn Rodrigues, the owner, will tell you about the hot sellers – burritos, nacho platter and pizzas. All vegan, of course.
Bibhitaki Vegan Cafe and Restaurant:
Where: Patnem Main Road, Mohanbagh, Palolem, Canacona
Founded by Mahit Huilgol and Pavithra Bhat, 5-year old Bibhitaki Vegan Cafe borrows its Sanskrit name from a seed loaded with anti-oxidants mainly found in the Western Coast of India. The cafe describes its concept as the ‘food that makes you feel energetic, happy, and nourished’. The menu is long (online it is 7 pages + two pages of ‘know your food) including smoothie bowls, Tex Mex, burgers, soups, pasta, vegan desserts. In November, Bibhitaki will open the country’s first completely vegan hostel, a 34-bed accommodation with four dormitories with one exclusively for women. Tariff will be roughly ₹800 per person per night.
The Slaughter House:
Where: Dr Afonso Road, Naika Waddo, Calangute
Slaughter House Vegan makes no bones about the cafe being “for people who love meat but prefer life” and that “the only flavour our food is missing is cruelty”. Run by Clinton Fernandes and Elwina Menezes, The Slaughter House is busting the vegan cliches of boring salads and smoothie bowls. The menu includes Cutless Pao (a twist to the famed Goan cutlet pao described as ‘non-bloody Goan street food’). Bruschetta drops the ‘b’ and begins with a V – Vruschetta, Dodo Wings (a vegan version of Buffalo Wings), Kheema Mama has no minced meat and NoBeef Croquettes, well, has no beef. There’s also bacon that looks like bacon but is created out of rice paper. And, then, of course, the Porquito Mas, just like pulled pork but plant-based.
Okapi Vegan Kitchen:
Where: House #372, Pequeno Coimavaddo, Quitula, Aldona, Mapusa
What started out as an experiment for personal vegan food reliance for Aarti Sinha, Okapi Vegan Kitchen is now sought after for its desserts, community dinners, farmer’s market and sustainability philosophy. Aarti has no formal training in culinary craft but the sweet-toothed and the gourmands are eating cakes, tarts, banana bread and cupcakes out of her hand. Literally. There’s more, watch out for their occasional gluten-free bread workshop, a Latin dance class workshop and live gigs.
Bodhi Greens:
Where: 222, Deulwada, next to Ganpat Parsekar College, Arambol
Listen to Chef Varun of Bodhi Greens when he says, “We are healers at Bodhi Greens who practice food as medicine.” And they certainly care about your gut health. Their Sumac Teriyaki Tofu is a simple nori roll with Manipuri Chak Hao black rice instead of the white sushi rice that offers no dietary fibre; their blueberry-infused granola is made in small batches using 15 different nuts, seeds, dried fruits and berries; there’s Avocado Millet Sprouts, a ‘nourishment’ salad bowl with the lemon tahini vinaigrette and sesame ginger sauce, Sabic, a chickpea flavoured flatbread. Watch out for their musical nights, bonfire jam and occasional Nature to Nutrition gut-healing journey in Dharamkot (Dharamshala).
Gratitude Cafe:
Where: House number 958, Pequeno Peddem, Monteiro Vaddo, Anjuna
Housed in an old villa, Gratitude Cafe describes itself in many ways: Conscious Eatery with yoga space, Shanti vibes, Gluten free & Jain friendly menu, Off beat Cafe , Pet friendly. Try Shio ramen, beetroot burger, smoothie bowls. There are Jain appetisers, Jain sandwiches, Jain soups and salads. The Jain mains include masaman curry, tempeh curry, tofu spinach curry, methi malai curry, pad thai and Pasta Carbonara.
Shantaram Raw Vegan Cafe:
Where: Khalchawada, Arambol
Shantaram Raw vegan Cafe says it all in its name. It is a raw food restaurant with a rooftop deck and an open kitchen. Does not use garlic, onion, white salt, sugar, or honey, and serves smoothies, salads, desserts. Even an elaborate thali.
Gras: A shop for all things vegan:
Where: Anjuna Mapusa Road, Bouta Waddo, Assagao
If you are vegan, walk into Gras, a store that keeps all things vegan. Founded by Ankit Bhartiya and Aparna Bhartiya, Gras has everything that a vegan kitchen needs – from Keema samosa made of plant-based protein to Turkish kebabs, handcrafted vegan ice cream to Mamra almond chocolate spread, to super smoothie mix, Daarzel dark chocolate, almond butter, oat-cashew milk and products of Saorsa plant-based creamery, among a million other things.
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