Mood for Food: Goan chefs abroad

ADELAIDE

Background in restaurants:

I have worked with many different cuisines and formats of restaurants, from cafés to fine dining and massive banquets in Goa, Mumbai, Maldives and Adelaide.

Challenge to get into the restaurant scene in Adelaide:

A job as a chef is always easy to get, but it’s a bit difficult to be a head chef if you are new to the area. Head chef positions are mostly based on reputation and word of mouth, so it actually depends on how well connected you are.

Type of food catered and speciality:

At the moment, I’m based in Adelaide and Australia being a nation of many immigrants, it would be safe to say that modern Australian cuisine is a fusion of many different food cultures using Australian produce. To answer the question about what type of food I do, it is modern Australian cuisine.

Response from customers to Goan food:

Goan food is craved by Goan people all over the world and we are almost in every country in the world. The locals will need a little bit of education about the nature of our food. But I have made food with Goan cuisine elements in it and have got very good responses from the locals.

Scope for Goan chefs going abroad:

I have learned to cook and bake in Goa and since we have all the best hotels in Goa and the experience I got there has helped me to be able to fit into any format of restaurant or hotel.

EUSEBIO FERNANDES

CANBERRA

Background in restaurants:

Learnt Indian and Goan food in India itself.

Challenge to get into the restaurant scene in Canberra:

Yes, it is difficult here in Australia or any Australian State, nobody wants to sponsor you even if you have very good overseas experience. Here, sponsors look for chefs who have local experience, but the scene can change over a period of time once you get a local experience. In India, labour is cheap and there are a lot of helpers for you but over here you have to do everything by yourself, here you get a kitchen hand only for a few hours to help you and the rest you have to do by yourself.

Type of food catered and speciality:

We mostly cater to Indian food, but my speciality is tandoor like chicken tikka, seekh kebabs and tandoori breads.

Response from customers to Goan food:

Many customers have responded well to my Goan food like beef chops, pork sorpotel, ambot tik, fish rechado, etc. The feedback has been good but no matter how much good Goan food we know to do, it depends on the owner to keep it on the menu.

Scope for Goan chefs going abroad:

The scope of Goan chefs who go abroad is good only if they know a variety of food like Indo-Chinese. Most of the Indian dishes as well as Goan dishes are good because there is not much cream used in most of the dishes.

TONY FERNANDES

GUERNSEY, CHANNEL ISLANDS

Background in restaurants:

Degree in commercial studies. Working for 8 years for the Oberoi’s at Bogmalo. It was inspirational.

Challenge to get into the restaurant scene in Channel Islands:

The Taste of India was established in 1989 and initially, it was a challenge to educate our customers on Indian cuisine. We were one of the first to start Indian cuisine on Guernsey Channel Island. Getting staff, as well as Indian spices, was not easy as it had to be shipped across. As years rolled by, we managed to get our Goan cooks to the Island.

The laws are very strict as to who can work and live on the Island, as every application has to go through housing as well as immigration control. We have had a steady supplier called MANACO for the last 33 years from London.

Type of food catered and speciality:

Our cuisine is mainly Indian with a Goan flair.

Response from customers to Goan food:

It didn’t take long to get huge support from the locals and today we are well established. So blessed to be in Guernsey, Channel Islands.

Scope for Goan chefs going abroad:

Tremendous scope for Goan chefs in the UK. They need to display their talent in hotels, takeaways, restaurants or any food outlets.

ALDRED RODRIGUES

SWINDON

Background in restaurants:

I have been cooking professionally since the age of 18 having worked in Restaurants and 5-star hotels in India, Dubai, United States and luxury cruise ships and leading hotels in UK. I opened ‘Kutting Chai’ in Swindon at the end of 2018.

Challenge to get into the restaurant scene in Swindon:

My background was mostly in hotels so getting into the restaurant business was not easy. We did not know what to expect. In hotels, you have different departments like accounts, sales and marketing, service, maintenance, etc but in the restaurant business, you have to do everything yourself. But during the last few years, we gained knowledge about the restaurant industry business.

Type of food catered and speciality:

We specialise in Bombay Street food and also Goan. Our specialties are street chaats and street food dishes live sev puri, pau bhaji, ros omelette, biryanis and the most popular Goan fish thali.

Response from customers to Goan food:

The response to Goan food is great. Swindon has a large Goan community and we have received a lot of support from our customers. The Goan fish thali is one of our most popular dishes.

Scope for Goan chefs going abroad:

There is a lot of demand for chefs abroad in general and in the UK, it is considered a highly skilled job. If you work hard and are dedicated, there is a lot of potential to grow very quickly.

GREG ABRANCHES

ADELAIDE

Background in restaurants:

I started my career at a French restaurant in Tel Aviv, Israel. I then moved on to develop my chef skills working at a Brazilian restaurant for the US, British and Australia defence forces in Basra (Iraq), JW Marriott (Dubai), Shangrila Hotel (Abu Dhabi) and then at various places in Australia.

Challenge to get into the restaurant scene in Adelaide:

Being well experienced in the field, finding a job was not too difficult.

Type of food catered and speciality:

I cater to all kinds of food, French, Indian, Italian, Continental, Brazilian or Goan food. I specialise in Goan sausages.

Response from customers to Goan food:

Goan food is appreciated more and more as diners come to understand the differences between Goan and Indian food. The authentic Goan sausages I make are loved by Goans and others in Adelaide. The continuous orders placed by my customers and their responses like "finger-licking Goan sausages" etc demonstrate their appreciation.

Scope for Goan chefs going abroad:

Authentic Goan chefs are well respected worldwide for their delicious food, their culture and their warm and welcoming nature. They make customers feel at home away from home.

SIMON RODRIGUES

HOUNSLOW

Background in restaurants:

In Goa, I was working as an electrical engineer for the electricity department for 15 years. I had no clue about the restaurant business when I was in Goa. When I came to London, I tried different odd jobs. I worked as a Kitchen Porter for a restaurant. Then I worked as a Back Waiter (in the kitchen). I learned a lot about the kitchen and the tricks of the restaurant business from my experience in the kitchen.

Challenge to get into the restaurant scene in Hounslow: 

No, once I was well versed with the tricks of the trade, I mean restaurant business, it was not difficult to implement the plan.

I am an entrepreneur and I like to take risks. So, we took the plunge and touchwood, with time things are surely getting better for us.

To start up our food business, Covid was a blessing in disguise. We initially started from a virtual home kitchen, once we were confident and our order started growing in numbers, my partner, Malcolm Silveira, and I took the bold decision to take the plunge. So, I have the right contacts, I know a lot of people from our Goan community, and things were even easy to start up a food court ‘Maka Tik Naka’ in the Hounslow area, which is a hub for Goans in London.

Type of food catered and speciality:

We cater mainly to Goan, Indian cuisine and a few Goan-Portuguese dishes. We also try Indo-fusion cuisine and Bombay-style street snacks & food. Ros omelette, cutlet bread, chicken tikka biryani and mutton xacuti are some hot-selling delicacies and specialities.

Response from customers to Goan food:

We get better and improvise our menu/dishes based on the feedback our customers give us. Our customers have always supported us, mainly the Goan Community. I can say that 80% of our clientele are Goans as the Hounslow area has a big sizable population of the Goan Community. We do have customers from other parts of India as well.

Scope for Goan chefs going abroad:

Goan chefs who have gone abroad have done very well for themselves. Chefs who specialise in a particular cuisine do even better. Goans are generally smart, hardworking and are liked by everyone around the world.

TRINDA FERNANDES

WEMBLEY

Background in restaurants: 

I had a beach shack in Baga, Calangute beach in 2003 called Zeff’s Restaurant. I also had a stall in Camden Town (an area in London which is famed for its market, a warren of fashion and curiosities by the Regent’s Canal. A haven of counter culture, Camden Town is popular with tourists, teenagers and punks. The thriving nightlife scene includes live music in alternative clubs and old-school pubs, and major stars playing at the Jazz Cafe and the Roundhouse. Cafe's bustle during the day.)

Challenge to get into the restaurant scene in Wembley:

We had to wait for quite a few years, had it in our minds and prayers and it came through a miracle.

Type of food catered and speciality:

At our ‘Cross Restaurant’ in Wembley, we cater Goan cuisine and specialise in Fish thalis, our special fish is Kingfish, Indian mackerel, sole fish, queen fish, king prawns. We also take catering orders for parties like birthdays, anniversaries, communion, baptism, etc.

At our restaurant, any homeless person can walk in any time it is open and receive a hot meal free of charge. Also, 20 per cent of our profits go to feed the poor and homeless in Goa.

Response from customers to Goan food:

Most of our customers are Goans, people come from far off places like Southampton, Swindon, Reading, Hounslow, Southall, south London to taste our food and we have received good reviews. We also have customers from other countries and they quite like Goan food.

Scope for Goan chefs going abroad:

I think our Goan chefs are doing quite well in the hotel industry here, as we are hardworking and ambitious Goans, ready to take risks. We are appreciated much here.