Breakaway: Good food, no gimmicks

Breakaway Pizzeria Cafe doesn’t try to impress you in obvious ways. It doesn’t need to. The place feels like it knows exactly what it is, and more importantly, what it refuses to be. Set near Our Lady of Rosary Church in Caranzalem, the café opened in January last year, but the idea behind it has been in motion for much longer.

“I moved to Goa during the pandemic,” says Parvesh Debuka. “But the café was an old promise I had made to myself.”

An unlikely beginning

There’s no dramatic origin story involving culinary schools or years in professional kitchens. In fact, Parvesh comes from a completely different world. What he does have is a sharp, almost obsessive relationship with food. He describes himself as a finicky eater growing up, surrounded by people who noticed the smallest imbalance in taste. “Everyone around me would catch the slightest change. Too much salt, undercooked, overcooked. I think I just grew up around that sensitivity.”

The sandwich that stayed

That instinct showed up early, almost by accident. During his time at T. A. Pai Management Institute in Manipal, he put together a simple sandwich in the college canteen — bread, Amul cheese, onions, tomatoes, butter, salt, pepper. Nothing about it sounds remarkable. And yet, it stuck. “People kept going back and asking for the ‘Parvesh sandwich,’” he says. “It just caught on.” Years later, it’s still on the campus menu. For him, that moment quietly marked the beginning of something more serious, even if he didn’t act on it right away.

Breaking away

Life moved in a more predictable direction after that. Corporate work, structure, stability. And then, eventually, a breaking point. “I was completely disillusioned,” he says. There’s no embellishment when he talks about it. Just a clear sense that something wasn’t working anymore. What pulled him back was a feeling he had always associated with restaurants. “For me, they’ve always been an escape. You walk in, leave everything outside, and just have a good time. I wanted to create that space.”

Simplicity and discipline

Breakaway is built around that idea of escape, but it’s grounded in discipline. The menu didn’t arrive fully formed. It was deliberately small to begin with — a single page. “Failure rates in this business are high,” Parvesh says. “So our philosophy is simple. We only serve something if we can do it really well. It has to surprise people.”

Perfecting the basics

That restraint defines the kitchen. The bread alone tells you how seriously they take the basics. It’s slow-fermented for anywhere between 36 to 44 hours, forming the base for their Neapolitan-style pizzas. “We claim it’s the lightest pizza in town,” he says, but quickly adds that this didn’t come from branding. “Customers kept telling us that. That’s when I knew we had it right.”

Beyond the pizza

The same dough finds its way into other parts of the menu, including the panozzo — a folded, single-serve sandwich that carries the same texture and depth as the pizza base. There’s also a bread bowl that Parvesh believes is unlike anything else available in the country. Beyond that, the menu opens up into a mix of carefully executed dishes — pan-seared chicken, salmon, chonak that’s been getting strong feedback, fresh salads, and a Caesar that people return for specifically.

A signature sweet

Then there’s the chocolate cake. A double sponge layered with ganache. “A lot of people call it the best in town,” he says, without pushing it too hard. It’s a pattern you start noticing — confidence without noise.

Coffee with intent

Coffee matters just as much. After what he describes as tasting “hundreds of bad cups” across the country, Parvesh made it a point to serve beans sourced from one of India’s best roasters. It’s part of the larger idea behind Breakaway — nothing on the menu is there casually.

Creative partnership

While Parvesh drives the vision, he’s quick to point out that the food itself is shaped heavily by his chef consultant, Anandita Kamani. “She’s extraordinary,” he says. “All the food, the concepts — that’s her. I work very closely with her, but she creates the magic.” Their collaboration goes beyond recipes. It extends into training the team, refining dishes, and slowly evolving the menu without rushing it. “She puts her heart into it,” he adds. “And it shows.”

Prepared for the unexpected

Running a place like this comes with its share of unpredictability. When the recent LPG shortage hit restaurants, Breakaway had just received its monthly supply. A lucky break, but not something Parvesh was willing to rely on. “We were prepared,” he says. “I have 30 kilos of firewood in my car.” They tested wood-fire setups, shifted certain cooking processes to induction, and stayed ready to adapt if things got worse. It’s a reflection of how he approaches the business — hands-on, slightly obsessive, always thinking a few steps ahead.

Finding its place in Panaji

Panaji, in his view, has played a big role in making all of this work. “It’s been amazing,” he says. “I genuinely think it’s the best place to do business.” Having lived nearby in Dona Paula, he understood the area well enough to spot what was missing. “There wasn’t a place here where you could just sit, have great coffee, eat well, and relax.” Breakaway stepped into that gap. Within seven months, the café had already broken even. It hasn’t burned money since.

Choosing not to expand

What’s interesting is what hasn’t followed. There are no expansion plans. No second outlet in the works. “No,” he says, when asked about it. “I’m very satisfied with this.” He spends six to eight hours every day on the floor, not removed from the operation but right in the middle of it. “If founders aren’t present, it doesn’t work in the long run,” he says. He was recently offered another location and turned it down without much hesitation. “I’m not chasing crazy money. I’d rather build something world-class here and still have a life.”

A message for Goa

That clarity extends beyond business. When he talks about Goa, there’s a noticeable shift in tone. “I struggle to find good talent,” he says, but quickly clarifies that it’s not a lack of ability. “People are just leaving.” His message is direct. “Goa is beautiful. It’s worth living in. If you’re from here, stay and build something here.”

Meaning of Breakaway

The name Breakaway comes from cycling — the moment a rider pushes ahead of the pack. It fits more than it sounds like it should. Because that’s exactly what this place feels like. Not loud, not chasing attention, just steadily moving ahead on its own terms.