An evening at Cohiba, Candolim-Goa
On the hip-and-happening strip of Sinquerium is Cohiba – A modern restaurant and lounge bar featuring live music that is both attractive and welcoming. For a long time now, Cohiba has seized the spotlight when it comes to the best nightclubs in Goa hence makes its entry on my must-visit list in Goa.
When you step into Cohiba for the first time, you are bound to get dazed and astounded with the ginormous and glamorous setup of the club. A very spacious layout nestled amidst the green makes a gorgeous entrance to this outlet. This place surely offers a lot of choices to its customers, be it in the area of seating options, food or music. At Cohiba- you could either sit at the bar as you watch the band play or at one of the alfresco sections where you have more than enough space to move around and dance till your hearts content. Cohiba is definitely not short on atmosphere!
I visited this place on a Monday evening and was graced by acoustic Mondays featuring ‘The Slipping Chair’ from Colombo. The type of music they play is probably what catches one’s attention as their numbers vary from the well known and loved tracks to some unfamiliar ones to their originals. The energy they radiate was just fantastic and kept the crowd on their toes. It would be great if you know what’s in store for you at Cohiba throughout the week. So here I am to help you with that 😉
-Acoustic Mondays ( featuring a live band ),
-Cosmo Wednesdays ( typically the ladies night dedicated to the great living women ),
-Thursdays featuring live band ,
-Flirty Fridays ( Sounds the best to me as they have Bachata and Salsa workshops ),
-Retro Saturdays to dance your night away and
-Mojito Sundays for the Karaoke lovers .
I wasn’t aware of this amazing lineup and I wish to visit this place on a Friday next time to dance the night away with my salsa and Bachata moves :D.
I have been rambling about the ambiance and music a lot even before I could talk about my first love i.e Food. Probably the ambiance which blends effortlessly with the natural surrounding and the music by ‘Slipping Chair’ bestowed its magic on me. Let me get to the menu now – I started off with the Chatpata fries – a twist created to the regular fries which made this dish interesting. Fries tossed with curry leaves, mustard seeds and whole green/red chilies. The use of these ingredients added an unusual touch which worked well enough with this dish .I am sure to incorporate this the next time I do not want to have the regular fries ;). Fish and prawn koliwada style and the crazy calamari were the other appetizers I asked for. Minced fish and prawn brought together into deep fried crunchy starter supposedly to be originated from the Sion fishing village of Mumbai. The koliwada was crisp at the first bite and as you dig deeper into it you get into the flavorful composition of fish and prawn. It was abundant in flavor held up well to the balanced use of spices. Loved this dish! The crazy calamari – The name of this dish got me to place an order for the same. Loved the first sight of the crazy calamari where in the pan fried calamari was stuffed with prawn and sealed into small pocket like structures which was served with a generous portion of chips and salad. Are you a seafood lover like me? Do you love the idea of calamari and prawn getting together into a moderately spiced dish? Do you love the idea of having something unique off the regular menu? You now know what to order for 😉
The seafood lover in me doesn’t stop here – I continue placing an order for Tiger prawns the Recheado way and Tandoori styled red snapper. At Cohiba you do have the liberty to choose the fish you want them to cook for you as they are displayed in a freezer just for you. I chose my red snapper amidst the humongous crabs and tiger prawns lying in the freezer beside it. Both the dishes arrive and looked heavenly to me. I am in love with the Recheado style prawn already and I surely recommend each one of you to try this dish. It’s a must have when in Goa – the prawn grilled with a reddish orange masala which is spicy and tangy at the same time. A dish I’m sure to have each time I visit Goa. On the other hand the red snapper tandoori was divine and had a nice level of caramelization on it satisfying my palate with the house blended masala.
I enjoyed this culinary experience with a glass of Sangria (white wine). It’s pretty evident that they have spent a larger sum of their time perfecting on the menu and ensuring the most unique dishes and diverse selection of drinks are on the menu as well as the most premium ingredients are used . Ended my meal with a double dose of chocolate as I opted for the double chocolate brownie with vanilla ice-cream while the thin crust gave way to a rich, Fudgy interior.
Cohiba proved to be a delightful dining experience for me. The food at Cohiba is skilfully prepared, with dishes ranging from classic hearty fare to ones that soar to levels of pure class. The service was warm and welcoming and helped round off what was a rather an enjoyable experience. Cohiba is a truly worth a visit 🙂 .
