Last week, Viola, Maria and I visited Avinash Bar and Restaurant on the beautiful island of Divar, during the Bonderam festival.

Avinash Bar and Restaurant
Morodvaddo, Divar, Ilhas, Goa
Tel: 9850463443
Timings: 11 am onward; Monday evenings closed
Google Maps location: https://goo.gl/maps/BraCZKLtrbqBUGKW6

Avinash has a lovely location beside the fields in Morodvaddo, Divar. From the Old Goa ferry, it’s a straight drive through the mangrove forests in the Mandovi river, and the rice fields beyond till the road forks, the left going to Piedade and the right to Sao Matias. Avinash is located at the fork, on the road to Sao Matias.

The restaurant is named after owner Avinash Cabral, a gracious host who seated us as soon as we arrived in the middle of lunch time. We were grateful as we had been walking a long time and were hungry. What’s more, after lunch, he kindly dropped us off to Sao Matias so we could join the Bonderam festivities on time.

It was great to relax by the window, gazing out at the beautiful fields and railway bridge in the far distance. The view is so tempting that we hardly looked inward at the interesting art showcasing life in Divar, or at the street life passing by outside. We were content to gaze at the idyll that is rural Divar. Just chilling while we waited for our fish.

And the fish was soon to arrive.

That day, Viola had a kingfish thali, I had bangdo and Maria had prawns. Viola’s thali had rice, fish curry, manki (squid), teesrio (shellfish), dry prawns kismur, cabbage bhaji, pickle, salad and a big piece of kingfish. My thali had a crispy bangdo and Maria’s of course had prawns. We were delighted with the manki ambot tik (sour and hot squid) on the thali. As the curry was of prawns and drumsticks, that meant Viola and I had fish, teesrio, prawns and squid in one plate.

This was one meal where we really starving, having driven a long way from Benaulim to Old Goa that morning, crossed the river and then walked a great deal in Sao Matias in Divar before stopping for lunch. The curry we had been served was lovely; the fried fish crisp and fresh. It was all very welcome as we needed to fuel up for the long afternoon and evening of fun ahead. So it was a quiet table as we all three devoured our meal with concentration.

That was lovely, home style khana. Just what we needed in the middle of a long day. Easy on the stomach, easy on the pocket. The only suggestion we would make is to serve sol kari also with the curry rice plate.

Thanks Avinash, your food recharged our batteries for Bonderam. Viva!

(Besides all varieties of Goan fish and seafood, and curry rice plates, Avinash also has other Indian and Indi-Chinese dishes).

Music:
Wanderer's Trove / A Nightingale's Journey / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
American Legion / Covered Bridge / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

#goa #4k #goanfood #fishthali #fishcurry #divarisland #divar