Restaurant Review – Dandey’s Grill House

Most accessible restaurants in Goa have the similar cuisine & similar menu, you look around and you will have signage’s saying – Goan, Chinese, Indian, Mughlai, Tandoor & Continental and the menu will have the standard butter, chilly, xacuthi variations along with a few steaks. What ever happened to innovations our menu is frozen for ages. The ones which offer different experiences make you slightly poorer and guilty for a while. The restaurants in 5 star resorts, according to us are over rated and seldom value for money. We, after all are from the “Sasta …. Sundar….. Tiaku” (a phrase in Hindi used to describe consumer behavior in the early 90’s which emphasized on products that looked good, lasted long and was cheap as well)  era of consumerism and like the menu we have also conveniently frozen our selves in certain aspects, though we are breaking free slowly.

So for a different menu and different culinary experience do visit “Dandey’s Grill House” which serves you good variations of steaks, the food is very simple and tasty, they have the regular variations of steaks in pepper and barbeque sauce with mash potatoes & grilled vegetables apart from various other choices. The chefs make what they know to make and they make it well, they don’t try to pretend to be the perfect steaks the way European’s do. The menu has not changed much for the last couple of years since we discovered it but at least the menu is different and you look forward to read it as it does not serve the regulars. There is a touch of localization in the final product, which we like. The service is excellent and this is a no frills restaurant, come here for the food and not for the music or view or for socializing.

Dandeys is located on the Sangolda valley, though it is located on the main road connecting Calangute from Porvorim it is kind of hidden away, a kind of place where you walk in and recognize most others even if you do not know them personally. Some how this restaurant has not caught the fancy of tourists, may be it is not marketed that way. Having tourists would add to the business & we are sure this is a place which guests who like good food will instantly like but we don’t mind their absence as we get a more personalized service and a kind of homely feeling while dining here.

The restaurant does not get too crowded and they survive on a small and growing clientele who keep going back to them for simple & good food. Chicken Cordeblue, Beef stake and fish peri peri are the dishes we keep ordering. Their garlic bread is also very different; it is normal slice of white bread infused with garlic paste and toasted with butter. They have a range of choices in starters & deserts from squid’s batter fried, prawn’s chilly garlic, some different tandoori kebabs to brownies in hot chocolate and sweet pancakes. The cooking is consistent, all dishes are pre plated. Apart from the food, the service is very warm and friendly and quick also, we never had to wait long for our order.

The only let down is the vegetarian selection, as there aren’t many, probably because it is frequented by locals who are hardcore non veggies. Over all Dandeys Grill house is a very warm, homely hideaway where you get good food different from the standard menu offered around you and it is value for money.