Japanese food is becoming quite the hit in Goa. But sushi requires an appropriate amount of TLC to be considered good. In my hunt for interesting new places to eat at, I chanced upon Toro Toro, a new addition to the North Goa strip – that served sushi and more – set up along a pristine spot overlooking the Baga river
Brought into being by siblings Rohan and Praveena D’Souza with their restaurateur friends Hitesh and Twinkel Keswani, Toro Toro combines Mediterranean and tropical styles to create a space that animates through both food and ambience, the latter highlighted by live music on most evenings.
The bar immediately caught my attention. On first glance, you’d imagine a caravan parked amid the alfresco and upscale shack-style seating arrangement. But it is, in fact, the bar. The colour palette and décor at Toro Toro are bright, yet local – woven baskets form an arrangement on a wall, cured drift becomes a signboard, and painted bamboo forms pretty roof supports.
Behind the food is chef par excellence Rohan D’Souza who has been known as the ‘conductor of gourmet symphonies’. His extensive experience at the Taj Holiday Village Goa, with Etihad Airways and with culinary stalwarts including James Martin and Marco Pierre White has laid a strong foundation for delicious and innovative options here at Toro Toro.
The menu is wide ranging – heading from delightful sushi from the east and good quality Goan food to Lebanese dishes, Peruvian classics and Italian favourites. Each dish comes well plated and presented, creating perfect Instagram-worthy images amid the chic restaurant laid out across various levels.
The sushi rolls on offer are well made, particularly the spicy yellow fin tuna uramaki and jalapeño salmon flavoured with shichimi spices. A couple of interesting options here are the cottage cheese and tempura vegetables sushi.
It’s rare to find vegetarian sushi that impresses and Toro Toro certainly does. In one, fried pieces of paneer are paired with seasoned radish, cucumber, ginger, spring onion, asparagus and jalapeño mayo. The second is crispy tempura vegetables served with chilli mayo, pickled carrots and given an extra crunch with tempura snow flaked crumbs.
The small sharing plates featuring such delights as char-grilled chicken, lamb kofta with hummus, coriander crab meatballs, mushroom risotto croquettes and mezze platter are ideal when visiting with a group of friends. My favourite were the pulled pork bruschetta with slow-cooked pork, chorizo, refried beans and fresh mozzarella. I also loved the fish baked in a banana leaf, which received an additional tropical hit with its pineapple coconut salsa.
Toro Toro serves delightful homemade pasta and thin crust pizza as well as rice or noodles to go with the appetising range of Asian gravies and stir-fries. Their signature section has already received rave reviews by revisiting guests.
Being a seafood lover, I was particularly interested in their Goan and mud crabs sections. A wide variety of favourite local dishes make an appearance – prawn balchao, stuffed papad, rawa fried fish, squid masala and prawn or fish curry rice. The mud crabs are served by the size, from large to XXL, and wok tossed in a number of ways, including recheado, butter garlic and black pepper.
There’s no better way to finish up than with a serving of Toro Toro’s signature chocolate fondant. It’s baked to order and well worth the 20-minute wait, oozing gooey chocolate that teams classically well with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.
I have much more to discover at Toro Toro and will return often to indulge in their great food and quirky ambiance.
Reservations & Contact Details – 0788 767 4903
Sinéad McManus 