When in Goa, try out this nook of the rich and the famous
In 2018, when Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas stepped into Pousada By The Beach, Candolim, for a break from routine, the couple put a stamp on the property that made it the place to go to.
Pousada (which means ‘a place to rest’ in Portuguese) is the only restaurant in Goa that makes you stay for the quality of food, the vibe, the drink and an ethereal connect with nature, created by owner, Neville Proenca, who believes that “there are no short cuts in life.”
Born in a typical Goan family – where the number of coconuts plucked determined the quantum of sun that could be soaked – Neville, from learning to sow and reap fruits from the fields on ancestral land, today sits on an empire that spells the essence of Goa, from kitchen to service to accommodation.
“The hardships I faced in life have made me what I am today. And, it is my baptism with reality when I worked at Taj Holiday Village, Sinquerim, that has given me the rope to experiment with the truth,” says Proenca, as he bites into a chapati, laced with honey.
True to its name, Pousada By The Beach is a restaurant that makes you want to stay long, because, it is one of the few restaurants in Goa with no blaring music, and quenches not only the hunger of guests, but also provides a hammock for the soul.
The menu at Pousada By The Beach is 90 per cent Goan – Feijoada, pork, soups, chicken and desserts – while the drinks flow from the minds of maverick bartenders.
Owner, Proenca, is not a tough nut to crack. He opens up when the good keeps coming, and that is why his menu has been minimalistic from the beginning, with the cooking left to his 23-year-old chef, and the service shared between him and his two sons.
“If the people we serve want extra, we give it to them. My staff can deliver, but that is not enough. The presence of the owner makes for a different experience,” discloses Proenca, as he oversees his eldest son, Joshua, interacting with a client.
Every customer entering is greeted with warmth, and leaves thanking Proenca and his sons and staff, warmly
The flow of celebrities from India and abroad is constant in Candolim because the search for the restaurant never stops.
“Anyone who comes here is a star, and they come here because of the location, the food and because of our traditional hospitality,” quips Proenca as he pets Chai and Biscuit, his two pets dogs that endear well with clients.
In fact, try this: Type Chai and Biscuit in Google, and the location of the restaurant pops up!
The restaurant is expensive, perhaps the costliest. But, when one measures the honesty, the cuisine, the landscape and the service, price is not an issue. Finding a place in it is.
“The prices are high because they match the quality and standard of service set by us,” admits Proenca, who is also the first to have started a boutique hotel in the State.
“Quality comes at a price, is what I have learnt and have since believed. I bought this place after having completed my nine-room boutique hotel without compromising,” reflects Proenca, who at 60, thinks having had elders as friends helped him achieve his self-summit.
Pousada By The Beach and its boutique hotel, Pousada Tauma are looked after by father and two sons – Joshua and Zoran – who take up the good thrown in by dad, whilst letting the spirit of Goa flow through guests.
Reflecting on the tourism in Goa, Proenca says, “There is no such thing as a ‘season’. The presence of foreigners does not make a season; a nationality doesn’t make a season nor do good spenders or bad spenders.”
Despite a busy schedule, Proenca makes time to enjoy the good in life with clients, family or the few friends he has.
“I don’t say I am good. I am straight-forward and content,” murmurs Proenca, as he enjoys the garden around his restaurant on the beach.
Turning a bit philosophical, he says, “Unity amongst people, irrespective of religion, is the remedy for inner solace. Religion does matter. Good people also matter.”
And, keeping that in mind, every customer entering is greeted with warmth, and leaves thanking Proenca and his sons and staff, warmly.
“At the end of the day, it is the word of mouth that is the star that shines for you,” concludes Proenca, as he rolls his hand over Chai and Biscuit.