A mother’s touch is something else. Whether she’s knitting you a sweater or cooking you a delicious meal, nothing can beat the magic in her hands.
And if you are in Anjuna and craving for tasty food, you can choose from an abundance of restaurants that are known to cater to every known cuisine, right from Chinese to South Indian -- you will be spoiled for choice.
But, there is nothing that can beat a home-cooked meal from Aai, is there? So head to Aai, a Goan restaurant that is run by Omkar Kinalekar and his family, situated in the midst of bustling Anjuna.
Having started in the year 2019, Omkar explains how the restaurant was first located in Vagator and then shifted to Anjuna because of the convenience of having their home located right behind the place.
The word Aai is used to fondly address a mother or a grandmother. “We named the restaurant Aai because it is named after my grandma,” he says as he points to a photograph of Aai on the wall, next to that of her husband.
“Her photo is there, see?” gestures Omkar, who is also involved in real estate.
In the photos, both, aai and baba, appear content. Their contentment probably signifies their happiness to see no vacant seats and happy customers enjoying delicious food at the restaurant. Aai definitely looks proud.
Aai family restaurant is located on the first floor, but this was not always the case. “When we started, the restaurant was located below and only served pure veg food,” Omkar reminisces and adds, “now we have shifted upstairs and have given the place downstairs on rent,”
As for the aroma that comes from the kitchen, “The food is cooked by our parents itself. We don’t have any hired chefs,” he explains the secret behind the taste of their local authentic Goan food.
The restaurant caters to both vegetarians and non-vegetarians and is specialised in thalis. Promising a homemade feel, Omkar stands by the fact that the fish in all their thalis is always fresh.
“Anybody who comes here once, is sure to return,” he says with assurance and explains that the reason behind his confidence is the faith he has in the food and the good feedback that he has received from his repeat customers.
The veg thali starts from Rs 120 and the most expensive, the pomfret thali goes up to Rs 450. He explains, “It all depends on the market prices since fish has become very expensive.”
Most of the regulars opt for the mackerel thali which starts at Rs 150 or the prawn thali which is priced at Rs 250. Kingfish and prawns, again, depend on the market prices.
Open every day from noon to 4.30 pm and 7 pm to 11.30 pm, Omkar explains how taking days off would mean having to send people back home hungry, and that is something that he won’t do. “We have our regular set of customers. We can’t disappoint them and keep them bhuka,” he smiles.
If you happen to find yourself looking for a reasonable, yet finger-licking good local thali in Anjuna, adding Aai’s restaurant to your itinerary sounds like the perfect thing to do, take Omkar’s word for it!
DETAILS
WHERE: Aai Family Restaurant, Anjuna Mapusa Road Junction
TIMINGS: Open every day 12 to 4:30 and 7 to 11:30
CONTACT: 9834858012 / 9623746342
