Get Your Falafel: Porvorim Has A New Restaurant Serving Middle Eastern Food

Mezmiz in Sangolda is the middle eastern restaurant we’ve been waiting for. Set up in a beautifully done-up villa, this one’s doing mezze plates for dinner from Tuesday to Sunday. Having tried their hummus and kebabs, we can safely say that their food can give any place a raan for their money.

With a cosy verandah seating and rather lovely interiors, Mezmiz calls out to everyone who craves good food minus the flourishes. This is not to say that the food isn’t dressed well, it’s just that the taste is the real hero. In the tabbouleh, for instance, the parsley really shines through. Similarly for adana kebabs, the delicate spices bring out the taste of the lamb.

This restaurant (away from all the beaches) is an attempt at going back to the basics, we're told. Think comfort food and community eating. They want diners to come, savour the delicacies, sit around, talk and share food with fam and friends. And if we were asked, we’d take this slow cooking and slow eating approach any day.

The couple behind the restaurant, Kush and Nazneen, made Goa their home about a year back and this place is a sheer labour of love. Nazneen loved cooking and realised that having grown up with Bohra food, middle eastern and Islamic dishes came easy to her. After a series of trials, she’s zeroed down on recipes that were loved by everyone. One thing though, is spectacular: the menu is small but everything’s super good. It’s a mix of hot and cold plates and some cocktails given the signature Mezmiz twist.

Everything from their pita to the dips is made in-house, with the freshest ingredients. This, we learnt over conversation with the couple. Nazneen’s constant supervision in the kitchen and suggestions on what you should try make the meal here truly memorable. After a leisurely dinner, we knew we were going back for the kebabs, the pita with dips, spiced red sangria, ave agave (tequila and pomegranate molasses) and homemade ice cream. Oh, and of course, to chill with the hosts with the most: Kush and Nazneen always make you feel like home.

Since we love Mezmiz’s food so much, we want to be able to go often. The only thing that holds us back, are the prices; the food and drinks are steep.

It’s shut on Mondays and only opens from 7–11pm on other days. That said, we hear they’re planning on doing a Sunday brunch and there might be biryani.