Our options for street food had so far been limited to the Miramar chaat guys but every now and then, you want comfortable seating and to eat pani puri without being rushed. This is why Chowpatty Chaska is that perfect lil’ evening haunt in Dona Paula. There’s parking, the food’s bursting with home-cooked flavours and the comfort of having table seating means we can have our juice and pav bhaji in complete peace.
If the folks were only testing the waters with The Mumbai Canteen, they’ve taken the next step with a bigger space for Chowpatty Chaska. With no compromise on the taste, they ensure that you can enjoy all the kachori and vada pao without being worried about the abysmal hygiene of the street vendors. It’s an obvious bonus that their pricing is super affordable with chaat and parathas all priced between INR 50 and 80. Oh, and they’ve got full-fledged meals too if you feel like dal-subzi-and-fulka.
Table seating sorted and kitschy wall art in full view, we got on with ordering a massive spread of Bombay street food including Cheese Pav Bhaji, Pani Puri and Masala Khichiya. One plate of puri down, they happily stacked up more puris for us to shamelessly devour. The cheese Pav Bhaji with local, buttered buns and a tangy subzi was hands-down the best we’ve had in Goa. The khichiya was then consumed out of sheer greed and because it was too light and tasty to pass up. And because we were in the mood for throwing restraint out of the window, we agreed to trying their Special Momos because they said they were ace. Man, if only we could tell you how soul-satisfyingly desi there were, tossed in sauces and sprinkled with cheese.
We love that apart from the samosa, pizza and parathas, this place also has big plates and the option for combos and complete meals. Hello aloo jeera and dal tadka! And to make you feel a little good after all that gluttony, are freshly-squeezed fruit juices.