This Forest Café is a must-visit on your Goa Sojourn

Goa is a place where one can relax, slow down, enjoy the sunset at beaches or where one can try out different clubs and bars and party hard or can do both. “Hume saal ek baar Goa zarur aana chahiye”, the famous Dil Chahta Hai dialogue is actually a feeling among many youngsters. They can correlate themselves with the dialogue as they feel that Goa is a place which will excite you every time you are planning to visit the city.  They say “Goa is a vibe”.

Well, whether you are a party animal or a person who wants to explore Goa, you cannot miss or ignore the coffee and breakfast spots the city has. One such place is Moka Desserts and Coffee Bar in Siolim, North Goa. I went to Goa in November last year and during my stay in North Goa I discovered this café in Siolim. As soon as I entered this café it felt like I had entered a beautiful garden. Nestled amid lush greenery, the café will give you a feeling of calmness while having a cup of coffee.

Café’s owner Moumita Sen likes to call it a forest café. She describes this café as a reflection of what she is. “I am very passionate about this café. The café is a reflection of what I enjoy, the kind of place I want to visit. The kind of place I wanted to create for people who like to visit café.”

Moumita, who is originally from Kolkata, was residing in the US and shifted to Goa a few years back. She found Goa as the perfect place to settle down.  “Me and my family were living abroad for a very long time. We wanted to move back to the country and didn’t want to live in a big city, so Goa seemed to us as a good option. I also wanted to do something in the food industry,” she mentions.

“When I moved to Goa, I got into gardening as the greenery in the city influenced me, especially where I am currently residing. Goa is a place where you can relax, slow down. There are people who come here to party but there are also people who chose the slow life especially those who have moved here like me,” she says, sharing her experiences.

Moumita Sen, owner of the cafe (Left side)

Moumita has tried to add a traditional twist to her recipes. She tries to include traditional ingredients in her food. “One of our best sellers is Gondhoraj lime cheesecake where we use Shondesh as the cheesecake since I am from Calcutta and Gondhoraj lime is very famous there, that’s one of our most unique creations.”

Gondhoraj lime cheesecake

You can also try their date and nut chocolate tart. Apart from desserts they also have breakfast options. Some of the options are different types of malai toast. Inspired by childhood memories of toast with malai and sugar, the café has improvised it with house-made brioche, whipped custard creme, and a mix of flavours, fruits, crunches. Apart from it they also have hummus pesto, roasted eggplant, chicken kasundi (Bengali mustard), grilled cheese egg, mushroom grilled cheese. Also, the prices are not too high, you can have your breakfast along with a nice cup of coffee amid the greenery at a reasonable price. The greenery of this café sets it apart from the other cafes.

Moumita calls herself a self-taught chef. She loves to experiment with food. “I am a self-taught chef. I come from a business background. I am very passionate about desserts. I like to add traditional flavours and native ingredients and trying out new recipes.” she said.

“We have a kitchen team of five people. Most of them are trained by me. I have a different way of working. You give people basics, and if they have the capability and understanding, they take it all, and also improvise. There is a lot of freedom. It’s a very flexible environment,” Moumita expresses.

This café came up in Siolim after the lockdown and it is entering in its third year. Moumita says that opening a café in Goa is a herculean task.  “In Goa being on the customer side everything seems very calm and relaxing but if you are planning to set up a café then you have to be very resilient and passionate. Setting up a café is a task,” she mentions.

"Basic infrastructure is not up to the mark in Goa. There are days when there is no water, there is no electricity, voltage fluctuations are crazy. There are a lot of operational challenges, especially when working out of an old Portuguese villa. Monsoon in Goa is very harsh. You have to prepare yourself for the monsoon season. From roof leaks to trees falling and disrupting electricity-things can get pretty stressful. You really have to gear up,” she stresses.

Asked whether she is planning to expand the café Moumita clarifies that currently they are not planning to expand. “For now, our priority is to maintain the quality, provide good service so that customers will visit us again. Managing one café is not an easy job. Also, in today’s time of social media you have to maintain the quality, experiment with new recipes since the competition is very high.