Ventures like Colonel’s Bistro often come to the rescue for these settlers who crave healthy homemade food. Many of their customers are those coming from North India so it’s not unusual to see that region’s influence in the menu with some mouth-watering Chole Chawal, Dal Makhani or Rajma that is reminiscent of the robust north flavours. Though other regional specialities are also available like the Gatte ki Sabji Chawal on the menu currently, the duo will slowly be adding more dishes to their menu based on customers’ needs as well.
Talking about the idea to start Colonel’s Bistro, Nisha says “ This venture was started because we fell in love with so many different flavours from all over the country and started incorporating that in our own kitchen at home. After moving to Goa we found that many people, especially those living away from family, missed homemade food. Of course, now many people have moved here with families too but they too prefer ordering hygienically prepared wholesome food a few times a week.”
Her next words also revealed the reason for the name of the venture!
“Thanks to having an actual Colonel in our family, we have been able to get different cuisines into our kitchens and deliver what people crave for.”
As a family that travelled to all parts of the country, this culinary exposure helped them immensely in the decision of opening a cloud kitchen. Having a passionate home baker and home chef at the helm, ‘creating’ with love and happiness instead of ‘just cooking’ is the knack that has added that magical ingredient of taste in their offerings.
Baked goods are Nisha’s forte and her customers love her delicious tea cakes, cookies and some exotic fusion desserts like the Blueberry and Gulab Jamun cheesecake, a taste of which feels heavenly. The menu also has some of Nisha’s famous healthy guilt-free desserts that have takers from as far as South Goa, though delivering there has been a problem that her delivery system is looking to tackle soon.
“My Vegan Oatmeal Cookies are a rare combination of health and taste and my customers swear by them. I even substitute sugar with jaggery or dates and the results are incredibly tasty and you can eat them guilt free!”, she suggests with an understanding smile.
Nisha, an educationist turned food entrepreneur and Navya who is also a journalist believe that food is not just about preparing meals in the four walls of their kitchen and sending them away but delivering their offerings with environment-friendly and conscious choices.
Navya, Nisha’s daughter says, “Our ingredients are mostly home sourced, put into some old, classic recipes and packed in containers that do not harm the environment in any way. We also encourage our customers to do their bit and reduce their impact on the planet.”
Colonel’s Bistro believes that every new order adds a new member to their foodie family and they will always first be dedicated to serving delicious food to people that can remind them of home. As Nisha puts it, “One of the greatest gifts one can give to anyone is to cook for them and we at Colonel’s Bistro do the best we can”.
Operating out of Porvorim, they are just a call/text away to take orders on +91 95299 73934/ +919593823999. Orders to be placed a day ahead can be picked up while delivery can be done in and around North Goa. Follow them on Instagram @colonelsbistrogoa.
By Laila Fathima
Images by Colonel’s Bistro
