There’s something for everyone at this popular restaurant known for simple Goan-style cooking and fresh seafood. Cactus Restaurant & Bar emits the tantalizing fragrances of Goan culture. After a fun day at Candolim Beach we went there to fuel up with a solid meal of crabs, kingfish, mackerel, chicken and more. We definitely enjoyed this casual feasts hole-in-the-wall opposite Lawande Supermarket with a dose of quality Goan food.
Food served on Table :
Crab Masala Fry - A must try Goan seafood delicacy slow cooked with traditional local spices even looks appetizing to eye. One bite and fragrant medley of spices reach our nose and its hard to resist the glorious aromas of the crab masala fry. Its spicy punch set off deliciously by the contrasting sweet crab meat.
Chicken Xacuti - This mind blowing dish is another winner and best accompanied with steamed rice. Main ingredient of this dish is mildly roasted coconut kernel which is finely grated and lightly toasted which give a unique dimension of flavour to this dish.
Chicken Cafrial - Chicken Cafreal serve with whole chicken legs, flavoured with the spices and herbs then shallow fried.
Tandoori Mackerel Recheado - The fresh fish was marinated and stuffed with recheado paste. Goan Catholics, especially the ones with Portuguese ancestry, use spicy paste to stuff fish as well meat. Tandoor perfectly in clay oven then serve hot; crispy, spicy and juicy.
Chicken & Fish Maryland - Here batter-fried chicken and fish served with French fries and vegetables with cream dip.
Chicken Roulade - This Chicken Roulade tastes even better than it looks, and it looks wonderful on the plate. In every bite you get a little bit of chicken and a little bit of the stuffing.
For sharing, get the Crab Masala Fry that stars a thick gravy of traditional local spices with a slight kick, best enjoyed with Steamed Rice. The generously-portioned Crab Masala Fry boasts a crisp texture and good balance of flavour. Chef informed us that Crabs caught on and around new-moon day are said to be more fleshy and excellent in quality. Also, the female crabs are meatier than their male counterpart.
Tawa Bangda or Tandoori Mackerel fish is very popular in all over Goa. Tryout their Tandoori Mackerel Recheado for well-grilled and deliciously spicy Mackerels that are seasoned with herbs and housemade Recheado paste (Recheado paste is made using ginger, garlic, Kashmiri chilli, cumin seeds, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, turmeric powder, coconut feni, white wine vinegar, sugar and salt). Here Tandoori Mackerel Recheado feature fresh, crispy and juicy Mackerel perfectly tandoor, crisp golden-brown look — heavenly when paired with a glass of beer.
Then, we move on to the mind-blowing Chicken Xacuti — a velvety-smooth chicken gravy mixed with roasted coconut kernel so fresh and creamy it transports you to the heaven. If anyone have any fear of fried meat, this unbelievably tasty Chicken & Fish Maryland might just change your mind. It is first braised to pack in flavour, then sallow fried over low heat to provide crisp edges and a good hit of juiciness.
The must-order Signature Chicken Cafrial comes loaded with chicken chunks and boasts a wonderfully fragrant with a surprisingly crispy texture. Go for this spicy yet comforting Chicken Cafrial, before completing our meal with the tender and perfectly charred Chicken Roulade.
Chicken Roulade that normally comes in a variety of sauce flavours like creamy tomato, champagne Sauce, mushroom sauce, cheese sauce and many more, is stellar. The chicken is properly marinated in spices and is baked to order. We finally ordered he Chicken Roulade and cheese sauce that miraculously fills us up with an addictive combination that left me scraping the bowl.