Food vans have slowly wheeled themselves towards destinations frequented by tourists, and are now a craze in North Goa, mainly due to the holiday style choice of a sip, a smoke and a jig.
At a crossroad coming from Mapusa – one road leading to Vagator, the other to Arpora and the third to Anjuna – stands a food van named 'Noronha's', that serves food made by a Goan family.
Run by Lazaar, the food van is the first on the route, and as one drives into the coastal belt, more follow. The only difference between Noronha's and the others being, the former is Made in Goa.
The story of Lazaar and his family is a that of a startup that started in the kitchen and was wheeled to the site most traversed by tourists. The beef chops, beef roast, cutlet bread – to name a few – tickle the palate as the juices trickle into the mouth.
“We normally come for our meal here before we sit for a drink. The food is tasty and very reasonable. It’s neither too spicy nor too bland. My young children have no problem,” says Ashma as she waits to pick up her parcel.
The food van opens after sunset, ready to serve the locals first, and is open till after midnight if the food does not run out. “Tourists start coming after eight until we close down,” acknowledges Lazaar.
If Noronha's is a hotspot at the junction, the road from Anjuna to Vagator has a line of food vans that serve Indian snacks, chaats and even bites from the North East.
“We are going for a party and have decided to stop for a quick bite. Service is fast, the food is good, and it helps us get to our destination without wasting much time,” reasons Ashok, as he takes a bite from a plate placed on his car.
Fried rice, momos, chicken rolls, Manchurian and even homemade ice creams are served to clients travelling towards clubs that play music till the early morning. For many, who stop thinking before they spend, these food vans are the best barricades before the overflow.
Sarvesh, a lad from Bengaluru, working at a food van that serves Indian fast food, confesses, “We have a lot of crowd early in the morning on their way to their rooms after the party. They are not demanding.”
Food vans in Goa are economical. Cutlets sell between Rs 80 to Rs 100; shawarmas range from Rs 60 to Rs 100; roasts vary from Rs 80 to Rs 100, and all have bins around to swallow up the waste.
Food vans are not seen as much in South Goa with most guests preferring to dine in hotels or shacks, and only those who work from Goa opting for food vans around Colva, Benaulim, Utorda, Majorda and other villages along the coast.
“We rarely get a taxi with tourists who will stop by. Locals and Indians staying in flats, or as paying guests, normally come to pick up food. This style of eating has not caught up with tourists because this concept is new. We started during the Pandemic,” confesses Ulric.
Most food vans sell tasty food; the kind that was once served in shacks and is now being served by the roadside because Goans' love for food is always on a roll.