From a cycle rental shop to a vibrant bar and restaurant today, the story of Valonia's Wheels, nestled on the road to Benaulim beach, is one of delicious turns and twists.
And Mario Fernandes, the owner, along with his mother, makes sure every palate - may it be Indians or foreigners - is tickled, making it a place for rendezvous with food, where one can devour every meal whilst gazing at the rain falling on the fields that are now turning lush green.
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For a local, the place prepares pork meat that melts into one’s mouth before effortlessly sliding down the throat with fried onion, pepper and a taste of green chilly lingering on.
The pork and beef are dishes made for locals, by locals and of locally-produced meat. The only thing missing is Goan bread.
The pork chilly fry and the varied tongue dishes leave the tongues of customers salivating with memories of home-cooked food. “The pork and beef dishes are my favourite here,” admits Cruz, a diner, as he prepares to leave to hit the pillow.
For Mario, the wheels of fortune have turned for the good. “I started life by hiring two cycles. Then, I bought a motorcycle and gradually decided to buy one car and then another till one day, a friend asked me why I didn’t try my hand at running a shack,” recollects Mario as he gazes out at the rain beating the roof overhead.
Benaulim beach, once home to many hippies, slowly opened its door to the tourism industry and the growth in infrastructure saw restaurants mushrooming and Fernandes’ bar and restaurant is one that caters to all taste buds.
I started life by hiring two cycles. Then, I bought a motorcycle and gradually decided to buy one car and then another till one day, a friend asked me why I didn’t try my hand at running a shack.
Valonia's Wheels owner Mario Fernandes
“When I started in 2016, the food was mainly local, that catered to the taste of the English. Benaulim, then, saw a lot of Russian coming and we adapted by cooking to their tastes,” reflects Fernandes for whom life is not just about making money but reaching out to others.
Fernandes’ mother, Maria, runs the restaurant in the absence of her son and is the hand that directs the Goan and western cuisine, whilst a chef from North India adds flavour to the Indian food.
Valonia’s Wheels has a breakfast menu that caters to the taste buds of Indian tourists, English and Russian. The Indian breakfast consists of two stuffed parathas, curd, pickle, two chole bhature and tea or coffee for Rs 280.
The salad menu is exhaustive. The Goan salad made with prawns and mackerels, priced at Rs 290, leaves a tangy taste of balsamic vinegar, garlic, mayonnaise and wine vinegar in your mouth.
Valonia’s Wheels has a breakfast menu that caters to the taste buds of Indian tourists, English and Russian
“During the season, I manage the shack on the beach and come to the restaurant at night. The taste on the beach differs to that in a restaurant in terms of food and drinks,” Fernandes says.
Valonia’s Wheels has an exhaustive Indian cuisine and a bar with champagne right on top and Goa’s palm feni – a drink difficult to get these days – on the menu. The coconut feni costs Rs 80 for 30 ml and Rs 140 for 60 ml.
“I get my caju and palm feni from the best brewery in Goa,” admits Fernandes. Imported wines vary from Rs 450 a glass to Rs 1400 a bottle
A meal at Valonia’s Wheels feels incomplete without desserts that range from fritters to different ice creams. From amongst the fritters prepared, the pineapple fritter could leave one's taste buds twitching.
As the night starts growing, the restaurant turns into a bowl of football emotions with customers preparing to root for their favourite European team and it is time to stow away the food plates and cheer with a glass in hand.
