Speaking to Tristan Lopes from Reis Magos is like talking to an artist whose mind is a never-ending carousel of ideas. Come to think of it, Tristan is an artist with the only difference being that his art studio is a kitchen.
Carefully tucked away inside the notes app on his phone, his ideas, quirky recipes and all the thoughts that catch him off guard and mid-conversation, wait until it is their turn to be executed, and Tristan always obliges.
As a chef, Tristan’s story began outside the Delfino's supermarket in Porvorim. For him, it was always about finding soul and honesty in food.
“I started a brand called Friends with Buns (FwB) in the year 2017,” reminisces the 29-year-old.
Initially, FwB was just a small food stall in Porvorim where he sold two burgers -- Joey and Sheila.
“From there, I moved to a slightly larger stall and then shifted to a home kitchen during the Covid-19 pandemic. I also used to deliver my DIY burger packs all over Goa,” Tristan recalls, as he unpacks the little achievements that he’s collected along the way.
“It was around the same time that we got voted as one of the top 5 burger joints in Goa,” he smiles.
Looking back, “I never thought I’d be a chef because I didn’t come from a background where I could just get it done. It took a whole lot of hard work to get here, and there’s still a long way to go," shares the former Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition (IHM) student.
Soon, Tristan had his very own café in Miramar called ‘Friends with Buns’. And while the customer base increased by the day, there was one regular customer that stood out more than the rest - his name was Safeer Dhamani.
An entrepreneur himself, Safeer ran a restaurant of his own known as ‘Miri’, just a couple of blocks away from where ‘Friends with Buns’ was located.
It was soon after that Safeer approached Tristan and the two decided to team up to create Miri X Friends with Buns – an amalgamation of Tristan’s culinary brilliance and Safeer's understanding of the business market.
“I think we make a good team,” says Tristan, who is more than happy to spend all his time in the kitchen with the assurance that Safeer will take care of all the other aspects that it takes to run a restaurant.
“I give them a product that can sell and they take that product and sell it. Safeer handles the business end of the restaurant while I handle all the creative aspects and quality control,” Tristan explains the order of business.
As for the menu, it is not restricted to any one cuisine, and Tristan says that his food is a reflection of his personality on a plate.
“In terms of technique I do molecular gastronomy, Texas style barbeque and also different types of pickling methods. And in terms of flavours, I have this small gift where I can imagine what to pair with what and surprisingly, it always works out well,” he says.
The same happened with ‘Goa’, a bite sized appetizer made up of local Goan flavours that went on to win the Appetizer of the Year for 2023!
Additionally, a few of the things to try on the menu at Miri X Friends with Buns is their slow-cooked steak, tender coconut seradura dessert, and their recently launched mouth-watering smoked barbeque biryani that is Tristan’s very own adaptation of biryani and is currently being served under ‘Smoke House,’ their latest addition that is launching this week.
As for the large portions of food, “we like feeding people,” smiles Tristan as he flashes a warm smile and hurries back into the kitchen.
“I don’t think I’ll be in the restaurant business for that long, my goal is not only to run a restaurant but to revolutionise the food industry in some way or the other,” he ponders.
“I just want to put one product out there and retire,” grins Tristan whose retirement plans include starting a YouTube channel and travelling the world and trying out food from all over.
And should he ever need a sign of how far he’s come, then the tattoo on his right bicep will always be a reminder.
“What does your tattoo mean?” he’s asked.
“It means to achieve, to accomplish and always remember where you come from,” Tristan smiles.
CONTACT DETAILS
WHERE: Miri X Friends with Buns, Miramar
CONTACT: +91 8668791385
TIMINGS: Open every day from 10:30 am - 11 pm