Kokum Kitchen — Restaurant in Goa

The whole point of the week is the weekend and when you don't spend it well it definitely is a crime. For us, a Sunday is all about a long lazy leisurely Brunch. And what's a brunch without some great vibe & view.

A Sunday Brunch with a View at Taj Fort Aguada - Kokum Kitchen Restaurant.

A grand spread that runs around the perimeter of the restaurant with food placed strategically for ease of access across.

Our brunch started with the rather elaborate salad section, each of them unique in flavour, texture and colour. The freshness in this section stole our heart. And what more there's a small cheese platter too for us to enjoy along with the oh! so flavourful broccoli almond soup. Really fresh and flavourful that we didn't want to move ahead of this section. But there was a long way to go.

The live section had some amazing woks and grills. We settled in for a portion of wok tossed noodles with veggies in basil garlic sauce. And went with a mixed platter of Veggies - Sweet Potatoes and Cottage Cheese grilled with different Sauces. We made ourselves an Heavenly platter of both the Veg and the non veg Grills, that we loved.

Must mention - The live music that kept us company throughout the afternoon were the perfect duo Charm and Avito. Lively and happy music with a smiling face throughout the brunch.

We then took a break and sat back with our respective mocktails enjoying the great vibe this place had to it.

We couldn't resist ourselves to sit in too long so we headed to fill our plate with the mains. A great mix of indian, continental, asian, thai, goan and what not. There's something for everyone. We settled for a little bit of everything. But what stole the show was the prawn curry, thai curry, lauki ka kofta, and the baby brinjal curry. Exceptionally good.

Moving from the mains we quickly started scanning the dessert counter. What a spread. Right from the Moong Dal Halwa to the Green Tea Cheese Cake, the Labongo Latika, the Caramel Custard, Kaju Burfi to the Sticky toffee Pudding. Do we need to say more.

The best is yet to come, this massive buffet was priced at just Rs.1770/- AI without alcohol and Rs.2450/-- AI with some premium range of alcohol. Now ain't it a perfect place to spend...

The Kokum Kitchen was our go-to place for leisurely breakfasts during our stay at the Fort Aguada Hermitage. The hotel's coffee shop presents an elaborate buffet spread for all meals - breakfast, lunch & dinner. The breakfasts were lavish with multiple live counters (dosas, waffles & the works), an extensive spread of Indian (North, South & Goanese) & western options, and of course complete with fruits, juices, bakery items, et al. And while we could only try one full meal, a single a-la-carte dinner (while sitting at the adjoining SFX), the lunch & dinner spreads seemed even more lavish (in fact my folks had a lunch during their stay subsequently at the property) and they only had the nicest of things to say about. Our dinner too (a paneer kathi roll) was excellent - the portion, quality & taste were all top-notch.

Finally, while the food is probably on par with most good hotels, it's again the proverbial Taj hospitality which steals the show - we were pampered by Rohan, Sairaj, Roshan, Virendra, Vincent, Mohit & Chef. Rishi and on one of the mornings at the breakfast at Il Camino (our last one there) we were spoilt by Rishav, Vishnu, Chef. Rukesh, Pawan & Abhishek. In fact a special thanks from my parents to Vincent. They were all exceptionally warm, amiable, hospitable, and personable. Thanks everyone, you guys know how to be hosts par excellence -...

I recently dined at Taj Goa, expecting a luxurious experience given its 5-star reputation. Unfortunately, the dinner buffet left much to be desired, both in terms of quality and quantity.

Firstly, the prices were exorbitant, far exceeding what one would reasonably expect even for a high-end establishment. However, the quality of the food did not justify the steep cost. Many dishes lacked flavor and creativity, falling short of the gourmet standards we anticipated. The seafood, supposedly a highlight, was bland and overcooked, while the vegetarian options were uninspired and monotonous.

Moreover, the variety was surprisingly limited. For a buffet, we expected a diverse range of dishes, but the selection was disappointingly sparse. Even the desserts, often a saving grace, were mediocre and did not offer the rich flavors one would hope for in a 5-star setting.

Service, although polite, did not make up for the lackluster food. The staff seemed overwhelmed and inattentive at times, adding to the overall disappointing experience.

In summary, Taj Goa's dinner buffet was a major letdown. The exorbitant price tag did not match the subpar quality and limited variety of the food. I would not recommend dining here if you're looking for value for your money or a truly memorable...