da Gama canteen — Restaurant in Houston

Y'all..this place is SO good, if you know.. you know, if you haven't tried it.. what are you waiting for?! This review is after my 2nd time visiting the restaurant, and I'm already planning my next visit there. The location is awesome, easy parking and right off I-10. The restaurant ambience is lively and modern, perfect for a date night or girls night out, I also always see lots of families there too. Also I wish I had pictures of the food and drinks.. but it was so delicious we forgot to take pics. Starting with the dranks.. their cocktails are delicious and so pretty, highly recommend trying at least one! I had the blue smoke which was very good, I ended up opting for a custom margarita after that- skinny and spicy, which were delicious! My friend had the Paloma and east G&T, I believe she liked the Paloma the best. My hubby had one of the coffee cocktails and really enjoyed it. Now for food.. first off, you must bring 2-3 friends so you can try as much stuff on the menu as possible! The gunpowder fries and samosas are a must! The food came out so fast, was so hot and fresh, within the first bites everyone was raving about the food. The dips and chutney are also so yum. The Vada Pao is also a must try and surprisingly great portion to split into 4. The rest of my party also ordered three chili paneer and oysters which they enjoyed. For entrees we had the Saag paneer, rajma daal, Goan fish and aloo gobi bravas.. of course along with bulletproof naan. Everything was exceptional! I don't eat meat so skipped on the fish but my hubby and friends said it was their favorite dish of everything we ordered. The gobi was quite spicy as a heads up, although I don't remember it being quite as spicy the first time.. also nothing a few fries can't fix! I really enjoyed the saag and daal and so happy they added them on the menu! The first time I came I had the yellow daal and the channa paneer-minus the paneer and honestly I thought they were both okay, but the saag, daal and gobi are definitely winners! As if this all wasn't good enough.. the real reason for my visit.. dessert!!! OMG the sticky date cake is legit to die for... it is SO damn good. It's like banana bread on crack, so freakin good. The first time I came here we were celebrating a girlfriends birthday so we're lucky enough to try the birthday cake.. and it was phenomenal!! There's no way to describe it except as the best birthday cake you've ever had...sweet but not too sweet and with an Indian twist. Anyway since then I've been raving about it to my friends so made them come for their birthday and we got to try it again and it was just as good, however it was a little embarrassing because the slice they brought out for him was so teeny tiny it was barely a bite lol I had mentioned this the first time and really hope the restaurant listens... put the birthday cake on the dessert menu!! I would 100% order that as a regular dessert, it is so damn good and the fact that people only get to try it if it's their birthday is a shame, and just cruel lol Its too good not to be shared!

Anyway if you couldn't already tell I'm in love with this restaurant. The food, ambience, service are top notch. It's definitely one of Houstons best restaurants and I cannot wait to go back! Try this place.. you will...

Da Gama now has a special place in my heart. Absolutely one of my favorite restaurants in Houston! Last night about 18 of my friends joined me for my birthday dinner at Da Gama. I can't say enough about how accommodating and nice they were leading up to the dinner when we made reservations. Everything from the food, drinks, and service it was a perfect experience.

From the moment we got there to the end staff was amazing and super nice. We pretty much ordered everything on the menu. I was expecting much smaller portions, but when the dishes came out they were a really decent amount of food. Probably for 2 - 4 people you only need a single order of any dish. We just ended up ordering multiple of our favorites because of the size of our group.

Here are some of the highlights:

Beet Kofta - this dish blew me away. I would say if you only order one dish it should be this. The flavor alone won me over. I've never had anything like it. We ordered two of these.

Mum's chicken curry - the name says it all. It literally tastes like there is someone's mom or grandma back at home in her kitchen preparing this dish with love. I was immediately addicted. We had to order 3 to go around. This and the beet kofta are two dishes I will never go without when I go back.

Actually I might have to add the mussels to that list of must order as well.

We also ordered the saag paneer, goan fish curry, vindaloo, and lamb rib mattar. The rich savory flavors in each of these curries was just beautiful, perfectly balanced and cooked. We inhaled these dishes so fast.

The African tenderloin was one that I had to order, so smokey and delicious.

From the small plates we ordered the chicken samosas, casava bombas, and the aloo gobi bravas. All were yummy, but my favorite was the aloo gobi bravas.

We also ordered the paella which was great, more intense flavor than a normal paella, but was just missing the crispy rice at the bottom. I still really liked it. It is probably the largest dish on the menu, meant to be shared with a large group, and takes the most amount of time to prepare.

Also have to mention the ridiculously delicious butter and garlic naans. So crucial to soaking up those amazing curries and flavors from all the dishes. Make sure to order a few extra upfront so they come out with your food.

You can't go wrong with any of the drinks, and there is a decent wine list as well.

My recommendation is to do exactly like we did which is to order everything that looks good and share family style. Each dish has a different amount of time that it takes to prepare so just have them bring it out when its ready. Ignore your typical courses, and just eat what's in front of you.

What a fantastic dinner, and now my favorite place. My wife and I were joking about going back for dinner again tonight.

Do yourself a favor, please go. We're so lucky to have this place here in...

da Gama canteen is from RISHI Hospitality, the same husband and wife duo that also owns OPORTO fooding house & wine and also formally The Queen Vic pub & kitchen (2009-2018). This new concept is Anglo-Indian with a blending of food and cultures drawing inspiration from the former Portuguese-Indian territory of Goa, Gujarat, and Portugal. It's located in the new M-K-T development in the Heights with plenty of free parking.

We initially went to da Gama canteen in their soft opening (June 2021), and they had a few kinks to work out with their food and cocktails. Since then, they have perfected everything, and we have been frequent visitors! I have added my favorite items from their menu below:

[COCKTAILS]

+Blue Smoke (mezcal, lemon sour, ginger syrup, aloe vera, and blueberries) for $14 - This is my go-to cocktail at da Gama. - 5/5

+Cocchi Paloma (tequila, cocchi vermouth, honey, grapefruit, and soda water) for $13 - I opt for their paloma when I want a less smokey taste. - 5/5

[PÃO: house-made bread]

+Bullet Naan (tandoor flat bread and spicy garlic butter) for $5 - They use Serrano pepper in this naan which gives it a kick. - 5/5

[DO QUINTA: from the farm]

+Arroz Do Campo (Portuguese-style saffron paella, Goan choris sausage, piri-piri chicken, roasted mushrooms, and roasted cauliflower) - This comes out on a huge platter! This could easily feed more than 4 people, so be prepared. If you bring it home as leftovers, it tastes even better the next day. - 5/5

[OS CARIL: curries]

+Mum's Chicken Curry (braised chicken thighs in tomato-coconut milk curry masala) for $17 - This is my go-to curry here. It has a good amount of spice and tastes excellent with the naan. - 5/5

[EMBELLISHMENTS]

+Gunpowder Fries (gunpowder spice blend and turmeric aioli) for $8 - These fries are amazing. The turmeric aioli is very unique. - 5/5

They also have a walk-up counter service café window for breakfast tacos, house pizzas, cocktails, coffee, and chai.

+Da Gama Chai (house masala , black tea, and oat milk) for $7 - The chai is great and comes with a Parle G biscuit which made me feel like home. - 4.5/5

+Potato Breakfast Paratha Tacos (masala eggs, smoked paneer, potato, chutneys, cilantro, and red onion) for $9 - This is one big taco with a lot of filling, so the price is almost justifiable. It's very unique as a breakfast taco. This is only available from 9 am to 11 am, so make sure you come early! Just remember, they are closed on Sundays! - 5/5

Overall, da Gama canteen is one of my favorite restaurants in Houston. The atmosphere is nice, and the service is outstanding. It's best to come here with a group of friends and sample multiple dishes, but it's also amazing as a date night. I'd recommend experiencing da Gama and all that it...