Copperleaf-Panaji promises you a feast for the taste buds with their variety of cuisines
Copperleaf at Porvorim has always been synonymous with good food where friends and family come together to have a grand time and delight their taste buds. The owners, Shreekant V Pai Bir, Sachin S Pai Bir and Vishwanath S Pai Bir, decided to offer the best of their rich, culinary offerings to people in Panaji and thus Copperleaf-Panaji, opened its doors to patrons in October 2021.
This is one of the biggest restaurants in the area with a 300 seater set up and spread across 10,000 sq.ft, consisting of the ground and first floor. Situated on the outskirts of Panjim on the St. Inez- Taleigao route, this beautiful restaurant gives one a feeling of entering the tropics. It has multiple choices when it comes to dining areas, and two dining areas called Cilantro and Citrus on the ground floor, done up in a beautiful tropical theme, with plants hanging around, and stepping in this place is like entering an oasis. On the first floor, they have a seating area called Infinity, the Bellini Bar with a seating area and Solitaire which is an exclusive private space.
Each section has a different feel and ambience, offering amenities like its own bar and washrooms. Copperleaf is the ideal location for a corporate get-together, celebrations, groups and families. The restaurant has a wheelchair accessible entrance, wheelchair accessible washrooms with grab bars which makes it disabled-friendly. It is also equipped with splendid international standard washrooms with diaper changing stations and other amenities which one would find in a 5- star.
The Copperleaf team Alok, Milan, and Chef Kashish greeted us and the chef explained about the restaurant with the varied options available. The head server, Ananda, seated us comfortably and promised to make our time there an enjoyable one.
We were started off with a round of mocktails and were served a Mint Fizz, which is a mix of blue curação, lime juice, ginger ale garnished with a sprig of mint and green chilli. The Sunshine meanwhile was a concoction of orange juice, grenadine syrup, ice and garnished with a cherry and orange slices. Both drinks were refreshing and perfect for a hot summer’s day.
The chef then brought out different kinds of starters for us, as he wanted us to taste a little bit of everything, he and his team had put together. First was the dragon chicken, which were pieces of chicken dipped in batter, wrapped in noodles and deep friend to perfection, served alongside some schezwan sauce.Crunchy and soft at the same time is how we would describe the dish. The next was squids golden fried with a serving of tartar sauce, which was perfectly crunchy and went well with the sharp flavour of tartar.
As part of the starters, Chef Kashish served us his signature dish; Pudina crusted kebabs, which is not on the menu. Boneless pieces of chicken, cooked in a tandoor and then crusted with mint leaves, this is a take on the famous herb crusted chicken. With just the right blend of spices and flavours, it is easy to see why this dish is the chef’s signature.
Next up we were presented with the Vegetarian Kebab Platter consisting of Palak Cheese Kadak Kebabs, Veg Seekh Kebabs, Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms, Paneer Malai Tikka and Tandoori Gobi. Each of these appetisers were done to perfection, with my favourites being the cheese stuffed mushrooms; which were cheesy with just a hint of spice and the paneer malai tikka which was melt-in-the mouth, creamy goodness.
The chef then sent out his Goan specialties which were prawns masala fried and coated in recheado masala and the famous cafreal chicken. The prawns were an absolute hit with just the right amount of spice while the cafreal was tender with the perfect coating of masala.
For the main course, we were presented with chicken peshawari which is boneless pieces of chicken in two different kinds of gravies and served on a bed of omelette. The yellow gravy is onion based which is on the sweeter side while the red gravy was tomato based and had a lovely hint of spice. The chicken chunks were tender and juicy and were beautifully coated in the gravy.
Next up was paneer pasanda, a steak of paneer stuffed with crumbs of more paneer, fried onions and dry fruit, coated in rich gravy made with cream and cashew nut paste. One bite of the stuffed paneer and we were transported to gastronomic heaven. People who love something sweet for the main course can pick up this winner.
The main course was served with a bread basket consisting of six different kinds of breads like Lachcha Paratha, Cheese Garlic Naan, Butter Naan, Butter Kulcha, Misi Roti, which is gluten-free and the Plain Tandoori Roti.
Copperleaf is famous for their different kinds of Fish Thali starting from Rs 180/- onwards. The kingfish thali comes with a serving of rice, prawn curry, crab masala, tisreo sukhem, prawn kismoor, a vegetable, sol kadi, a huge slice of kingfish and dessert.
Having stuffed ourselves with the starters and main course we took a break and decided to stroll around the restaurant. The restaurant has beautiful décor and curios along its shelves and on the wall.
No meal is complete without the sweet finale. For dessert we were served Gadbad ice cream and Gajar ka Halwa. The Gadbad was served in a tall glass and had a scoop of mango, blackcurrant ice cream, a layer of jelly, and vanilla ice cream, with bits of fruit at the bottom. Each spoonful was a delight and those who love a good Gadbad ice cream, should definitely visit this place.
The star though was the Gajar ka Halwa. Served warm, this is Chef Kashish’s mother’s recipe which is a winter specialty in his hometown. The chef explained that the halwa is made up of red carrots, which is a seasonal produce, and simmered in milk for four hours along with generous helpings of ghee and other ingredients. People, if you have a sweet tooth, go here just for the Gajar ka Halwa.
Apart from these, they have various other delicious desserts to offer like Gulab Jamun with or without vanilla ice cream, Matka Kulfi, Serradura, Caramel Pudding, Fruits Salad and varied flavours of ice-cream.
This place is a must visit if one wants a good meal. Their menu boasts of a variety of dishes, from the humblest of snacks to the finest Goan, Indian, Chinese and Tandoor cuisine. Their bar menu has fine cocktails, mocktails, wines, and liquors available.
Chef Kashish was kind and helpful when it came to explaining about the dishes served. The service was excellent and Ananda made sure we had a relaxed and enjoyable time there.
Amazing food, a beautiful ambience, polite and helpful staff, makes this place a must visit. Do go there and thank us later.
