The Chikoo Tree Project

A fruit of hard work and a project of love….Relish oodles of delicious food cooked (and served) with much love @ The Chikoo Tree Project, Margao.  Let me order this, perhaps that too, and may be a bit of this too…; these words almost sum up the experience that one has on their visit to the newly inaugurated, The Chikoo Tree Project. One step inside the restaurant and there is a burst of colour all around; the space comes alive with the quirky interiors which is a mix of the trendiest furniture, artwork and installations. The husband-wife duo, Trupti Wesley and Anand Chatterjee have started their new venture with much love and have lent a personal touch to the décor with pictures and moments from their life, which are gracefully displayed on the steps leading to the first floor of the restaurant. Call it a bistro, a café, or a restaurant, this swanky joint has a food menu to serve all purposes. Be it all time favourites like momos, pasta, bruschetta, coffee, fries, stir fries, sandwiches, or hard to find dishes such as the thukpa, ragi dosa or even the toppings added to the fries; The Chikoo Tree Project has something for everyone. Whether you are a hard – core vegetarian or a die – hard meat lover, each dish served here has both variants. Specials of the Day often contain a delectable variety of curries and thirst quenching mocktails, among other things. And this is perhaps one of the very few places in Goa, where you get to try the ‘Thukpa’ – a noodle soup, which traditionally originated in Tibet and has variants of it prepared in several parts including Nepal, Bhutan, North East and other areas. There is more to The Chikoo Tree Project than just food. For starters, the bonhomie all around is hard to miss. Be it the owners or the servers, each member of the Chikoo Tree family, entertains the guests with a friendly smile. Board games are kept all around the restaurant; The Chikoo Tree Project has very cleverly brought back these great bonding tools to our technological world. On the first floor, there is a cozy library corner which is stocked up with some of the best books around. So even if you are all by yourself, just go over there and order a cup of tea / coffee and perhaps, something to munch on and pick one of these books to give you company. Occasionally, classes for children are also organized at the premises. As a part of this project the owner’s also wish to encourage budding artists by providing them the space to exhibit their art, whether it is dance, music, photography, etc. In the owner’s words: “The Chikoo Tree Project is inspired by food that, we as a family, grew up savouring under the shade of a large chikoo tree that still stands at the entrance of our home”; “this restaurant serves home style delicacies like Raagi Dosas made interesting by adding locally inspired fillings and served with stews, Momos and Thukpa, Pastas, Hasselback potatoes and Kathi wraps.” If you haven’t checked it out already, wait no more. The Chikoo Tree Project is located on Dr. Miranda Road (behind Nanutel, Margaon). It’s open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and is closed on Mondays. TEXT: SHOBHIKA JAJU PICS: THE CHIKOO TREE PROJECT, GHUNGROO SHRIVASTAVA, SHOBHIKA JAJU

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