Toro Toro, Baga – Capturing the aesthetics of summer

Heyyy!

I tried out a bunch of new restaurants lately, so get ready for a slew of food photographs and recommendations from some new spots serving scrummy food! Let’s start with this one!

Coconuts, flamingos, pineapples, and umbrella-topped martini glasses – icons of a tropical paradise, find themselves a home in a new restaurant close to Baga.

Toro Toro, Goa

Toro Toro, on the Arpora-Baga road, is a restaurant so aesthetically pleasing, you won’t be able to stop taking pictures of it, or of yourself in it. Breezy palm frond motifs to evoke island-paradise feels, colourful walls and turquoise cane furniture alongside striped orange high chairs make for great Instagram material!

At this new restaurant by the creek, plenty of colourful elements come together to create an environment that’s playful enough to cheer you up on a bad day. These pops of colour are toned down with the addition of dark wooden paneled floors and potted plants to make the space more inviting.

From the open-to-sky seating area outside to blue wicker chairs and colourful cushions inside, one thing is for sure – the balmy summer breeze drifting in from the creek will reach you, wherever you are – prompting you to knock back a cheeky cocktail or two. The bar, located in a caravan-looking set-up outside pumps out cool cocktails and mocktails, and the mixologist, Yashas, is ever-so-happy to whip up concoctions on or off the menu.

What To Try

Once you’re done taking in all the visual delights, you can get down to the business of ordering lunch. For a tropical-themed restaurant in Baga, finding sushi on the first page of the menu was a bit of a surprise. But then again, this is a multi-cuisine restaurant. Alongside this Japanese staple, Toro Toro also serves up pizzas, mud crabs (you can’t ignore the live ones in a cage/tank as you walk into the restaurant), Goan food and Continental fare including sizzlers, surf and turf and pork chops. That’s not all! You’ll also find homemade Pasta and Asian staples on the menu.

Here’s a look at what I ordered:

PRAWN TEMPURA URAMAKI – I don’t need a reason to eat prawns in Goa, and prawn tempura, when deep fried perfectly, is hard to resist. This was a decent dish, nothing to write home about. If given the chance to re-order, I’d choose something else.

BBQ 5 SPICE CHINESE CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM KEBABS ON SUGARCANE STICKS – Given the spicy-looking colour of the meat, I’d have expected a more flavour-intense dish. This was quite mild, though, and if you’re dining with kids, a good option to start with. The fact that it comes on a sugarcane stick that you can bite into makes reaching out for another kebab tempting!  The menu says it comes along with spicy Indonesian Sambal Olek sauce on the side – however, the sauce didn’t make it to my table.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SIGNATURE PEPPER AND GREEN MASALA HOME-MADE SAUSAGES – The variety of cuisine options at Toro Toro really left me stumped when it came to ordering mains. My server, probably seeing me turn the pages back and forth for a good 15 minutes, came to my rescue and suggested their signature home-made sausages – something I’d have never ordered on my own.

I really liked this dish – firstly because of the lack of carbs on the plate and secondly, because the sausages were fab! Taut and ready to tear open with a slight touch of my knife, they were literally bursting with juiciness! Served on a bed of beautifully caramelized onions, potato slices and lots of sweet green peas, it was layered over with meaty bolognese sauce. Delicious and very hearty!

BAKED CHEESECAKE – Again, I debated on whether or not to order this as I was heading on a dessert trail (to sample sweets from 10 different bakeries with a group of foodies) right after my meal at Toro Toro. But you know me, right? I went YOLO and ordered it anyway. Not too sweet and with a lovely light consistency, the baked cheesecake was topped with some berry reduction.

So I’m Saying

The menu featured a lot of interesting dishes that I’d have loved to try, but given that I went on my first solo review this time, I didn’t have the tummy space to do so. The chilly-coconut crumb fried prawns looked interesting, as did some of their pastas and thin-crust pizzas. So don your Hawaiian shirts and straw hats and head off to this tropical oasis. Toro Toro is sure to give you the vacation feels, whether you’re actually on holiday or not.

Price for 2 – Rs. 1200 (without drinks)

Address – Baga Arpora Creek Road, Near Baga Bridge Arpora, Baga, Goa 403516

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and I’ll keep you updated with the best new restaurants in Goa that you must try! Some of the recent ones I tried out are Bistro Bourbon Street, Amavi, Antares and The Oak Barrel.

Aloha for now!

Note – My meal at Toro Toro was sponsored, however views, as always, are my own.