It is Saturday evening in bustling Margao. I am zealously holding on to my less-than half metre elbow space on the counter in front. Slurping away. Thick, luscious strands flecked with chicken pieces and meaty shiitake slither down my throat. Followed by heaped spoonfuls of deep, rich, umami broth. I am in ramen heaven, in this tiny Goan eatery with a counter that seats just eight people; elbow to elbow.
A bowl of ramen with bone broth cooked for over 20 hours. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
This is Konoha, a ramen bar, located behind the Margao bus stop, which opened in September last year. Snagging a reservation is a tall order. But once you are there, you will know why. Food here is a religion; a crazy mix of simplistic and sensual nourishment. And driving it all are Chef Herschell Fernandes and his business partner, Grendon Periera. Konoha, is their creative crucible. No frills. Just plain good food.
Design and Concept
The restaurant seats eight diners | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The restaurant is inspired by Ichiran Ramen, a Japanese chain that began in 1960 as a ramen stall in Fukuoka. The stall was originally called Futaba Ramen and was so exclusive that it required a membership to dine there.
I am guessing it is this exclusivity that Herschell and Grendon are after, considering that they are so nonchalant about any kind of marketing or publicity. “I am a die-hard anime lover but, what I’m most inspired by is the street food culture of Japan. People are only looking for good food. No gimmicks… nothing. They simply come in, feel nourished and leave. We’ve tried to create a similar establishment here,” shares Herschell, about his vision behind the place. “I want the food to do all the talking.”
Matcha brownie | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Goa’s first Ichiraku style ramen spot, Konoha borrows its name from the fictional ninja village, Konoha, or the Hidden Leaf Village. It runs as a very tight ship, establishing itself as an address for Japanese cuisine lovers. South Goa has only a few; Tanuki in Margaon and Endiapan, run by the talented Chef Ayumi from her little store and restaurant in Canacona, which serves a small Japanese menu as dine in and takeaway. The North, on the other hand, has seen a burgeoning number with establishments like Sakana, Kofuku, Sake, Matcha, Yazu, Izumi and Shiori, a yakitori bar in Siolim.
Volcano maki for sushi lovers, torched tableside | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
There is an urgent precision to the cooking here in Konoha, and it is visible to the diners gathered around. I am blown away with the depth of the flavours and that certain freshness that cuts through it all. Open only on three days, Saturday is on a first-come-first serve-basis with reservations open through Instagram and WhatsApp.
Compact menu
The menu at Konoha is tight and concise with just three variations of ramen, two variations of sushi, two yakitori and two donburis, the portion sizes are sumptuous.
The signature tonkotsu pork ramen smacks with flavour. The secret is the broth, which takes 20 hours to prepare. I order the chicken version, made with snow fungus and pieces of meaty shiitake mushroom. There is a vegan miso ramen alternative as well with tofu. Try them with Herschell’s homemade aromatic oil; fresh with garlic, sesame and scallion. For daring diners he has another weapon in his arsenal… ghost-pepper sauce. “Put it on the ramen, at your own risk,” he warns of this potent sauce, made in-house.
Matcha cupcake with mild, creamy flavours minus the bitterness of matcha | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Fuji volcano sushi roll is torched, with soft and mellow cream cheese, spicy togarashi and smoky notes on top. “I have always loved barbecue and the smoky flavours really speak to me. You’ll find a lot of dishes on the menu where I play with this cooking technique,” Herschell says.
Tonkatsu ramen; the hero dish on the menu | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Desserts here are made by Herschell’s mother, Sandra. The wobbly little lucky-cat panna cotta seems to be a darling and is doing its rounds on Instagram, but I also try the cheesecake, which has gentle whisperings of matcha.
The boba teas made by Grendon are smooth and subtle, and he cooks the tapioca pearls himself. There is the well-loved classic milk tea with tapioca pearls and a tiramisu version, with the popular honeydew melon milk tea, peach and mango tea variations, and even a non-dairy version featuring a wildberry mojito. I had the honeydew melon, a lightly perfumed concoction, punctuated with pearls.
“Japanese ramen customers are pretty much in and out, diving straight in after work, to enjoy their bowls, without any prolonged interaction or lingering,” shares Herschell, about his inspiration behind the place. Perhaps, it is this very reason why the quick-paced turnover allows for ramen shop owners to run humble, no-frill spaces at low costs.
With a steady stream of guests waiting in line on Saturdays, and ramen lovers heading out to this little joint in Margao, it is easy to see how the ramen culture of Japan has been recreated here in this corner of South Goa.
Konoha is at GS3, Angle Apartments, KTC Stadium Road, Fatorda, Madgaon, Goa. A meal for two costs ₹1,500. For reservations contact 08855059332
Published - February 06, 2025 03:55 pm IST
