Netting nostalgia: Bombil brings village-style Goan food to the city
Bombil Restaurant in Campal, Panaji, offers a taste of authentic Goan home cooking with its simple charm, nostalgic ambience, and traditional flavours. THE GOAN explores the journey of this eatery and its rise to popularity in just six years.
ANNOUSHKA FERNANDES | FEBRUARY 16, 2025, 11:54 AM IST
Nestled in Campal, Panaji, Bombil Restaurant offers an authentic slice of Goa’s culinary soul. Run by Joseph Dias, this restaurant captures the essence of home-cooked Goan food. With its yellow walls adorned with nostalgic pictures, Goan art, simple wooden furniture, and the soothing strains of vintage music, Bombil evokes memories of a slower, simpler time.
With nearly two decades in the hospitality industry, including stints in the Maldives and partnerships with popular establishments, Dias eventually found himself yearning for something deeper, food that tasted like home."After years in hotels, all I wanted was the kind of food that reminded me of my village, the meals cooked by one's grandmother, mother, or siblings. Hotel food never gave me that feeling. I wanted to bring authentic Goan home food to the table," says Dias.Bombil, which opened in 2019 after two years of planning, is rooted in this vision. Dias draws inspiration from the distinct flavours found in villages across Goa each known for its unique take on the iconic Goan fish curry."Our style is ‘Sorakachi Kodi’ a curry made with kokum, unlike ‘Hooman,’ which has a different flavour profile. This is the curry we grew up with in our villages, and that’s what I wanted to share with everyone," he explains.Dias has infused Bombil with more than just flavours, he’s given it an identity. “Bombil isn’t just a name; it stands for something,” he explains. “B is for Beautiful, O for Original, M for Mindful, B for Brave, we take risks without fear. I is for Inventive. And L is for Loyal as we are loyal to our craft, team, and Goan roots.”Dias built Bombil around the flavours that defined his childhood. “When we were kids, big fish like kingfish were a luxury,” he recalls. “But dried bombil was always there through the year.”The restaurant’s name holds personal significance beyond the fish itself. “Everyone used to tease me by calling me ‘Bombil’ because I had a thin frame,” he says. In fact, the restaurant's font has a personal touch. “My handwriting was called ‘doctor’s handwriting,’ so the Bombil font is my own handwriting.”For Dias, Bombil represents resilience. “In times of crisis, when we couldn’t afford big meals, it was always sorak curry, ladyfinger bhaji, and fried Bombil. So it has a lot of meaning, Bombil just on the name is the emotion itself,” he shares. “I turned something negative into something positive.”Known for its unique fish thali served with boiled rice and other classic local dishes, Bombil has become a lunchtime favourite for office-goers, students, tourists, and locals. With generous portions and efficient service, Bombil offers a straightforward yet memorable dining experience rooted in tradition.“I’ve tasted Goan thalis from the North to the South. As a Goan, I know Goan food and you can’t fool Goans when it comes to their food.”While many restaurants serve similar fare, Dias wanted Bombil to stand apart. “Everyone is competing over whose curry is best or whose food tastes most like home. I wanted to bring the flavours of the village to Panaji.”For Dias, staying true to his roots meant embracing tradition. “We grew up eating boiled rice with kanji and pickles. As kids, we wanted basmati or white rice, but as time passes, you find yourself wanting to go back to your roots. For me, that meant brown rice, it had to be part of our thali.”Authenticity is at the heart of Bombil’s menu. “If you’re serving Goan home food, there can be no compromise. It has to be real, simple, and honest.”A key figure in bringing this vision to life is Jaya, the chef behind Bombil’s delicious meals. “She has magic in her hands,” says Dias. “During the planning stage of Bombil, she cooked for our staff every day, serving fish curry rice to 15-20 people as we fine-tuned the thali. We spent a month perfecting the flavours. The sorak curry had to have that perfect red-orange hue with the right balance of sourness and spice. I designed the thali, but Jaya brings it to life every day. It’s a blessing to have her in the kitchen.”At Bombil, creativity extends beyond the kitchen. “I always ask myself how can I be more creative? One such idea was the crab shell wall, where patrons leave handwritten messages on the shell which is displayed on the wall, a unique twist from the usual postcards or tent cards,” says Dias.With the ambience at Bombil, Dias created a space that reflects a sense of Goan homes. “We wanted a space where you walk in and feel comfortable,” Dias shares. “From Buddha statues that bring calm to the Goan vibe, local music, and familiar faces, everything is designed to feel warm and inviting. There’s always something to see, and the energy is high the moment you enter.”At Bombil, the focus has always been on serving honest Goan food without distractions. “When we started, the goal was to stay true to what we do without compromise,” says Dias. “We focused on the food, not social media. Influencers covered us on their own, which helped. Social media can lift you up or bring you down, so we stayed consistent with our food. Many restaurants focus on the outside, but for us, it was always about what’s inside,” he adds. The buzz at Bombil during lunchtime is undeniable with people waiting for tables to clear up. “People line up for our thali, it’s a rush, it’s energy,” Dias says. “You see the staff going up and down, smiling through the chaos. It’s like a cardio workout for everyone. Our model is simple: take care of the guests, treat them with love and respect, and serve food made with love. Our chef puts so much love into every dish, and we must make sure our guests are happy. We try our best, most leave happy, some don’t but we always give our 100%.”As Goa’s food scene changes with new influences and cultures, Bombil Restaurant stays committed to serving authentic Goan cuisine. “As times change and crowds become more mixed, we remain committed to serving Goan food. Our people are going out. Different cultures are coming in. It's a whole cycle of different mixed crowds. It’s a continuous cycle of change. Keeping this in mind, Bombil remains dedicated to its roots by serving authentic Goan food, home-cooked and village-style, with consistency and authenticity,” says Dias.Staying grounded in Goan culture is at the heart of Bombil. “We’re rooted in our culture, and nothing can shake that. There’s no greed for fast money, it's a slow process built through experience. If something like a pandemic happens again, we’ll stand strong because we’ve built a solid foundation. Our thali is different; no one serves it the way we do. Many have been inspired by us. We see it in their menus, their rice, pickles, and ‘para’,” he adds. Bombil’s journey has been anything but easy. Opening just before the pandemic, the restaurant faced challenges that tested its resilience.“Running a restaurant is challenging and often looks simple from the outside,” says Dias. Bombil opened in 2019, with a small 15-seat space serving simple curries at ₹150. “We had a vision, goals, and plans for growth, but something always came up, and the pandemic was a huge setback. We opened and closed repeatedly, but we never gave up. Staying focused on serving simple, home-cooked food for the soul kept us going through the hustle and bustle. It’s still not easy.”Dias remains hopeful about Bombil’s future, with plans in mind but unspoken for now, trusting that anything is possible with time.
