What's on the menu? Only nature decides

Meet Goa's hot new Chef Avinash Martins, whose new style of serving food is impressing stars and locals alike

- Mini Ribeiro

Avinash Martins and his wife Tiz run Cavatina Cuchina in Benaulim, South Goa, a hidden gem for contemporary Goan food

Much before vocal for local' became a fashionable mantra, Avinash Martins dreamed of creating a network for farmers across India, to empower them and give back to them what they richly deserve.

For a long time, this dream just remained a dream. Sure, the 40-year-old, Goa-born chef used local produce for his restaurant, Cavatina, which he runs with his wife, Tiz. But then came the pandemic and to his surprise, Avinash's dream began to come true.

"With the first lockdown and erratic supplies of fresh vegetables and fruits, I stepped out and met the farmers and began buying from them for consumption, and also to help them sell their produce. Gradually, my relationship with them grew and soon they became a community I worked with," says Avinash. “I make it a point to support only those who adhere to sustainable practices. From one community of farmers and local fishermen, artisans, toddy tappers and coconut-pluckers, I got connected to others in the state and today there are almost 300 of them in my network."

"I COULD NEVER GET THE SMELL OF MY LAND, MY SURROUNDINGS, THE PEOPLE, OUT OF MY SYSTEM AND KNEW I HAD TO GET BACK TO GOA TO SETTLE" -AVINASH MARTINS, CHEF

Avinash plates up tender coconut carpaccio, saffron leche de tegre, fresh mountain berries and pickled shallots

Re-imagined Goan food