Our Story

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The story began in 1991. Shashikala & Ramesh Potnis, inspired and supported by Shashikala’s mother Mohini – started a family-owned, family-operated eatery serving authentic Goan food. Little did they know then that Highway Gomantak – a simplistic name derived from two very distinctive characteristics – location (off the Highway) and cuisine (Gomantak) – would go on to become a legendary name in Mumbai’s dine-out iconography!

Conceived as a joint that serves home-made Goan/Malvani cuisine, Highway Gomantak has been a thriving venture from the very first year of its inception. The business has grown purely by word-of-mouth recommendations, and with zero advertising effort. Serving the authentic flavours of Goa – the mouthwatering curries and gravies, the tikhle and the suke, the mutton-vada combo, the sumptuous thaalis and the very popular fried fish variants – is its mantra for success! Drawing in customers over three decades, the restaurant has grown from a humble 30-seater joint to a sprawling one with 120 seats! And what has sustained the customers’ loyalty is the fact that the management never compromised on the freshness of the fish, the authenticity of the taste, and the homeliness of the ambience!

While the lunch session is hectic and bustling with groups of office-goers trooping in, dinner-time is usually a relaxed affair primarily based on family outings and celebrations. Large family parties are often hosted here; satisfactorily catering to a wide age-group ranging from toddlers to octogenarians! The daily flow of patrons comes from a wide diaspora - corporate crowds, businessmen, professionals, students, groups of housewives, artists, and plenty of celebrities from the Hindi and Marathi television and movie industry. All are seen enjoying the divine concoctions from the Gomantak kitchen. Quite a few travelers visiting Mumbai - for the first time or the hundredth - come looking for the food they have heard great reviews of, or sampled during their last visit!

The dine-in clientele comprises repeat customers as well as foodies out to explore new flavours and new eateries. And believe it or not – some repeat customers have their DAILY lunches and/or dinners here! Most of them have a special spot, or a preferred table; where they can be seen, every day! And, ever so often, first-timers say that they have been advised that Highway Gomantak is THE place to go to, if one wishes to get indoctrinated into non-vegetarianism! They often come with suggestions listed by the experts; as they take the first baby steps to sampling non-vegetarian food, particularly fish!

Recent times have seen a significant increase in the take-away segment; and delivery partners Zomato and Swiggy now deliver the specialty signature dishes to patrons’ doorsteps! So, the business has evolved to adapt a whole new take-away menu for online supporters. More vegetarian options too have been introduced into the menu now; and specialty sweet items like ukdiche modak, patolya, puranpoli, and managane are on specials during the appropriate festival times. Other savoury items like tondlibhat, masalebhat, kaap (sliced and shallow fried vegetables) and so on have also been added to delight the vegetarian palate.

Possibly, the feeling of eating in an old-styled home of a large, joint family is the USP of the establishment. And the term ‘As Per Catch’ (APC) gets a whole new meaning here - if/when certain fish is not available, the items are struck off the menu for the day rather than using frozen options. The key factor, then, as in food cooked at home, is the freshness. Fish, chicken, mutton and vegetables are all freshly procured every morning; day after day, year on year.

The menu card lists dishes straight from authentic Goan vocabulary - aamti, tikhle, suke, kismur are some of the specialty preparations. More importantly, every single day over the last three decades, the food that is cooked in the kitchen for serving to patrons, is also eaten by every member of the family – living by the core philosophy - ‘The food we eat is the food we serve’!

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