Catholic-Portuguese kitchen
Balchão prawns in roasted red chillies and cider vinegar. Caldin in coconut and pepita oil. Xacuti, the iconic spiced lamb curry of Bardez. The Catholic-Portuguese kitchen of coastal Goa, the spine of our menu.
The Story
East meets West.
A modern Goan dining room in Headingley — opened 2019 by an owner who knew exactly how the food‑delivery business worked, and decided to do something else.
The flavour of Goa, brought to Leeds.— De Baga, since 2019
№ 01 — Otley Road, 2019
Why we opened in Headingley.
Mandeep Singh had spent years working with hungryhouse and Delivery Hero — watching a generation of restaurants get squeezed by aggregator economics from the inside.
When he opened De Baga in 2019, the principle was simple: cook the food properly, charge for it honestly, build a room people want to come back to. Three years later we expanded to Chapel Allerton — same kitchen, same philosophy, second dining room.
Head chef Clive Silveira brings the Goan and Konkani regional dishes to the line: Balchão, Xacuti, Caldin, Mankios Fry, and the slow‑cooked curries you don't usually see on a UK Indian menu. We put them next to the Mughlai and Lucknowi classics because the Goan kitchen has always been a meeting place.
№ 02 — Where the menu comes from
Three culinary roots, one dining room.
From Mankios to NH66
Mankios Fry — squids golden‑fried with chaat masala, the way they're served on Goan beach shacks. Konkani Seafood Curry simmered in coconut milk with kokum and Sichuan peppers. NH66 Mutton Curry, inspired by the dhabas along National Highway 66.
The clay‑oven canon
Murgh Mughlai Kebab — chicken marinated in cream and yoghurt, melt‑in‑the‑mouth from the tandoor. Chingaari Kebab in the Lucknowi style with crushed peppercorn. Tandoori Lamb Chops, our smoke‑cloche house signature.
№ 03 — The dining room
A long table, a tandoor, a cocktail bar.
We open every evening except Monday. Walk in, book ahead, or order direct for collection.