Sunny side up
Kal chi kodi is so yesterday! Here’s what you should try when you next
visit Goa.
Vivek Menezes
Crispy pork-belly and pomelo salad at Bomra’s
It’s almost unfair to single out one item to recommend at this
restaurant that lurks in the shadow of its neon-lit neighbours on the
main tourism strip of North Goa. After all, the chef-owner, Bawmra Jap,
is a culinary star whose modern Burmese cuisine regularly earns lavish
praise. You won’t go wrong ordering anything from the separate Glass
Palace menu – all the dishes are specifically endorsed by Amitav Ghosh.
But we’ll go with the astoundingly juicy, sweet and fresh-tasting crispy
pork-belly and pomelo salad. Word of advice: order two plates, the first
will leave you hungry for more.
Bomra’s Restaurant, Souza Vaddo, opposite Kamal Retreat, Fort Aguada
Road, Candolim (098221-06236). Daily noon- 2.30 pm, 6.30-11.30pm. `180.
Serradura at Ernesto’s
Vasquito (Little Vasco) Alvares is perhaps the biggest man in Goa. A
veritable man-mountain of a chef, his spirited renditions of classic
Goan food have made Ernesto’s Restaurant one of the most popular
restaurants in Goa. Vegetarians beware – there are a couple of suitable
items on the menu but the rest relies heavily on meat. But wait a
minute, there’s also the fabulous (and entirely meat-free) dessert,
Serradura. The name means sawdust, which doesn’t do justice to this
delectable concoction, conjured from biscuit powder and sweetened cream.
Ernesto’s, 6/49, Below Maruti Temple, Mala, Panjim (098230-15921,
0832-325-6213). Daily 11am-3pm and 6.30-11pm. `60.
Chili chocolate truffles at Cafe Chocolatti
Perhaps the best daytime hang-out in North Goa, the pleasant garden café
run by Ricardo and Nazneen Rebelo has a loyal clientele which returns
all season long for outstanding salads, shakes, sandwiches and baked
goods. But after you’ve had your fill, head to the tiny retail outlet
off to one side of the garden space. This is where many of Nazneen’s
best home-made items are sold, including chunky chocolate-chip cookies,
and a whole range of divine home-made chocolates which she says are made
from premium imported ingredients. We love the chilli truffles – lush on
the tongue and with a deeply addictive burn.
Café Chocolatti, near Whispering Palms Hotel, 409A, Fort Aguada Road,
Candolim (0832-247-9340, 93261-12006). Mon-Sat 9.30am-7pm. `150 for 100 gm.
French mustard at Bean Me Up
Lisa Camps is one of the original tribe of Westerners who “discovered”
Anjuna in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This vivacious, energetic
Goldie Hawn look-alike put down roots, and over the past two decades has
built an international reputation for her restaurant. Bean Me Up now
resembles something like a laid-back hospitality conglomerate: the salad
bar and “soya station” is now a vast, shaded dining space; there’s a
massage area, rooms for rent off to one side, and a surprisingly
well-stocked boutique to boot. We love Lisa’s food, but have become even
bigger fans of her French partner, Richard’s amazingly good home-made
Dijon-style mustard, which is sold from the small delicatessen section
of the store.
Bean Me Up, House #1639/2 Deulvaddo, Anjuna-Vagator (near petrol pump).
Sun-Fri 12-4pm, 7-11pm. `200.
Kleftiko at Thalassa
A relatively new entry to Goa’s crowded restaurant scene, this rare
authentic Greek restaurant has become a runaway success. The owner,
Mariketty, is a native of Corfu who has spent many years trying to
recreate the tastes of her homeland in India. All that effort has paid
off – it’s apparent from the first bite that this is unusually fine
cuisine, put together with great care for genuine ingredients and
techniques. Like the rest of the crowd that throngs Mariketty’s stall at
the Saturday Night Bazaar, we’re in love with the Souvlaki wraps made
with home-made pita and tzatziki. But the restaurant menu has many other
specialities worth a try, especially the Kleftiko, the signature Greek
stew made with lamb and vegetables and topped with salty, delicious
home-made feta cheese.
Thalassa, Small Vagator Beach, near Nine Bar (098500-33537) Daily
4pm-midnight. `125 for a small jar.
Squid ink pasta at Bocado de Cardenales
Even in Goa’s bewilderingly diverse culinary landscape, Dani Trillo
stands out. He’s a Catalonian who has spent nearly a decade trying to
serve outstanding Spanish food in a secluded and idyllic little cove in
the extreme south of Goa’s coast. The experience he provides is truly
mind-bending – part Palolem, part Barcelona. If there are better tapas
in India you’d better inform the Spanish embassy in Delhi, because
they’ve officially endorsed Dani’s food as being the only real deal in
India. Try the calamari negros, a speciality of the Balearic Islands
(think Ibiza), which is a rich stew made from squid that’s cooked in its
own ink.
Bocado de Cardenales, 251, Colomb, Canacona (099210-37069). Wed-Mon
1-10pm. Meal for two `800. `250.
Sausages from Simpley Sausage
Globalization has been great for foodies in Goa. All kinds of unlikely
chefs and culinary artisans have set up shop on the long
coastline, and you can eat your way through a veritable United Nations
in the course of a few days. But the most remarkable set-up of all is
the boutique charcuterie establishment called Simpley Sausage, run by
the British expatriate Barr family from a house down a quiet bylane in
Arpora. All their meat is farm-raised, each item is hand-made,
custom-cured and taste-tested. The quality is extraordinary, the ham
amazing, and the Barr’s bacon to die for. But also try the sausages or
bangers, which Karen Anand has called the best in India.
Simpley Sausage, behind St Josephs’s School, Arpora (098500 64453). By
appointment only. `210 for half-kilo, 10 sausages.
Fresh bread, delivered twice a day anywhere in Goa
Called Makapaos for a reason, Goans love their daily bread. Not that
supermarket stuff that comes wrapped in plastic, but the real deal! The
real deal, little loaves that are hand-made in small batches in
wood-fired ovens, of which there are at least a couple in each village
and dozens in the towns. Oh yes, the Goan refuses to actually shop for
his daily staple – instead he wants it delivered to his door, twice a
day in the morning and evening, and with at least two or three varieties
available each time. What’s more, he won’t pay more than `2.50 per poi,
undo, katre or soft pao. If the price rises, he’ll go lynch the local
politician. Thus the prices are regulated by the government, and Goans
regulate their lives by the distinctive honk of the bread delivery men.
Only question: how many you want, men?
At the bakery closest to you. `2.50.
Prix Fixe lunch at Palacio do Deao
Way back in 1971, Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse, a restaurant in
Berkeley, California, based on two simple premises: intimate atmosphere
– as though she were cooking for close friends – and strictly local,
seasonal and organic ingredients. Chez Panisse spawned an entire
movement, and those guidelines have become enshrined at many of the best
restaurants in the world. It’s not overstating it to say that’s the
category Ruben and Celia da Gama’s Palacio do Deao belongs to. Visitors
to this magnificent private palace in the agricultural heartland of Goa
consistently give it high ratings, and everything is exactly as Waters
recommends – locally sourced, sustainably grown ingredients, showcased
by a blend of traditional and modern techniques. We have many
favourites: mouth-watering ambade (hog-plum) curry, the spectacular pie
made from red doodhi, and Celia’s home-made bebinca. But none of them
will be on the menu unless the season is right, so call ahead to find
out what’s on offer.
Palacio do Deao, opposite Holy Cross Church, Quepem (0832-266-4029,
09822-480342, www.palaciododeao.com ). `490.
Shark ambotik at Avanti
Goan food has gone selectively global. Everyone knows about the piquant
sausages and the mango pickles laced with vinegar. And the British have
become so taken with one signature Goan curry that one of their
favourite football songs consists of just the word, ‘Vindaloo’, repeated
ad infinitum. But relatively few people have awakened to the pleasures
of one of Goa’s best dishes – Shark ambotik. This is a classic Goan
curry soured red with kokum, and set off brilliantly by the slightly
oily flesh of the shark. Everyone’s grandmother makes the best. But if
you lack one on your family tree, you can’t do better than Avanti, a
pleasant riverside restaurant in Old Panjim’s Latin Quarter which is
blissfully tourist-free even as its neighbours brim over with noisy
backpackers. To boot, there’s no better culinary value for money in Goa.
Avanti Restaurant, Rua de Ourem, Panjim (09822-167005, 0832-242-7179,
0832-243-5884). Mon-Sat 11am-3pm, 7-11pm. `145.
Melon and waterbuffalo ham at Lila Cafe
A landmark establishment in North Goa’s diverse, booming tourist
marketplace, Lila Café’s bright and spacious restaurant space is always
filled with regulars who return year after year, and often day after
day. There’s a lot to look forward to: fresh baked bread, toothsome
spaetzle and goulash, and some of the best fresh juices in Goa. And
everything served in that unimpeachably hygienic manner that only
Germans can manage. Over time, we’ve become big fans of their
waterbuffalo “ham”, delicious and lean and wonderful-tasting when paired
with fresh melon.
Lila Café, Baga Creek (0832-227-9843). Wed-Mon 9am-6pm. `180.
Chocolate mousse cake at Bredt Bakers
Klaus Bredt is one of Goa’s best-kept secrets. His phone number is
guarded closely by celebrated hosts and hostesses across the state.
That’s because he’s a genius baker, who manages to produce the most
incredible cakes and quiches, and yet keeps his prices a good 20 per
cent lower than the five-star-hotels that are his only competition.
Consider his best item: the truly incredible chocolate mousse cake. You
won’t believe that it’s been made in a modest apartment kitchen in Dona
Paula. But the proof is always in the eating, and once you start it’s
going to be hard to stop. How can we describe how unbelievably good this
dessert is? Here’s a word that works: orgasmic.
Bredt Bakers, Bay View Colony, Dona Paula. Order at least 48 hours in
advance (0832-245-3431). Daily 10am-7pm. `600.
Pain au Chocolat at Baba Au Rhum
Leo Michaud takes his croissants very, very seriously. His landmark
restaurant in Arpora, Baba Au Rhum, has become so well-known for the
signature French breakfast pastry that it draws a steady stream of
clients through the day, everyone jonesing for their croissant fix. His
attention to detail at every step of the baking process means that the
finished product is light, buttery, and satisfyingly chewy in the middle
just like it’s supposed to be (but so rarely ever is). We like the Pain
au Chocolat, which is far too good to be reserved for kids alone. Made
with a particularly nice chocolate imported from Malaysia, these
pastries are rectangles of pure delight. Grab them while they last;
they’re made just once a day.
Baba au Rhum, opposite Uttam Resorts, Arpora (098220-78759). Mon-Sat
8am-4pm. `45.
Suspiros at Jila bakery
If we were forced to choose a single best bakery in the entire state of
Goa, we’d unhesitatingly select Jila, run out of an old Goan house down
a winding lane in Ambora in the south. That’s because the Antao brothers
run a kind of miraculously preserved time-capsule of recipes, tastes and
techniques of the pre-industrial era.
There are no mixers or grinders, or any electric or gas appliances at
Jila bakery. Everything is made by hand, and fired in the old-fashioned
oven. The result can be tasted in every item. Our favourite: ‘suspiros’
(the word means ‘sighs’ in Portuguese), delectable, bite-sized meringue
cookies that disappear as soon as a bag is opened.
Jila Bakers and Confectioners Ambora, Loutolim (0832-277-7224). Mon-Sat
7am-7.30pm. Sun 7-11am. Orders need to be placed in advance. `50 for 250
gms.
Mango jam at Farm Products
Step into Alvaro Pereira’s tiny shop on Azad Maidan right in the centre
of Panjim city, and you pass into another era altogether. The three
seats available to customers are inevitably occupied by denizens of Old
Panjim, who engage volubly with each other and with the genteel
octogenarian proprietor in Konkani, Portuguese and English, often all at
the same time. They come for coffee and conversation, but less known is
the fact that Pereira is a fanatical foodie with very high standards.
Each year, he seeks out Monserrat mangoes at the peak of their ripeness.
When he gets them, and only if he gets them, he buys bushels and then
starts the slow process of rendering them into the thick mango jam of
Goa, ‘mangada.’ Consume the merest smear on hot buttered bread, and you
might find yourself swooning. It’s the taste of summer, concentrated.
Pereira makes small batches annually, so call to check for availability.
Farm Products, Azad Maidan, Panjim (0832-222-5287). Mon-Sat 9am-1pm,
4-7pm. `200 for 500 gms.
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