It’s a question that somebody would have asked you at least once – are you a mountain person or a sea person? I have been asked this, and have in turn asked people the same question – and I find that most people don’t hesitate to put themselves in either of the two categories. I, for instance, am a mountain man. But I do like the sea – especially when we are talking about Goa. And that’s because Goa, to me, is all about food.
Some of my friends had been talking about visiting Goa for quite a while. So we planned a trip, and landed up there just after the Dussehra holidays (yes, there is nothing quite like a holiday after a holiday!). Every now and then, to spread the food net far and wide, you know I mention memorable food experiences in other parts of the country. And our Goa holiday – which was one long feast – deserves special mention.
This week, let me tell you about a few wonderful eateries in the northern part of the state. Next week, the focus shall be on the other side of the Mandovi River. The food of course is not different in the regions, but Goa has such wonderful restaurants that one column won’t do justice to the place.
So if you are going to Goa, be sure to put some flowers in your hair – and make sure that you have at least one meal at Florentine’s. This is a dhaba-like restaurant in Saligao, and the food it offers is out of this world. The place is known for its chicken cafreal – and you cannot miss this. I am not a chicken fan, but the dish is superb – cooked as it is with dry spices, ginger, garlic and coriander. But do not miss the seafood that the restaurant has to offer – we had some wonderful mussels, shrimps, fried Bombay duck and rawa-coated fried chonak fish. We ate all this with rice and dal and paid (for a hungry group of seven) something like Rs 2500.
If Florentine’s offers basic Goan food, Thalassa in Small Vagator will present you with a completely different experience. The place hums, and is clearly the happening hub for locals and tourists alike. The menu is huge and mostly Greek. The same hungry group of seven ate and drank to the music of Zorba the Greek, and it was a magical evening.
Not everybody’s food, though, was uniformly good. My cleftiko – fillet lamb slowly cooked in a pot with potatoes and veggies, olive and cheese – was excellent, but those who had asked for stifado – beef fillet with onions in a thick sauce – were disappointed for the meat was cut too thick, and therefore was too chewy. A friend who asked for grilled prawns was happy with the dish, as was our friend who had a special Greek salad with feta cheese, tomatoes, olives and the works. We had also asked for pork chops, which were soft and spicy – and cooked just right. The beautiful open air place is more expensive than other Goa restaurants – but still cheap when compared with Delhi restaurants.
Our young niece (who ate prawns for every meal barring, I suppose to her eternal disappointment, breakfasts) was happy with the grilled prawns that she gorged everywhere. In Cavala at Baga, where the food tastes especially good because of the live band that plays golden oldies, the prawns were succulent, but what I liked most (after several days of flesh eating) was their cheese platter, bowl of olives and fresh tomato basil olive salad.
When I returned to Delhi (thankfully to dal and chawal) a few people asked me what I had seen in Goa. I passed by a lot of churches and some quaint old villas and streets. But what I actually saw in great detail was food. And oh yes, I think I saw a bit of the sea.
