Fancy Meals

Goa with innumerous shacks, fast food joints, and restaurants, hardly fails to disappoint foodies who either reside here or come down for a vacation. But let’s face it. Most beach shacks and restaurants on the commercial beach belts predominantly have the same menu with the same seafood, starters, continental, Chinese, Indian and Goan offerings, which, as far as I have tasted, lack authenticity and class. If you ever have felt so too; I have put together 5 finer than fine dining restaurants with three-course recommendations that’ll make you go mmmm.

1. Bomra’s
Five stars are five stars but when it comes to the best gourmet food in Candolim and that too in a stand-alone restaurant, Bomra’s is on the money. Usually shut during the monsoons and bustling with gastronomes during the season time, this dinner-only joint is located on the Fort Aguada road close to Dando beach. Run by Chef-owner Bawmra Jap, this quaint little eatery specializes in Burmese food with very slight Japanese, Thai, and Goan influences. The food here is so xtraordinary that celebrated author Amitav Ghosh himself exclaimed that if it was in New York, there’d be a queue outside this place. My recommendations would be Bomra’s spicy tuna lard as an appetizer, slow cooked pork belly with a cashew nut crust served with apple chutney for entree, lemongrass and ginger crème brulee for dessert, and a glass of pomegranate margarita.

2. Casa Sarita
Park Hyatt is known for their avant-garde hospitality services throughout the world but one thing that might get over- hadowed by the luxury they emit is the food that gets served in their F&B outlets. Inspired by an old colonial house, Casa Sarita, Park Hyatt’s Goan-Portuguese fine dining restaurant, is crafted with black-and-white mosaic flooring complemented with lavish chandeliers and flamboyant windows ornamented with motherof- pearl shells. Specializing in tradition Goan offerings, Casa Sarita has recently introduced a contemporary menu marrying age-old Goan flavours illustrating a modern interpretation of traditional Goan recipes. I would highly recommend their Almondigas de peixe (semolina coated fish cutlets) as an appetizer, crispy pork belly with vindalho jam and rawa sanna for Entrée followed by alle belle parfait with semi-dried coconut and jaggery sauce for dessert.

3. Koi
If you feel like savouring some state-of-the-art Asian delights, there’s one place in Calangute that fits the bill. Koi, a fine dining pan-Asian restaurant located behind Snip Salon on Fort Aguada Road offers a blend of Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Malay, and Vietnamese cuisines with hints of north Indian, Indian coastal and even Middle Eastern offerings. The interiors of the place emit very oriental vibes with paintings of koi (carp) fish, Buddha sculptures, and innovative chandeliers illuminating the restaurant with subtle warmth. The place is also equipped with live teppanyaki tables in the outdoors for an authentic eastern experience. I would highly recommend their panko crumbed deep fried maki rolls and tuna tataki as appetizers; beef rengdang and 5 spices roast duck for entrée; and pad thai noodles for sides.

4 . Le Poisson Rouge
Gregory Bazire, a second generation restaurateur from Normandy, France, introduced Goa to Indo-French cuisine in 2005 with the emergence of Le Poisson Rouge (French for goldfish). Located by the Baga River opposite the Baga Bridge in Arpora, this chic little fine dining joint is reminiscent of elegance, design, and simplicity in its entirety. As the discrete Background music hits your ears while you indulge in a painstakingly prepared epicurean experience, you must smack your lips against their zucchini rolls with crab meat remoulade, coriander pistou and green leaves as an appetizer; honey and tamarind roasted pork piccata served with Chinese cabbage, shitakee stir fry, curry cream, and roasted juice for entrée; and figs roasted in star anise and port wine with vanilla pod panna cotta and chocolate granache for dessert.

5. Black Sheep Bistro
When it comes to food that strikes, innovation is everything and BSB is one restaurant which doesn’t hesitate to take nnovation in food and cocktails to the next level. Run by wine sommelier Prahlad Sukhtankar and his wife Sabreen, the Black Sheep Bistro is by far the hottest fine-dining restaurant in Panjim city. Offering globally inspired dishes made from locally sourced ingredients, their kitchen delivers international delicacies with hints of local and national flavours. BSB boasts of its exclusive collection of wines handpicked by Prahlad himself who is on hand to guide you towards perfect parings. Even though their menu keeps changing seasonally, I have always fancied and would recommend their chicken liver patte, house preparation of lasagna, stuffed chicken breasts, Goan chorizo, classic chocolava cake for dessert, and, of course, endless pitchers of Sangria.

Text: Shubham Gupta

Pics courtesy: Tom Parker, Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa, Koi, Radhika Raj, The One School Goa

Planet Goa Team

For us at Planet-Goa, our team is driven by that feeling of exhilaration that one gets when discovering that something ‘unique’ and ‘new’ about Goa for our ever-so-discerning readers.