22 Dec 2019  |   04:22am IST

THE FLAVOUR & FERVOUR OF SIOLIM, ALWAYS A HOME

Sujay Gupta, @SujayGupta0832

Places like people linger, an omnipresent blithe spirit, like poet P.B. Shelly’s Skylark. In the fifteen odd years and counting since Goa transformed into the leitmotif of the life of yours truly, Siolim has been a very special place. Some of the first friends in journalism (and life) in Goa, were made here. Alister, Peter and cartoonist Alexz, the late photo-historian Joel and many others who made one see Goa the way it should be seen and comprehended and most importantly felt. And without any overt design but a grander larger one we do not see, Siolim just happened to be the venue of one of life’s biggest transformations.

But beyond the personal, the village and its folks are known pour their hearts out and yours truly has been a gleeful recipient of the same, and yes they indeed do it “on profuse strains of unpremeditated art” , the sheer outpouring of affection, one has been blessed with

There is a guilt trip though. In the journeys through some of the most loved places in Goa to discover back of beyond restaurants and food places, Siolim almost becomes a transit. But the village in now becoming, or has become, a destination by itself, though we aren’t sure how much all locals welcome it. There are strains and complaints of the village losing its character-like others. In the hullabaloo of changes , there are islands of longevity, a deep connect to times past, places run by absolute sons of the soil of the village, places that go back to half a century, iconic to the core and yet adapting themselves to be contemporary.

For instance when the legendary Amancio Fernandes opened a small bar at Tarchi Bhat in Siolim, which still stands tall, decades ago, he would have never imagined that across the road, right next to where , another classic joint called Gabru stood, his sons would open the Amancio Classic, with a higher ‘posh quotient’ , with butter chicken and naan on the menu. And mind you Ashley and Leslie, Amancio’s sons have quite mastered the national dish -nay the national pastime- of North Indians- a classic butter chicken at Amancio Classic, which along with its quite naturally delicious Goan fare, gives you a taste of Delhi and Punjab with its mutton do pyaza, biriyani and all assorted gravies.

But for folks like me, who did eat at the Classic, the romance still lies on the old place which the grand old man Amancio started. It was nothing more than a small bar, a quintessential village tavern where singers, government workers, writers and boatmen hung out, along with the droves of folks headed to Arambol and far beyond who would stop by to recharge and refresh. Old timers of Siolim also recall Gabru, hitherto mentioned, which had a similar small bar vibe and eclectic patrons who really made the place. The old Amancio bar is lined with liquor bottles and small tables but to get a view, some breeze and great conversation, climb the wrought iron staircase, weaving itself through the bar and emerging on the level above.

This space is like a verandah overlooking Tarchi bhat, the Siolim fish-market and in the quiet of the night, you hear soft sounds of the water. There is soul in these parts, a big vegetable and fish market, a ferry point, with flavours of fruit and vegetable and traces of fish still lingering as you order your Goan snacks and fresh feni. In most of these taverns, one does a CCX test, mostly with a local expert, to figure if the place is standard or a cut above. The CCX test is done by ordering and tasting, Choris (normally in a pao), Cafreal (chicken always) and Xacuti (chicken or mutton). The old places like Amancio always pass the CCX test admirably.

Last fortnight, a fellow wanderer who has just moved to Siolim and self sat on the Amancio verandah sipping feni and soaking the surroundings in. There was chatter and laughter at the next table, the evening turned to early night as diners arrived, both at the small Amancio and the Classic across the road. A little later, we moved to the Classic where we ordered and tucked in stuff that would have satiated hungry sardars, as we spoke to Leslie about his family and of the times past.

Siloim has many such spots and so does Assagao, which is minutes away and almost an extension. One shall be searching and visiting them. There are two in the immediate list, both run by the same extended family. One of course is the hugely popular Noronha’s food truck called Noronha’s corner at the Assagao , Anjuna junction run by, run by brothers Charles, Lazarus or Joseph and other which is a small gada where Assagao meets the slope that goes down to Mapusa. Here Linda and her aunts serve Goan snacks from 6 t 11 in the evening, which we are told is worth driving miles from. The ladies shall be paid a visit soon too.