On the banks of
the Zuari, in a prime on-the-beach location, sits Leda SeaShells, Siridao’s latest
gastronomic offering. With its extensive menu offering food of various
cuisines, its lovely location with palm trees waving outside and sea breeze
wafting through, its brightly lit and shell-laden décor, and the sound of the
waves drifting in faintly through the strains of live music, Led SeaShells has
become one of local restaurant-goers’ new favourites… the fact that its two
hundred odd tables were all occupied, even on a Tuesday evening, is testimony
to that!
The menu is wide, with cuisines ranging from Continental to Goan
to Indian, with plenty of seafood dishes, and a number of vegetarian options as
well. To start off, we picked a couple of appetizers, including a platter of
batter-fried calamari, with portion enough to satisfy our party of five, and
the Jaipuri paneer tikka, a mildly spicy and delicious vegetarian starter to
whet the appetite.
The bar is well-stocked, with the bar menu offering a number of
interesting cocktails – try the Lemon Drop with its vodka-lemon juice
combination for a sweet-sour kick. The white wine spritzer is a light,
refreshing option for those warm summer nights, while the classic red wine sangria
exceed expectations.
For main course, the
chicken escalope i.e. bread crumb coated chicken breast, grilled and infused
with creamy cheese sauce, and served with french fries and sautéed vegetables
is a great option. The Mediterranean lemon chicken, breast marinated with
herbs, topped with mushroom sauce, and served with sautéed veggies and mash
potato, turned out to be quite tasty.
The pan seared cheese
stuffed chicken breast, i.e. a pair of chicken breast stuffed with mirepoix
cheese, topped with mushroom sauce and served with sautéed veggies and mash
potato, was succulent and delicious – particularly the warm cheese in the
centre.
We also tried the
ghee roast, a Konkan style delicacy marinated in clarified butter – out of a
choice of vegetable, paneer, chicken, squid, prawns, and crabs, we picked
prawns, and it did not disappoint! Served with Kerala appams, this is a great
option from the Indian section of the menu.
If Goan fare is your
cuisine of choice, Leda SeaShells does a great chicken vindaloo, and their Goan
prawn curry with steamed rice, based on a recipe created by the owners’
grandmother, is rich and tastes quite authentic! Pasta seems to be a specialty
of the restaurant, with a section of the menu dedicated to a selection of
pastas of different kinds, whether spaghetti, farfalle, tagliatelle or penne,
in a variety of sauces. The penne arrabiata in its rich tomato-based sauce is a
fantastic choice from this section.
The menu offers a
great selection of desserts to top off your meal. The coffee crème brulee, a
twist on the classic crème brulee with its infusion of freshly brewed coffee,
is served with butterscotch ice-cream and satisfies the sweet-tooth from the
get-go – without being too sweet. But the piece de resistance, dessert-wise, is
the Leda SeaShell’s special ‘Beluisma’ – the lyrical name means “beautiful” and
is indeed aptly applied to this mouth-watering concoction of Italian cheese,
chocolate and Bailey’s cream.
With comfortable
seating, beautiful décor, particularly with those hundreds of strings of shells
dangling from the rafters to great effect, off-set by a musician playing old
English and Konkani favourites to keep the mood up-beat through the evening,
Leda SeaShells makes for a great overall dining experience. The food is also
value-for-money, especially with regards to the huge, satisfying portions
served up by the chefs.
On
a concluding note, Leda SeaShells stands its ground in the Goa restaurant scene
– a sure-fire favourite with locals and others alike.