The buffet is a system of serving meals in which food is placed in a public area, where the
diners serve themselves. A form of service à la française, buffets are offered
at various places including hotels, restaurants and many social events. Buffet
restaurants normally offer all-you-can-eat food for a set price, but some
measure prices by weight or number of dishes. Now this is not an article on the
evolution of this specific form of serving food. This is a focus on what is
possibly among the cheapest and tastiest offering in Goa.
The spread at the Chilli n Spice Restaurant at Hotel Fidalgo for
the lunch and dinner buffet is very interesting. F&B Director Ajay Singh,
who has been with Fidalgo for nine years, has worked with the chef to come up
with an offering that caters to a wide variety of the populace. Executive Sous
chef Arun Kumar, who has been crafting new creations at the hotel for three
years, has worked to add his touch to the buffet.
The menu changes every day though the number of dishes always
remains the same. More importantly, the number of vegetarian and non-vegetarian
dishes also remains the same every day. Arun says, “We plan dishes from
different cuisines to be part of the buffet. We always present a hint of
cuisines as diverse as Italian, American, French, Korean or Mongolian to give
you an idea of the place’s culinary culture. And yes, ever popular cuisines
like Thai, Malaysian and North Indian dishes regularly make an appearance. Our
Goan clientele like some Punjabi dishes for the spice they add and yes,
Hyderabadi biryani is a regular.”
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Please note, every three months, the selection is changed
completely. It is an opportunity to prepare new dishes, bring in new cuisines
and generally discover new things in food. It is basically a new makeover and
could also mean an introduction of a new continent to the paying public.
On
the day we visited, there was fruit chaat and the salad section had roasted
pumpkin with sour cream and Korean kimchi. Kimchi is a staple in Korean cuisine
and is a famous traditional side dish of salted and fermented vegetables, such
as napa cabbage and Korean radish, made with a widely varying selection of
seasonings including gochugaru, spring onions, garlic, ginger and jeotgal. The
soup was avoided and the mutton cutlet was consumed with great relish.
Importantly, the amount of oil used was minimal and the meat was cooked just
right. On the main course, the Chicken Do Pyaza was extremely tasty. The gravy
was thick without being oily and was flavoursome. The Murgh Dum Biryani was so
popular with the customers in the restaurant that it had to be refilled. In
fact, we too had to wait for it, but it was well worth the wait. The biryani
was well cooked and the meat, tender. There were other dishes like vegetable
Farfalle Provencale, Dan Dan noodles, Kadhai paneer, Dal Makhni and steam rice
to name a few. There was also a choice of roti and naan. Due to a request from
guests staying in the hotel, there was a preponderance of vegetarian based
desserts. This essentially meant dishes such as the Orange Gateau and Semolina
custard, which was sugar free and eggless. There was also a fresh fruit
platter, milk chocolate pudding, blueberry mousse and cream profiterole.
