Expecting the usual, I instead hear about the introduction of a new
method of preparing steak. The
chef demonstrates the technique for searing the steak with a blowtorch after
cooking it. What this does is that the juices are locked in and it’s allowed to
develop more flavour. By using high heat, they’re able to brown the outside of
the meat before the heat has time to penetrate very far into the interior. This
yields a steak that’s perfectly cooked from edge-to-edge, with a thin but
delicious browned crust on the outside. The name is ‘Torched’ Grilled steak
seasoned with salt & pepper, sauce with red wine, black grain mustard and
rosemary. It’s given a live flame to caramelise both sides, melt the grated
cheese into the steak and a perfect sear finish to the steak.
“So through this method, the outer portion gets the
crust from the blowtorch and has a barbecue like smokey flavour. At the same
time, the inside
portion retains its softness and is succulent,” says
Bobby Cassius Martins, who, along
with brother Larry Martins, is the proprietor of the restaurant.
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When asked about the response it has received, Cassius
points out that it has become a hit with the locals as well as the tourists, the British tourists
and the expat community in
particular. He observes
that the foreign tourists know about this technique and have had it before
while most the locals that have visited their restaurant have tried it for the
first time. There
are some locals who have come to the restaurant just to try this after hearing
about it through word of mouth. There
is also the aspect of visual entertainment as the process of the live flame on
the steak gets heads to turn and watching the process simply builds one’s
appetite and one can’t wait to try it.
Speaking
about the kind of local crowd they receive, Cassius explains that their culinary concepts are divided between two core groups of traditional and
contemporary wherein you have the older sections of diners coming in for Goan
favourites while the younger quotient drives the demand for continental
fare.
The reason
behind introducing such an item, Cassius reveals, is that the restaurant has
taken pride in the quality and variety of its steaks. “We began with the steak
on stone and we have always been trying to introduce new concepts and the
blowtorch technique is in line
with that philosophy. We want to be on par with the latest trends worldwide to ensure that our
customers get the best there is to offer,” says Cassius.
It may be
recalled that the restaurant recently introduced their original Smoked Scottish
Salmon and serving salmon on cedar wood plank. They also introduced their
Spanish Tapas where their Spanish Chorizo is hand-made in house using
smoked paprika and chillies
sourced directly from
Spain and oak smoked before cooking using beech wood chips.
