Nestled in the village of Old Goa, among historic monuments and timeless churches, a small homely restaurant Adlem Goem lets one blend into the environment. The restaurant named after the place, has found the fine balance between vintage and modern aesthetics. While paying tribute to the era gone by with antique kitchen ware adorning the walls, an artistic approach on showcasing the monuments around the state gives a glimpse of what Goa has to offer. Run by Joylin Menezes, every element in the restaurant is how she envisioned it.
As the name suggests, the restaurant aims at giving an authentic Goan culinary experience. The menu is minutely curated to include a proper Goan meal with every element taken from the state. One must have in a Goan kitchen for a rainy day is salted dried fish. This menu includes even this humble ingredient for their salads. Salada De Cavalas salgadas (salted mackerel salad) is a nice mix of crunch in the form of the dried macreals with grated coconuts and sautéed onions and a sprinkle of coriander. The dish is well presented with a Chinese cabbage forming the plating. Stuffed calamari which was stuffed with the right amount of rechado masala and was just the way one would cook at home. The Tandoori stuffed calamari was a surprise with the way a humble squid was transformed into a soft and delicious meat with the flavours of a spicy tandoor.
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An innovative dish offered by the restaurant is Murgh Tandoori lollipop where a Szechuan sauce dipped chicken wing is cooked in a tandoor. The result is a well cooked and delicious chicken wing which melts in the mouth. Going off the Goan menu is a generous serving of Egg roast, a dish native to Kerala where boiled eggs are pan roasted in spicy south Indian spices. The dish can also make a nice breakfast or curry for lunch with the Goan pao.
One important factor in every Goan restaurant especially for lunch is the Goan fish thali. Adlem Goem offers two options in thali, Special thali and Fish thali. The special thali has a few more dishes and a better choice of fish. If you have been craving for more homemade beef or pork Amsol, this dish can match up to your expectations. The Goan favourite is cooked either in beef or pork with palm vinegar and spices. The beef Amsol was tender and well cooked and the spices were right for the dish. Another star dish was the pork Asad, a pot roast pork and pork fat cooked with toddy vinegar. The meat was delicious and just as simple as it would be made at home. The special menu can be requested while placing the order. The credit for this great food goes to a woman chef who is running the kitchen. With her years of experience in starred hotels, she brings her best to the table.
To sum up the appetising meal, Arroz doce, a dessert made with rice and coconut milk and Alle belle are great. The pancakes are also made with a twist as the humble filling of grated coconut and jiggery is accompanied with dollops of ice cream. Besides the ambience and the continuous play of Goan music in the background, the service is also quick for hungry stomachs.
