If re runs work for television shows they are just as
delicious with restaurants. And journeys to two of them were about nostalgia, a
rekindling of taste buds and a quiet reminder of the years of gastronomic
euphoria.
In the heart of Majorda, on the road that leads to the
Majorda Beach Resort, past the fork that takes you to Martin’s Corner, there
was one iconic restaurant which is no more, but the connect remains in many
ways, as this column will tell and another, which has over time become an
intrinsic part of family celebrations and other gatherings. It has woven itself
into Business With Pleasure, in its early years as a signpost of discovery, and
then found its place on the high table of the best steaks in Goa, and has now
entered the comfort zone of the family go to place – Pentagon, run by the low
profile Raj.
While it hasn’t yet announced its signature or showstopper,
it has, without even trying to, carved itself into the hall of fame of steak
restaurants in Goa. They simply cut it right and don’t do much with the rare,
do just a little for the medium-rare and then it doesn’t matter since those who
order well done steak, do not qualify as
steak eaters. And while it does not have the zucchini fries and truffle and
parmesan chips – that are a pride of side orders of London steak houses.
Raj scores where many
steak restaurants of the world fail – on his caramelised onions. His mashed
potatoes too lift the offering but his caramelised onions do justice to the
quality of his steak which is the classic steak – it is juicy and smoky with a
touch of wood. Wash it down with a solid red wine and you are good to go and
come again.
The best part of all this is that Raj knows his steak
lovers. Last Christmas eve when poor Raj and his team were struggling with 50
odd steak orders an hour, we landed up well past midnight and ordered the
usual. Stretched to the bone, pun intended, he asked his chef for another go.
And suffice to say, that it didn’t match upto the majestic standards Raj
himself had set. But a few months later, on another visit when steaks were ordered,
what appeared can easily hold its own among the best steak restaurants of the
continent. And in his own quiet way, he served two little bowls of the perfect
caramelized onions which were liberally pasted on the fine medium rare cuts of
meat, knowing how much we love it.
But much before the Pentagon story started, and this was in
the early 2000’s, a peripatetic chef from Brazil, Guto and his wife Neel
arrived to set up yet another restaurant. They actually opened places from
continent to continent every four years, set up a restaurant and then moved.
Goa saw to it they never moved till very recently when Pune has happened. Their
restaurant Fusion was about 100 meters from where Pentagon is, and drew steak
lovers from all over Goa to try out their bife na pedra, (slices of raw beef
cooked on a hot stone on the table and layered with sauces).
Years later, and
after some wanderings, they returned to the home of a Parrick Sanfransisco, the
well known healer. This is where Guto set up Go with the Flow and did a lot of
what he did in Fusion and much more. His succulent pork belly with crispy skin
and chicken or beef medallions in blue cheese with spinach, mash and shallots
(written about in these columns earlier) earned legendary status on Goa’s
restaurant map. Guto and Neel have subsequently left, managing a restaurant in
Pune and in their place, an equally nice couple from South Africa and Zimbabwe
have arrived. Stephen Marais is from
cricket and rugby loving Cape Town while his partner Jaeninne Norris is from
Harare, with family scattered all over the globe. They met Patrick, who used to
live in Goa but now heals the world, in Harare and things fell in place quickly
enough for both to move to Goa and take over from where Guto and Neel left off.
Stephen, has begun quietly by actually trimming Guto’s menu
a bit (for instance the lamb is off since getting the best lamb all the way
from Jaipur wasn’t quite cost effective) and is working on a bit of
restructuring. The ‘veterans’ bife ne pedra and the pork belly are still there
though. The fish with a bit of crust, herb butter and pea mash was an absolute
delight on a weekday visit recently.
Post script: Here’s a heads up on the next journey. While an
advance warning is seldom given, word has trickled in that this beautiful café
on the hills of Uccasaim, Whispering Café, in the verandah of an old Goan home
needs urgent attention. And reports from friends and food romantics suggest
that the journey to Uccssaim and the destination will vie with each other for
space and attention. Chicken Steak with basil sauce, grilled fish with parsley,
pulled pork sandwhich and banoffee pie for dessert is what has been
recommended. But we shall let the taste buds wander and chose.
Meanwhile a quiet thank you to the old faithful, for keeping
this Goa belly, fully filled.
