CAFE
Parma to Panjim, life is a plate of great food
After more than a decade in Goa, the catalysts that make your race for food a life and death exercise…
Swarmanguesh – An amalgam of culture
The Swastik Cultural Organisation annually organises ‘Swarmanguesh’, a classical music and dance festival, in memory of Master Dinanath Mangueshkar. The…
A fresh bout of Nostalgia
Chef Fernando’s Nostalgia has been bustling with energy and there is a new face behind the fresh dimension that has…
Parking oneself in mini Peru
One of my great Goan culinary regrets is still not truly having ‘discovered’ Park Hyatt Goa. For instance, literally everyone I know has raved about their Italian Brunch on Sundays, and living just a few kilometres away, I haven’t really managed to make the time there. Perhaps I’ve been taking that ‘day of rest’ thing rather literally. Also, please note that their Executive Chef, Saulo Bacchilega, is as Italian as they come, there’s no margin for the makeshift here. Perhaps that is a tale for another time, however. My more recent foray into what Park Hyatt Goa does is one that takes a little South American sojourn. Their seaside restaurant, Palms (which involves taking a picturesque little buggy ride through what is meant to be a miniature town square to get to) is set at the far end of the property and now boasts of a menu and area of cuisine that no other restaurant in Goa has ventured into: Peruvian. To ensure the authenticity of the menu, the chefs have been extensively trained by native Peruvian Chef Bruno Andres Santa Cruz from the Hyatt Regency Istanbul, who has been flown into Goa for the sole purpose of crafting this menu, and he is absolutely lovely. He walks you through what you’re eating, why it’s made the way it is, and most importantly, he looks like a slightly smaller version of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, without a ukulele. And no, I did not make that name up. The focus of the menu remains their expertise with Ceviche. For the uninitiated, Ceviche is a dish that comprises seafood and is generally raw before being cured in citrus juices. One of my favourites here (as always) is the scallop ceviche which incorporates a little bit of Pisco and some pomegranate seeds. Once again, for the uninitiated, Pisco is a colourless or yellowish-to-amber coloured brandy produced in winemaking regions of Peru, which is made by distilling grape wine into a high-proof spirit. Having been developed by 16th century Spanish settlers in the country, today Peru produces over 7 million litres of the good stuff every year. Another absolute winner on this menu is the sea-bass which is prepped with a walnut tiradito. However, I have a sneaky suspicion that given India’s penchant for lobster, its medallions that are cured in coconut milk and lime juice will be firm fan favourites. There are plenty of other things on offer that make it to this menu as well. However, it is my belief that you cannot go to a speciality restaurant and decide that you are going to venture off the menu into another territory and then pass judgement on the basis of that. Besides, how many times are you going to get the opportunity to dive into some genuine Peruvian ceviche? And if nothing else, wouldn’t you want to make the warm-hearted, Chef Bruno’s trip worth all the effort?
Raising the curtains on IFFI 2015
As arrangements for the much anticipated IFFI 2015 picks up pace, Ameya Abhyankar, CEO, ESG, is not only ensuring that…
History through the pages
‘Glimpses Into the Uniqueness of Recent Popes’, authored by Fr Desmond de Sousa, is a book that brings out the…
