For some, Panjim may now need funds to call |
This is played out in so many myriad ways.
A week ago, ‘the’ breakfast has just been consumed on a Sunday morn. Waffles,
pan cakes with maple syrup, hot scones, bacon rashers, when the phone rang. It
was the perennially effervescent Xito Pinto who normally begins conversations
with loved ones with a telling comment on their parentage, on the line. I
asked, “Is Fontainhas on fire? Why on a Sunday morning?” All seemed normal
though. With a couple of expletives where acts of the family and parts of the
human anatomy across both genders were called to question, he quipped “Speak
here, someone wants to tell you something”. Mr Aloo Gomes Pereira, came on the
line. Now Aloo uncle (as he has been deferentially called by yours truly much
to his chagrin when done so in front of company he charms) has an identity
beyond being one of Goa’s most loved travel professionals. Uncle and his
contemporaries have done more to bring tourists to Goa and give them a time of
their lives more than several versions of tourism ministers like Parulekar and
Mickky Pacheco could have done or will ever do. But he is ‘Fontainhas’ as much
as ‘Fontainhas’ is him.
As the old quarter battles against the
ravages of the present and struggles to remain just that – a lovely Latin
quarter with its labyrinth of bylanes, hanging on to a charm under threat, good
men and women are fighting the good fight to keep their preserve. Aloo Uncle is
one of them. But back to why he was on the line. As soon as we said hello, I
asked if he was home and if so I would drop in. This is Panjim. You don’t need
agendas to drop in, or time. You get a call and you go. In Aloo’s splendid old
world manor, up a wooden staircase sat the family and friends – and this
included the aforementioned Xito Pinto with his morning tipple. The subject at
hand was not something to start a fire on – just that a fresh new tourism
initiative giving folks a place to stay in another little heritage replica
coming up in Porvorim offering lovely home stays coupled with a street
festival, the likes of which Fontainhas had. As it happens in an old Fontainhas
home, chats began, old times were recalled, friends living and gone and their
antics were brought to their table and then of course there was food and drink.
To describe this morning in one word (and my favorite) –‘agenda-less’.
This old quarter always had this. Homes
were open, cars were never locked, children would be brought up by everyone,
home dogs would be well fed if the owners went away on holiday. And then there
was food. From Anand Ashram to Panjim Inn to Viva Panjim to Elite Flavours and
so on, this has been home to fine dining and comfort dining. And much of the
charm lies in keeping such places alive. One happy take away though is that
amidst all that is crumbling around Fontainhas and Panjim, the revival of great
food places and the entry of new ones keeps happening. If fact they are all
over like a rash.
At the place where the splendid O Fogo
left, Des Bue has emerged as a very authentic European fusion restaurant.
Fronted by Kripesh Divkar, you could be in Southern France, middle England or
Sicily. And with fine wine about to arrive when the licenses are in place, it’s
time to raise a toast.
Some quick venue transfers have happened
but thankfully all are within walking or a short driving distance. Baba’s café
arrives in the heart of Miramar from Mala to be replaced by Barrels & Bones
which serves fine steak and pizzas. Chicken Man, the Rotisserie roast chicken
place inspired and run by Sunder Aaron formerly a VP in Sony in the heart of
Panjim, his new sign in Pizza Mia near the Miramar circle and the return of the
French breakfast place and Patiserrie Delicieux from the Caculo circle to
Miramar just below the new Baba Café, are hallmarks of Panjim’s dining
revolution. And it’s still not over.
As long we have these not too big places,
in sync with the genteelness of Panjim, we are just fine. Conversations will
still happen, old timers will still meet and laugh and drink and the new places
will ease into the canvas rather than jar it. Panjim is really SMART and we
don’t need Modiji’s money to prove it.
