We are pleased to report that there’s breaking news coming in from Loutolim. News
does break in yours truly’s adopted village Loutolim, in very frequent
intervals of about a year or so. The previous ones included events like the
sighting and catching of a leopard, one of the permanent residents of the local
Marlet Bar getting bitten by a snake and the village worrying deeply about the
health of the snake and very recently, (and of no less importance than the
American general elections), the panchayat elections, where the affable
sarpanch, who runs a store which sells chilled beer, won a spirited fight
But never mind, we digress. The breaking news, as we
said was the opening of a true blue fine dining restaurant in the extended
village of Camurlim (or Ambora). The arrival or rather the creation of this
restaurant called House No 2 on the road going from the Ambora bus stop to
Loutolim assumes significance. First, the location, Who would have thought that
in a magnificent old home, with grandeur oozing from each brick, a balcao running
around the old homes, with large rooms, a courtyard in the middle, would
actually have a Florida returned Goan chef whipping up some delectable cuisine,
and easily (with due apologies to many and impressive professionals) the best
steaks by miles.
While there will be time and place to dig in,
navigate, pontificate and commentate on the nuances of the food at House No 2
later, because this ditty is about the village, we just cannot move on till we
speak about the steaks. Chef Lineker Furtado is a happy man. The management has
sourced the perfect cuts of T- bone Sirloin and Filet Mignon, interestingly
from Mapusa. The filet Mignon, medium rare with mushroom sauce, was juicy and
flavourful, always a challenge with cuts from the small loin of the animal,
while retaining its natural tenderness. The pepper sauce with fresh peppercorn
works just as well.
For Chef Furtado, this was the homecoming he perhaps
dreamt of. The skills that this boy from Rosary school and Loyola college
learnt during his stint with the Royal Carribean cruises and then at Florida
are being practiced and perfected in this Portuguese home in a village tucked
into the interiors.
And there’s a quaintness about House No 2 which is so
in sync with the village of Loutolim. The tables on the balcao were chock a
block, which is always good to see in a restaurant and a little wait was fine
because this was like home. There was familiar chatter, many in the restaurant
were from families well known in these parts, as it happens in Salcete, and one
could see that the village was welcoming the restaurant, in one of its old
homes.
Yes, Loutolim is all about characteristic places and
delightful characters. And what stands out is that while a high end restaurant
may define or dominate many villages, in Loutolim, its the village which
defines the character of its places. And there was one man there, though not
from Loutolim , whose presence brought back a flood of memories for my family,
memories that can easily be plucked and transported back real time to now,
because this is where time really does stand still, and so do its characters
even as they have aged.
Enjoying his evening on the balcao was Irwin Soares,
or Mr Volleyball. Soares, before he soared to lead and head Goa’s volleyball
establishment, was a regular local champ, starring in the All Goa volleyball
tournament regularly held on the church grounds of Loutolim. For many
impressionable young Lotlikars, the tournament was the high point in their social
calendar. For the players, Loutilim was the perfect place to play volleyball
because they were treated and admired as rock stars. So there was Soares, the
smasher, who we reckon played for his home club from Ponda, then there was
Borkar, the big B of the Goa police, a match winner. Among other high profile
dudes who set the Saviour of the World Church grounds on fire were Pachali
Gonsalves of St Cruz and Loutolim’s home grown boy,s Antonio Maria Pinhero,
Subhash Kuvelkar and Santosh Badodkar, who again rose to the very top in the
administration of Goan volleyball. And by the way there was a certain Ravi
Naik, who was a regular in this tournament too and quite a player he was, with
perfect serve and volley, skills he used to perfection as a politician who later
became Goa’s Home Minister and Chief Minister and like a good volley player,
always ready for another game.
And the tournament had a permanent and much respected
referee- Ismael Mascarenhas, who sadly passed away recently
Everyone loved volleyball in Loutolim, and ahem!- the
volleyball players. Young ladies in their teens or early twenties spruced
themselves up to go and have a look and cheer the dashers. Admiration and much
cheer flowed from the Loutolim girl brigade, which included Lilone D’ Silva-
who later married the lovable music whiz Emiliano D Cruz, Yvonne de Miranda,
Suchita Kuvelkar and Nilima Bandodkar. They formed the cheer leading pack for
the tournament. Everyone had something to do.
The local lads put the chairs for the spectators in order,
the bhajiyya man was busy at a time where in that was that was the only
snack on offer. Set in the backdrop of the magnificent Church, Loutolim came
together. And needless to add the Marlet bar run by the Marquis family and
named after one of their family members Maria Leticia did roaring business as
it does now. The institution is certainly beyond demonetisation or GDP falls.
Phew! The volley story did get long winded.
But this is Loutolim. Its characters, institutions and memories make the
village and even powers the best steaks with its special character.
