I find that as I grow older, I tend to
gravitate a lot more towards the things that are known and comfortable, and to
be honest, my food is no different. I have, admittedly, chefs that I gravitate
toward, and they are favourites for a reason; so when I heard that Vasco
‘Vasquito’ Alvares had taken over Cluck Tales in Panjim, I was beyond ecstatic.
Having pulled down the shutters on the iconic ‘Ernesto’s’ in 2012, Vasquito had
been on a sabbatical of sorts, turning up at every event with his signature
stall, barbecue, and evil grin. However, the demands that one can make of him
(as I often did at Ernesto’s and still continue to) in a restaurant are
different, and lead to a lot of culinary exploration. It’s good to see that the
new model of what he’s attempting to do sees him impose his style on the
establishment as well, as opposed to the other way around.
While there are retained aspects of the
old Cluck Tales menu, let’s look at the new arrivals that weren’t already
there. People familiar with Vasquito’s pop-up stalls will easily recognise his
signature sandwiches that are made using the local poie. They’ve migrated with him to Cluck Tales, and are available
in forms that include ‘Goan Sausage’, ‘Steak and Onion’, ‘Chicken Cafreal’ and
‘Cutlet Bread’. Two noteworthy additions that are worth diving into head first
though are the ‘Gourmet Buffalo Burger’, comprising a beef patty topped with
cheese, sautéed onions, smoked bacon and barbecue sauce; and the mammoth
‘Mediterranean Wrap’, which is stuffed with grilled chicken, hummus, tzatziki and herbs, all enveloped in a flaky covering, reminiscent
of a Malabar Paratha.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
Vasquito has been tortured by me for
years on end, and harassed when the cook on my steak isn’t ‘just right’, à la Goldilocks.
For some reason, he’s chosen to endure that longer, and brought the steak on
the menu here; and I will admit, I am beyond pleased. The ‘Filet Steak cooked
in Pepper Mustard Jus’ is just fabulous. The cracked pepper on the cooked steak
lends it an aromatic touch that is divine, and it’s being handled by a chef who
knows the exact moment it is medium rare, without going even a touch over.
The new head honcho has also brought
with him his other popular dishes, such as the ‘Cajun Style BBQ Pork Ribs
served with Baked Beans, Corn on the Cob and Roast Potato’ and the interesting
sounding (but I won’t eat chicken unless the red meats aren’t available) ‘Penne
served in a Creamy Vodka-Flavoured Tomato Sauce with Grilled Chicken’.
Vasquito hasn’t dismissed Cluck Tales’
roots either, in a fashion that might have spelt hostile takeover. He’s ensured
a policy where the old can make way for the new, or since Vasquito has been
around older, let’s say ‘where the old can make way for the older’. The
chicken-centric section still works, but he’s brought out a few classics on
this front too. The ‘Cluck Tales Signature Slow Roast Smoked Chicken’ segment
has always been about succulent grilled chicken, slow cooked to perfection in a
choice of marinades. However, Vasquito has brought out his old favourites, such
as the ‘Chicken Cafreal with Garlic Rice and Sautéed Beans’ (which is
incidentally his favourite dish of all time); ‘Peri Peri served with Potato and
Fresh Salad’; ‘Southern Style Barbecue Sauce-Glazed Chicken served with Baked
Beans, Potatoes, Corn on the Cob and Grilled Scallions; and my favourite from
this lot, the ‘Jamaican Jerk Raasta-Man Style served with Rice and Beans,
Potato Wedges and Fresh Salad’.
But here, I’d like to stop for just one
moment to talk about why the last one is my favourite – the hero of the dish,
which in my opinion, is the rice and beans. What makes this dish so enticing is
coconut milk, coupled with the flavour imparted by the red beans. Now this is a
classic dish that many Jamaicans home and abroad hold dear to their hearts. It
is made in community style – a steaming cauldron of rice and red beans
simmering in coconut milk with the sweet aroma of Jamaican spices. However, the
dish has been adopted from the Akan tribe from Ghana and the Ivory Coast in
Africa. The dish still exists in those countries today, and is known as Waakye. While it principally consists of
the usual rice and beans in both cases, the Akans add sorghum leaves and baking
soda, while the Jamaicans flavour the pot with thyme and pepper. However, we
digress. The bottom line is that it is delicious, and any dish which has that
as a side is worth ordering, because it’s so much better for its presence on
the plate. It can work as a dish in itself.
The dessert is an
aspect of the menu that is still being worked upon, and while it doubtlessly
plays a huge role in a dining experience, this is one of those rare times
where, between great food, polite and attentive staff, and a signature figure
handling things, it isn’t missed; coming from me, that’s saying a lot. Cluck
Tales has turned a corner with this move, in my opinion, and could well be one
of those places where one pops in for a quick meal, and winds up spending ages,
lost in conversation. At least, that is what my opinion has been thus far, and
I’m definitely going back for more.
