Fine Dining at Goa

Today was a great "foodie" day at Goa. I'd already planned to go on a bit of a food adventure and so I started the day late to head towards Quepem, 27 kms from where I am. My destination was Palácio do Deão at the town of Quepem. Dont be taken in by the name -- it is no palace; it is a mansion though and a big one at that. I was surprised to know that its home to a family that maintains it and entertains hosts. The house does have a bit of history attached and Ruben, the owner lets us understand that it was home to the priest that founded the town of Quepem.



Well, after a tour of the house and lots of trivia, Ruben lead us to the belvedere where we were served some prawn starters followed by spicy, barbecued sea bass; some prawns in the traditional Goan Caldine gravy and a rich gourd stew. The dessert - bebinca and caramel custard just topped off what was an amazing dining experience. What you eat is completely Ruben's choice and you dont have much of a say in selecting the spread. While what i ate was awesome, I did feel racially discriminated a bit when I saw foreigners being served lots of variety and really large portions. Having said that, I understand that theirs was a big group and merited some of the big servings they got.

My evening ended at Benaulim beach at the shack called Johncy's. Now Johncy's is amongst the most talked of shacks at Benaulim along with Pedro's next door. I must put in a word for the professionalism of the staff and the way the folks there have maintained the facilities (I have a special word for the restroom - modern and just too clean for a shack!). But lets cut to the cheese -- the food. I ordered a sea-food salad, an apricot hookah (!) and a masala fried sea-food platter. The platter's a foodie's delight -- sea-bass, king fish, shark, prawns, squids and mackerel; they all team up to be what's an absolute fantasy. The best use of Rs 500/- that I've seen in recent times. My vote goes to Johncy's. Do visit if you're in the vicinity.

I'm looking forward to some more food and a few more adventures in coming days. Hope there continues to be lots to write about.