When Indian
royalty and Goan traditions come together, you can expect the best experience. Well, that’s how I
felt at Goan Stories at Vivanta Panaji. Goan Stories is an exceptional affair
in town, where the best Goan dishes are served with nobility. One will
definitely walk out with a story to profess. Goan Stories was initiated in 2017
with a potpourri of flavours, blends of aromatic spices of India with the
essence of Portugal and the scrumptious menu of authentic Goan preparations
that left many visitors craving for more.
Chef Urbano do Rego, Consultant Chef in Goan Cuisine, has
represented coastal cuisine at the international level and has been with the
Taj Group of hotels for the last 47 years, travelling extensively across the
Taj properties around the globe. He has supervised the entire process of
putting together Goan Stories that has today become the talk of the town.
According to Chef Rego, the plan was to combine Hindu and Christian traditional
dishes in the menu. “We have researched and worked zealously to put the menu
together with the aim of making all Goans happy. We chose dishes eaten by the
Hindus and Christians of Goa, also keeping in mind availability of the
ingredients.” The Goan Thalis keep changing according to people’s preferences,
where people can also opt for chicken in place of fish.
While there is an
array to choose from, from this specially curate menu, I opted for almost every
Goans go-to meal of choice, the thali. My decision was fuelled by my curiosity
over how a five-star property would deliver the common man’s meal.
While I waited for my
food, I took in the surroundings and found the cosy wood furniture, dim
lighting and Kunbi weave napkins warm and welcoming. The complementary
quartered poie, assortment of pickles and in-house butter that has been
flavoured with Goan masalas were certainly an unexpected treat.
Then came the food,
and my, was I bowled over! Served on an ornate silver thali, the Goan Fish
Thali (served only for lunch) comprises prawn curry, Goan rice, a fried fillet
of kingfish, clam sukhem, crab xecxec, dry prawn kismoor, a vegetable
preparation (in my case, drumstick), salad and kokum and coconut milk based sol
kadhi. There’s also a serving of dodol and bebinca to sweeten the deal some
more. We learn that while kingfish is part of the set thali menu, you can
request your choice of fish, of course, depending on availability. Also, you
can swap your rice for some Goan bread or sannas.
While this is the
treat for the non vegetarians, there’s something just as sumptuous for the
vegetarians in the form of the Goan Shivrak Thali. Also served only for lunch,
this thali comprises vegetarian versions of the fish thali, including curries,
traditional vegetarian dishes, lentils, phulkas, raita and an exceptional
vegetarian kismoor made with peanuts.
What goes into the
thali of the day is decided by Chef Karan Kohli, Executive Sous Chef at Vivanta
Panaji, who has accurately conducted research on some of the best Goan
delicacies. He has also visited couple of restaurants to study the consistency
of the Goan taste. Unlike most restaurants that cook in bulk, Goan Stories
invests time to work up each dish for the day, paying great detail to flavour
and consistency.
With
a meal that is authentically Goan, attention to detail such as the banana leaf
laid out on the thali and the candied ginger served in a shell-encased box, the
humble thali, served with five-star perfection, is definitely a Goan story
worth telling.