POSEIDON’S COVE: DELICIOUS GRILLS BY THE SEA

I’m always mesmerized by the South Goa Beaches. One, in particular, is the squeaky soft white sands of Utorda Beach and one of my favorite places to enjoy it is at Planet Hollywood Goa. So when the resort launched its latest grill Poseidon’s Cove, I knew I had to head there.

Entering through the resort’s low-rise architecture filled with dramatic sculptures and artwork kicks up a creative storm in the mind. Then, as you enter Poseidon’s Cove and watch the sea gently rolling onto the beach, there is a sense of calm and relaxation.

Located pretty much on the beach meant that opening a seaside grill was an obvious decision. But Planet Hollywood Goa twists this opportunity to its guests’ advantage. Nothing is better than sitting at a classy beachside shack taking in the breathtaking ocean views with your toes burying themselves in the sand.

But if the summer sun makes it too uncomfortable to sit outdoors, Poseidon’s Cove offers a relaxing indoor spot tucked behind open-air wood panels that allow you to enjoy the full extent of the beach ambiance from the shade.

I was warmly welcomed by Sundar Sudarshan, executive chef at Planet Hollywood Goa and a phenomenal one at that. He’s been regaling me with some of the most appetising food in the region ever since my first visit to the resort.

At Poseidon’s Cove, he’s created a menu that exemplifies seaside dining and Goa, placing focus on fresh seafood and produce. It’s a pretty flexible menu that allows guests to choose exactly how they want their meal and what they’d like accompanying it.

The grills work from the base – fresh seafood or meat of choice, and then a selection of marinades, starches, side salads and sauces or dips to choose from. It’s heartening to see quality local brown rice and multigrain poi on the menu of a five-star resort – an excellent way to hero Goa’s traditional yet healthy food.

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The curries work similarly and also include a variety of fresh vegetables. Guests can even make their own sandwich or burger – choosing from a slew of freshly baked bread, hearty spreads and delectable cheeses.

The menu also includes pizza, salads, yum cha or dumplings served with green tea, sushi, soups and dessert. Poseidon’s Cove is one of the few places in Goa that serves a pretty authentic shabu shabu, a traditional Japanese hot pot featuring paper thin slices of meat and a variety of vegetables with dipping sauce. Here, it comes served with jasmine rice.

We arrived at the best time to soak in Poseidon’s Cove in all its glory. The sun was on its way down, lighting up the sky in a myriad colours. We sipped cocktails as Chef Sundar and his team guided us through the menu and helped us with our selections.

Dinner kicked off with a Watermelon Detox Salad, a medley of fresh melon, cucumber and onion shavings combined with olives and tossed in a lemon and ginger dressing. It was light, flavourful and helped kick off the stomach juices.

After the cold, came the hot – a steaming Pacific Seafood Soup, an aromatic concoction of Asian herbs that pulled in memories of Thailand and Indonesia. As we enjoyed the pleasant view of the now-twinkling stars and inky sea, a delicious appetiser platter was brought forward.

On it were gorgeous little health bombs that Poseidon’s Cove calls Kinwa Tikki – small pattis of quinoa, couscous, oats and beetroot cooked to perfection and served with herb chutney. Also on the platter were massive tandoori prawns from the grill and Murgh Chandi Kebabs – chicken chunks marinated in a delicious creamy cashew sauce, cooked in a clay oven till beautifully tender and garnished with silver leaf.

For mains, we were regaled with a fragrant Thai green curry and the restaurant’s fast-moving Poseidon’s Plank. The latter is a hearty board with a variety of fresh cuts including spiced chicken, lamb meatballs, grilled prawns and kingfish steak accompanied by herbed garlic butter and cheese dip, toasted focaccia bread, rainbow salad and pickles.

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Stomachs full, it was hard to think of dessert but knowing Chef Sundar’s prowess, it would have been a mistake to say no. So we indulged in petit fours – a dessert platter of the day’s specials with baked yogurt, banoffee pie and rasmalai.

With the summer holidays setting in, Poseidon’s Cove is the perfect place to treat your loved ones to a well-deserved family meal in a superlative setting.

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www.planethollywoodgoa.com 

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TORO TORO BAGA: A CELEBRATION OF FOOD

Japanese food is becoming quite the hit in Goa. But sushi requires an appropriate amount of TLC to be considered good. In my hunt for interesting new places to eat at, I chanced upon Toro Toro, a new addition to the North Goa strip – that served sushi and more – set up along a pristine spot overlooking the Baga river

Brought into being by siblings Rohan and Praveena D’Souza with their restaurateur friends Hitesh and Twinkel Keswani, Toro Toro combines Mediterranean and tropical styles to create a space that animates through both food and ambience, the latter highlighted by live music on most evenings.

The bar immediately caught my attention. On first glance, you’d imagine a caravan parked amid the alfresco and upscale shack-style seating arrangement. But it is, in fact, the bar. The colour palette and décor at Toro Toro are bright, yet local – woven baskets form an arrangement on a wall, cured drift becomes a signboard, and painted bamboo forms pretty roof supports.

Behind the food is chef par excellence Rohan D’Souza who has been known as the ‘conductor of gourmet symphonies’. His extensive experience at the Taj Holiday Village Goa, with Etihad Airways and with culinary stalwarts including James Martin and Marco Pierre White has laid a strong foundation for delicious and innovative options here at Toro Toro.

The menu is wide ranging – heading from delightful sushi from the east and good quality Goan food to Lebanese dishes, Peruvian classics and Italian favourites. Each dish comes well plated and presented, creating perfect Instagram-worthy images amid the chic restaurant laid out across various levels.

The sushi rolls on offer are well made, particularly the spicy yellow fin tuna uramaki and jalapeño salmon flavoured with shichimi spices. A couple of interesting options here are the cottage cheese and tempura vegetables sushi.

It’s rare to find vegetarian sushi that impresses and Toro Toro certainly does. In one, fried pieces of paneer are paired with seasoned radish, cucumber, ginger, spring onion, asparagus and jalapeño mayo. The second is crispy tempura vegetables served with chilli mayo, pickled carrots and given an extra crunch with tempura snow flaked crumbs.

The small sharing plates featuring such delights as char-grilled chicken, lamb kofta with hummus, coriander crab meatballs, mushroom risotto croquettes and mezze platter are ideal when visiting with a group of friends. My favourite were the pulled pork bruschetta with slow-cooked pork, chorizo, refried beans and fresh mozzarella. I also loved the fish baked in a banana leaf, which received an additional tropical hit with its pineapple coconut salsa.

Toro Toro serves delightful homemade pasta and thin crust pizza as well as rice or noodles to go with the appetising range of Asian gravies and stir-fries. Their signature section has already received rave reviews by revisiting guests.

Being a seafood lover, I was particularly interested in their Goan and mud crabs sections. A wide variety of favourite local dishes make an appearance – prawn balchao, stuffed papad, rawa fried fish, squid masala and prawn or fish curry rice. The mud crabs are served by the size, from large to XXL, and wok tossed in a number of ways, including recheado, butter garlic and black pepper.

There’s no better way to finish up than with a serving of Toro Toro’s signature chocolate fondant. It’s baked to order and well worth the 20-minute wait, oozing gooey chocolate that teams classically well with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

I have much more to discover at Toro Toro and will return often to indulge in their great food and quirky ambiance.

Reservations & Contact Details – 0788 767 4903