74 travelandleisureindia.in
BEYOND
Organic Trails72 travelandleisureindia.in
souvenirs. At 3 pm, I was still wearing my
oversized hat accessorised with a pink bow,
given to me at the entrance. It seemed like the
perfect time to eat an ice cream, so I had
a generous dollop of yummy mango on a cone.
It became evident that afternoon that
the Park Hyatt Goa has a fl air for bringing
diverse elements together—whether these are
ingredients, cultures or people—to create an
enthralling brew. As the sun set, the crowd
headed home with cashew gifts and the
beach grew quiet. I sat on a beach bed, sipped
on fresh coconut water, and soaked up the
atmosphere. “Fish curry and rice at Casa Sarita
for dinner?” asked Pratiti Rajpal, our host,
knowing that it had become our staple those
three days. It seemed like the perfect way to
end the night and a great trip. ▪Goan food is related to history, and
natives are as romantic about the
past as they are excited about the
unavoidable wave of new food trends.
FENI APPRECIATION
Feeling like an expert feni-maker, I sat in the
swank drawing room of the hotel that afternoon
to sniff diff erent varieties, as well as some
infused cocktails, that the bartenders were
blending and looping with local ingredients.
I developed an unexpected fondness for
Lembrança, Madame Rosa Distillery’s modern
feni brand. It was an old-style, copper-pot
distilled feni charcoal, sifted for velvetiness and
amalgamated with oak barrel-aged feni, thanks
to Jeff rey Manuel, our ‘professor’ for the class.
Apparently, I was not the only one, and everyone
gave a thumbs-up to Lembrança. And for the
ones who preferred their drinks mild, there
was a cocktail with kokum. That crossed over
from desi cliché to clever global, owing perhaps
to its gentle fusion. Now, that was an idea to
take home.SUNDAY FUNDAY
We reach the brunch site slightly after 1 pm—
Goa isn’t a cosmopolitan city, and we were
absurdly laidback. Besides, it was roasting
outside. Encouraged by the feni, we lingered
at the venue, which was buzzing with a fl ea
market, music, competitions, cashews, grills,
feni, and more. We rambled on; I made friends
with the Khow Suey chef, who tossed the
dish with fried onions, eggs, vegetables, and
chicken, ending with a generous squirt of
lemon juice. There was a live band playing,
and crafty entrepreneurs selling localThe rustic and
minimalistic decor
of the Palms, the
beachside speciality
restaurant, is
certainly impressive.