Going going goan

If you are a seafood lover or want to taste good goan cuisine for a change, head to thisu00a0 place

City life doesn't often give you a chance to enjoy a quiet moonlit night. But it does feel disappointing when you do get that opportunity and yet can't make the most of it. Which is what happened to me recently when I went over to Souza Lobo in GK II's M Block market. I had been craving for Goan food for quite sometime with friends travelling to Mumbai and Goa and posting about the oh-so-wonderful food as frequent status updates on Facebook. Also I was quite keen to find out how the Chicken butter masala loving Delhiite would take to a cuisine that gave chicken lesser emphasis than red meat and seafood.



So I walked up to the restaurant, which occupies three floors and a terrace. A whiff of lemongrass hit me as soon as I stepped into the nearly empty restaurant. What the heck, I thought, on a Saturday night that too? While the ground floor had a few people tucking in, the two floors above that were completely empty, making me falter and think may be I was stepping into some other place by mistake.

It took me quite a while to locate the terrace, where I eventually decided to sit. A group of loud (and obviously drunk) people had occupied a table behind me, discussing everything from philanthropy to life after death and even (hold on) bitching about the fashion fraternity (one of them being a designer). The terrace had canopied seating with mosquito nets masquerading as fisherman's nets all around. And yes, a very good view of the sky, which came in handy during the course of my meal.

Prawns, Squids and more
The menu of this place has been designed to give newbies a taste of Goa. Popular dishes like Xacuti, Vindaloo, Cafreal and Bebinca have been explained in detail, including their origin. And of course, there were the cliched illustrations of fisherfolk.

I ordered some Masala fried squids and Prawn tandoori as I settled down with a Bailey's Irish Cream. The squids came promptly. They were fresh and succulent, and masaledar. Perfect dish to go with alcohol of any kind but the mild taste of Bailey's enhanced the taste of the squids. However, from here on started the long wait. The other starter just refused to show up. The waiters too seemed to be on their own trip and showed up after much prodding and took down the order again. It was getting late and so I decided to order the main course as well. And the wait started, again.

After more than an hour, the waiter showed up with the Prawn tandoori. By then I had the decor by heart, had appreciated the full moon enough and was just about beginning to count the stars. The appetite, too, was all gone. Though the Prawn tandoori was tasty, the masala (the same that is used in chicken tandoori) overshadowed the prawns which didn't have a taste of their own. Besides, they tasted suspiciously like frozen prawns.

Next up at the table very quickly was Fish filled with cheese. Being a cheese lover, I was quite tempted when the dish arrived. But while the fish was fresh, the batter killed the dish. It was extremely heavy batter and felt like having bread pakora.

The main course arrived in no time at all. I had ordered the staple Pork Vindaloo, Mutton Xacuti and Goan sausage pulao. The quantities were huge, enough for three people to dig in. The pork was soft and
succulent and the xacuti tasted authentic. The pulao was nicely meaty and had quite an aroma. But the star of the meal was the Crepe Souza Lobo. With chocolate and tender coconut filling, the crepes were tasty as tasty can be. What an end to the meal!

At:u00a0 Souza Lobo, m 51, M Block Market, Greater Kailash II
Timings: Noon to 3 pm (lunch) and 7 pm to midnight (dinner)
Ring: 46106838
Meal for two: Rs 1,500-2,000