BENGALURU: Sitting at your office desk and dreaming of sticking your feet in the cool sand while watching the crashing waves, beer in hand and some Goan delicacies to go with it? While a vacation might not be on the cards for everyone, a visit to Goan-themed lounge Lady Baga, which has added new dishes to their menu, is definitely doable. The franchise, with its quirky, hippie feel, has added some dishes that stay true to Goa’s Portuguese influence and beach shack culture. For starters, we had the Chicken Guisado – spicy, tangy drumsticks grilled to perfection – which is a little messy, but finger-licking good.
The Rissois Verde was next, but we found these panko crusted baby crepes filled with veggies and cheese to be a little bland, and wished we had opted for the non-veg option of this dish instead. The Prawn Loncha screams all things coastal, with big juicy prawns tossed with coconut and green chilli. A shack staple, and one dish that one cannot leave Goa without, is seafood cooked in the all-time favourite lemon, butter and garlic sauce. So we went for the Calamari version of the dish, and found the sauce to be one of the best lemon butter garlic sauces we have tried.
For mains, the Clam and Bacon Risotto with Prawn Balchao was first. The dollop of balchao on the mildy flavoured risotto gave it that kick to keep going for more spoonfuls. Pork also plays a big role on Goan menus, so rather than the usual vindaloo, we tried the Gire Mire Pork Spare Ribs. The pork was marinaded in pepper and cumin, grilled and served with fries and salad. While this dish wasn’t among our favourites, especially after the great starters, pork lovers can try it for its fall-of-the-bone meat.
A Goan meal isn’t complete with some good old rice and curry. We went for Chef Aloo’s Prawn Curry – a family recipe served with unpolished rice and fried anchovies - and as expected, it was warm, comforting and wholesome. Pasta lovers can try the Seafood and White Wine Spaghetti, and being partial to all-things pasta, this dish hit a very special place in our foodie hearts. The creamy white wine sauce was well-flavoured and had generous amounts of fish, shrimp and squid.
By the time it was dessert time, we could barely manage to move, but who can say no to some warm, homemade Bibinca? This traditional, multi-layered dessert that is made in-house, was served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and had just the right amount of sweetness and density. Another dessert we tasted was the Serradura, which is a Portugese inspired toffee and cream dessert layered with biscuits. While the dish itself is tasty and reminded us of a banoffee pie, it is quite heavy and recommended for those who have actually saved space for dessert. Head over to Lady Baga on Lavelle Road for some beachy vibes and do try some of their signature cocktails and new dishes.
Cost for two: `1,400 approx.