Voicing the voices in my head

I stared hard at the spattered chicken mince on my plate. Then I stared at Prem. I picked my fork, poked at the mince, and ate some. I tried to imitate the palate tasting action of people who have sensitive palates and can identify the pinch of salt in sugar cookies. Then I started at the mince again, and then back at Prem.

I was at the Tandoori Festival at Xavier Beach Resort’sTop Chef Restaurant. We were five minutes away from Goa’s Candolim Beach, but at the Tandoori Fest, swamped in a smoky aromatic haze of marinated meats, it felt as if rustic Punjab had descended upon us. The tandoor was manned by Chef Raj, who was expertly swirling flat bread dough in the air. I had just been challenged by Prem Kohli, the owner of Xavier Beach Resort, to guess what was in the giant kebab on my plate, now reduced to chicken mince.

The Challenger Kebab

I was no expert in deciphering ingredients – I was content polishing off the plate of assorted fish and chicken kebabs without knowing what it contained. All that mattered was that each item tasted nothing like I’d ever had before.

Brandon Mendes, the Head Chef at Xavier Beach Resort’s restaurant, Top Chef, had promised me just that – kebabs unlike any others I’d ever eaten. He served up a platter with Bagaani Bahar – succulent, green, chicken nuggets, Fish Seekh – tender Kingfish kebabs, and Malai Chicken – silken, creamy, chicken nuggets. Alongside was a basket of kulchas and naans. All grilled and charred to perfection by Chef Raj.

Then came the challenger kebab – a whole chicken leg, stuffed with what seemed like chicken mince. Prem and Brandon guffawed as I took wild guesses at what it was. Chicken? (D-uh!) Red meat? (No.) Uhhh… Lentils? (No way!) I gave up – the effort of guessing was making me hungrier, and I had to stop so I could leave some food for the other guests, who had begun filling up the restaurant in abundant numbers.

Despite its hidden location – in a small bylane on the street that leads to Candolim Beach – Xavier Beach Resort seems to attract a fair number of guests. I’m not surprised. Brandon whips up a solid English breakfast, and flavorful Italian and Indian food for his guests at very affordable prices. Prem, who is a world traveler, and knows his food, is an affable companion at these meals, as he regales you with tales from distant lands. If, however, you’d rather have a silent partner, there’s Spikey, the gentle giant – the resort’s pet Alsatian, who’ll sit by you as you wolf through Brandon’s masterpieces.

Chefs Brandon and Raj

If food isn’t on your mind (possibly likely only if you were dropped on your head as a baby, or survived a lightning bolt), Xavier Beach Resort offers some decent accommodation as well. Basic, but clean rooms for a very good price this side of Goa and so close to the beach are hard to come by. And, since you have to eat some time, Top Chef is right in the garden.

As I was settling my bill (rather hurriedly, since I half expected the staff to realize they made a serious calculation error and hike my bill), Prem walked over to check that I’d had a good time. Unable to contain myself, I asked him what was in the challenger kebab. The answer? Well, you’ll have to visit Xavier Beach Resort’s Top Chef restaurant and ask for Prem’s favorite kebab to find out for yourself! Trust me, you’ll be blown away!

The details:

Xavier Beach Resort

Fort Aguada Road

Vaddy, Candolim, Bardez

Goa 403515

Ph: +91-832-2479911

Find Xavier Beach Resort on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Xavier-Beach-Resort-Candolim/104686272982849