The Hindu (Thiruvananthapuram)
Cocktail trail
We watch the sunset while sipping on a Wave. The chilled, bracing cocktail, inspired by the view of the beach, is a blend of steeped Meyer lemon gin, laced with bracing kaffir lime sous vide vermouth and citrus oil. Wrapped in the golden glow of the setting sun, and relaxed house music, guests stretch on lounge chairs as they order dinner, choosing between spiced grilled prawns, wild mushroom risotto and peri peri chicken juicy with a citrus pimento reduction.
Goa has come a long way from lukewarm beer and soggy french fries in a seaside shack.
At newly opened Li.Lo.La, set right opposite Ashwem beach, yet to be discovered by the tour bus tourists, the vibe is relaxed but chic. Not surprising given that Shweta Gupta, the founder of Koox Chennai, is one of the copartners.
“We wanted to create a chilled out space. There’s a cafe downstairs with specialty coffee, and we just introduced breakfast,” she says, explaining that the beach bustles with surfers, runners and people doing yoga in the mornings. n March 1, Maldives came a tad closer to India with the launch of Manta Air’s direct commercial flight from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport to Dhaalu airport in the pristine island nation. It was welcomed by the Indian High Commission’s First Secretary Kiran Khatri, among other officials.
Though this comes at a time when Maldives walks a diplomatic tightrope with India, it was welcomed by Indian travellers. “We announced the commercial flight just a few days before the launch and still saw an impressive 50% load on the first flight,” Mohamed Khaleel, chief executive officer of Manta Air, said during a conversation with The Hindu Weekend. “The consumer enquiries are very strong for this route, especially Indian families with kids,” he added.
Weeks after the diplomatic spat that sparked the ‘Boycott Maldives’ trend online, Indian travellers continue to consider the
OThe bar is deliberately set away from the party areas of Anjuna and Vagator, says Shweta, adding that people who are done with the tourist and party scene tend to gravitate towards the quieter northern beaches. The area around is also residential, so the cafebar is planning weekly events to draw locals. “We started with a sundowner salsa night, and it was packed,” says Shweta.
Kishore Tadikamalla, the talented mixologist who runs the space, says they tailor the cocktails to the spectacular sunset views, keeping them cool and refreshing. “We do sophisticated cocktails using techniques like clarification, fermentation and distillation, but what people order the most are the sundowners: spritzers, bellinis, sangrias...”
Like the team, the cocktails are inspired by the views of the sea — You can order a Shore
Sip, made with tequila, acacia honey, jalapenos and cilantro oil, or a High Tide sangria, with cognac, red wine, berries and apple chunks.
There is also a nod to old hippy Goa here, right in the name: Li.Lo.La, or Live, Love, Laugh. archipelagos in the Indian Ocean for their summer getaway, industry numbers reveal. This comes after a blip in the Indian tourist numbers to the coral islands, which ranked highest in 2023 and slid down to the fourth rank during the first half of January, as per a report released by the Maldives Tourism Ministry.
It is apparent that tourism has won, diplomatic and social media wars notwithstanding. Apart from the stunning beaches, the accessibility of the destination, free visa on arrival, and fairly affordable return tickets continue to be a big draw. Khaleel and tourism officials see this trend continuing in 2024 given the rapidly growing
Indian middle class, with cooperation from both private and government authorities to tap into the lucrative tourism market between the countries.
The fact that the direct flight from Bengaluru readily got a nod from the Ministry of Civil Aviation is one of the indicators. The airline’s deputy CEO Ahmed Maumoon said, “The Government was extremely supportive and there was no disruption in business as usual for launching this flight.”
Set in the backyard of a 1930s Portuguese home in the village of Sangolda, Grumps is designed to be a neighborhood hub. “We knew that this space was going to be challenging, the bar is tucked away, but that gives you a sense of discovery,” says Kartik Vasudeva, who owns and runs the space with his partner Agrini Satyarthi. Grumps was restructured to create an insideoutside space, juxtaposing the busy bar with a relaxed fruit treelined garden.
The short and tightly curated menu is Asianinspired and whimsical. Kimchi grilled cheese with Sichuan honey, for instance. Or grilled mushrooms with shiitake miso, lemongrass and egg yolk. In a nod to Goan food, there is also a Rendang ros omlette, with pulled pork shank. “We did not want it to be too conventional,” says Kartik, “For example, we do a play on avacado toast, but use wonton sheets instead of toast, topped with cream cheese and fresh guacamole.” They also offer sharing plates — like their popular steamed lime and chilli chonak (a local fish) served with crisp onions and jasmine rice. (Grumps is now open for lunch on Saturday and Sunday, if you are in the mood for an afternoon of food and cocktails.) “For the cocktails we wanted to go back to basics, where we do
Goan insiders love Petisco for a good reason. Founder Pranav Dhuri, who was born and raised in Goa, where his family still runs the popular centuryold Cafe Tato, has created a welcoming space for locals and travellers alike with a menu that pivots on local ingredients.
“The idea was to bring my journey as a chef and all my travels together on a menu,” says Pranav, adding that although the food is cosmopolitan, it deliberately hinges on home grown, seasonal produce and spices. “We use bimbli (a local variety of starfruit), zadkandga (local wild potatoes) and madi (root tuber), for example, in addition to jaggery, kokum and tamarind,” he says, adding that they tend to use them in nontraditional ways. “We keep it simple,” says
Pranav, saying his brief to the chefs is to “do what you like, what you want to classics well, and then do a take on them,” says Kartik, adding that though they use contemporary techniques for the drinks, they “don’t want to bore people with details.” Named after popular songs, the drinks, often based on gin and tequila, use fresh seasonal and local fruits. Try the Stand By Me, featuring tequila, guava, sumac and basil, or the Goainspired Smack That, with cashew feni and frangipani pickle. With urrak season around the corner, Kartik is also planning a line of fun cocktails with the fresh juice, made from the first distillation of cashew apples.
As for their name? Says
Kartik, “We want to say let’s not take ourselves too seriously. Let go of your problems, for that moment — even if you come in grumpy, we want you to leave happy.” eat yourself...”
The cocktail menu is also tweaked depending on what is in season, and it heroes local spirits like urrak and feni. Urrak, which is a locally loved drink made from the first distillate of cashew apples, can take some getting used to given its punchy, fruity aromas. “We serve it with jalapeno brine, local chilli and a salt rim,” says Pranav. “Or with orange and a bit of bimbli to give it balance.” As summer approaches they also plan to experiment with mangoes and gin.
In an attempt to reduce food waste, Petisco finds creative ways to use parts of fruits and vegetables that are usually discarded. For example, the dramatically named Love and Thunder, featuring pineapple and coconut, is a spicy cocktail made with jalapeno syrup. It is garnished with a chewy, intense jalapenopineapple leather, made with the leftover pulp from the pineapple and jalapenos.
Make sure you end with their spin on dodol, the traditional Goan dessert. “We make it with the leftover water from boiled local ukde tandul rice, coconut jaggery and coconut feni,” says Pranav, explaining how this cocktail was also inspired by their move towards a zerowaste kitchen. “We rim the glass with coconut flakes that have been toasted in a wok for a smoky flavour,” says Pranav, adding “It takes locals down memory lane.”