I have been a regular patron of Marrakesh for quite a
many years and when its owner Gaurav invited me to visit his new baby, Sara
Soda, I happily accepted. We were greeted by Chef-Manager Dhanesh at the
restaurant who informed us that they would be serving Goan fare that afternoon.
The restaurant is nicely done up in bright hues, typical
of Goan houses; the décor is an eclectic mix of classy and quirky. Something
about the decor simply appeals at first glance and then has you wanting to
explore the quirkiness.
Prawn Balachao with Sannas was the first dish served and it was finger
lickin’ good! We used the leftover Sannas to wipe the platter clean.
The Shack
Style Beef Chili served with Poi (typical Goan bread) was a tad spicy but the
beef was beautifully cooked. The poi was a good accompaniment as it helped tone
down the spice level on the palate.
The Surmai in Rechardo Sauce fell off in
luscious pieces at the slightest poke of the fork and the spicy-tangy Rechardo
sauce complemented it perfectly.
The mutton from the Mutton Vindaloo served as one of
the mains could, ideally, have been more succulent but we did like the robust
flavour of the gravy.
The Chicken Xacuti gravy was very toothsome and the
chicken was tender and succulent. (The individual photograph I clicked of the Xacuti was a blurred one hence haven't put it up. It would belittle the dish and my blog.)
What I loved best of the three mains, though,
was the Prawn Curry. The prawns were cooked to what I term as ‘spot on’
texture. The curry had a lovely hint of coconut milk and slivers of green chili
in the curry lent a fabulous hit of heat to the palate.
They served us a small
bowl of tendli (Ivy Gourd) pickle which I apprehensively tasted. It turned out
to be delicious!
Sizzling Bibinca with Ice cream was sent over as
dessert. I’m not a big fan of Bibinca and I have no clue where they source this one from, but it was superb.
We live in an era where fusion food is the in thing and
not many variations work but this one did.
I made a second visit to Sara Soda with mum. We began
our meal with a delicious Tomato Soup. I love tomato soup and this is one of the best I have tasted. They served croutons on the side to ensure they don't go soggy. I so appreciated that!
Our choice of mocktail was Smokey Tangerine! It looked
gorgeous when it was brought to our table and tasted just as superb as it
looked. If you like your drinks sweet and tangy then don't miss out on this one.
The Chicken Piri Piri Roll is another ‘must-try’ dish
on their menu. Only when you bite into the crisp papad and the yummy moist
chicken filling within will you understand why I say it’s a ‘must-try’.
The
Bombay Duck Fingers were a nice change from the regular fish fingers that most
restaurants serve. The only suggestion I would make is that they avoid the use
of medium or large Bombay Ducks. Small sized Bombay Ducks would be ideal so as
to avoid the fine hair-like bones that irritate the palate when one uses medium
or large ones.
The Crispy Honey Chili Chicken needs refinement in terms of
flavour and texture. The chicken pieces could have been crisper and the dish
lacked honey in totality. I am someone who has quite a high tolerance for spice
and in spite of that, my mouth was on fire and my ears weren’t merely ringing,
there were bells clanging loudly in there. This dish definitely needs
adjustment so as to be in sync with its name.
Sara Soda specializes in sizzlers hence I asked for a
recommendation and was advised to give the Tea Smoked Roast Chicken a try. I
went with the recommendation and was immensely pleased with the flavours. They
gave me an option of noodles or rice as accompaniment and I chose rice.
I
requested them to add a sunny side up to my sizzler and they happily obliged.
The chicken emanated a gentle aroma of tea which was subtle enough to not
overpower the palate. The sizzler was one of the best I’ve had in a long, long
time.
I wanted mum to try the awesome Sizzling Bibinca with
Ice cream that I’d had on my last visit hence that was what we ordered. It was
just as good as it was the first time.
They were kind enough to send us a
portion of Carrot Stuffed Gulam Jamun with Lemon Grass Rabdi but we found it to
be a tad too sweet in entirety. They need to go easy on the sweetness for this
dessert. We did give them honest feedback and they took it very gracefully.
Both afternoons spent at Sara Soda were lovely. Why
wouldn’t they be? I had a friend accompany me for the invite and mum for
company at the second visit… but, of course, what matters most when one eats
out is food and the food at Sara Soda shines. They have quite an extensive menu
and I cannot wait to go back and try out more dishes.
Heartfelt thanks Gaurav, Madhuri Jadhav, Chef-Manager
Dhanesh and Team Sara Soda for the invite. I was already hooked on Marrakesh;
now you have me hooked on Sara Soda too.
Food: 4/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Note:
- The first visit was an invite but the second visit, with mum, was as a regular paying patron of the establishment.
- 'Bhari Jevan Ashile' translates in Konkani to ' The food was very good!'
- The first visit was an invite but the second visit, with mum, was as a regular paying patron of the establishment.
- 'Bhari Jevan Ashile' translates in Konkani to ' The food was very good!'
Some more photographs:
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