Savour foreign flavours in Goa

The state's food is no longer synonymous with fish thalis as many restaurants serve cuisine from around the world

- Ruth Dsouza Prabhu

When we planned our one-week family vacation in Goa in April, we built itinerary our around where to eat. It was the only thing on the agenda of sun, sea, sand, pool and sleep that needed planning. My husband and I both come from coastal towns, Kochi and Mangaluru, respectively, and fish thalis are something we have grown up with. We had also done plenty of them on earlier trips to Goa, from Fat Fish and Bhatti's Village, to Vinayak and Kokni Canteen. So we decided that on this trip we would skip fish thalis and check out the international cuisine scene in Goa, which is currently thriving.

We made a lovely AirBnB apartment in Candolim our base. On the first evening, we headed to The Lazy Goose in Nerul, which overlooks the Nerul river. There was no view of the water at dinner time but that did not take away from the lovely meal we had. The restaurant is known for its seafood and continental menu, with some classic Goan dishes thrown in. The Chilli Lemon Butter Garlic Calamari had the right amount of tanginess mixed into a silken butter sauce. The Pork Ribs with Mustard Potatoes are a hearty portion.

The smoky BBQ sauce we opted for was a good choice and the mustard potatoes quite addictive. For pasta lovers, the Roasted Pumpkin Ravioli in creamy sage, spinach and tomato mustard sauce is the one to pick. And we had to have the house special the mud crabs. These come with a lot of pomp and show and with aprons to wear to encourage you into some messy and delightful eating.

There were several Japanese places on my list: Micro-dining at Makutsu (Panjim), a revisit to Sakana (Vagator), Shiori (Siolim) and Roboto (Anjuna). We settled on Roboto.