Fresh Seafood in Goa | Acron Waterfront Resort Goa

A food filled sojourn to the Acron Waterfront Resort in Goa — August 11, 2015

In January this year, I was invited to visit the Acron Waterfront Resort, in Goa. Chef Cyrus Todiwalla (whose work I have been following for many years) was opening his first Indian outpost. And as if that was not reason enough, he was bringing along a star studded group of chefs from Europe for the launch! Just to make sure I didn’t yield to my hesitation, the team at Acron sent over an invite I couldn’t refuse. See..!

So with a heavy heart (yeah right!), I left my poor husband to look after our two kids and flew down to Goa for two days. It was my first junket in years and I was as excited as I used to be in my early years as a food writer. Because I had been promised I would get to cook with the chefs!

Acron Waterfront resort is on Baga beach and has its own little beach where fishermen bring in the each day’s catch. A major USP is that one can go buy fresh seafood and the chef will prepare it for you immediately. The cook in me was full of anticipation!

I arrived late in the afternoon, to a cooling breeze blowing in off the Baga river; a warm welcome from the staff with an enchanting garland of little seashells. And almost immediately I was put in the care of my personal butler. Butler??? Thoughts of a stiff and proper Cadbury from Richie Rich comics were quickly dispelled by the handsome, smiling young Nilanshu. Acron Waterfront Resort aims to spoil their guests rotten and a personal butler attached to every room is what makes that happen! It is the butler’s duty to ensure you get everything you need or want and Nilanshu was brilliant. From organizing a late lunch of the best Caesar’s salad I have ever eaten to getting me lovely cups of hot coffee in the mornings as I sketched the view from my balcony, Nilanshu basically ensured my every comfort through my stay and really made my trip amazing!

That night, all of us foodwriters, journalists and food bloggers who had been flown in were hosted at a Chefs Table by Chef Todiwalla. After an amazing Feni Mojito by the infinity pool, we made our way to the River Restaurant where we met the other chefs in the star cast. There was Chef Todiwalla of course, but we also met Chef Colin Bussey, Chef John Feeney, Chef Paul Cunningham and Chef Sarah Hartnett.

Dinner was largely high lights of things to come in the Gala the next day and as course after course unraveled, the food, the stellar company around me, Colin, John, Paul and Cinderella, (who was responsible for me being there in the first place) it turned into a lovely lingering affair, the sort where new acquaintances soon became old friends and talk long into the night as the whiskey is uncapped. Unlike many Indian chefs, these gentlemen from Europe were down to earth (in spite of having earned the right to brag), humble and downright hilarious! And it turned out we all had so much in common. Colin and John were consulting chefs back home and we ended up talking about flavours and projects and Paul, OMG Paul was an artist! He illustrated food just like me so we spent half the night showing each other our drawings! At some point, the party broke up because someone reminded the chef brigade about the Gala the next day. We all parted with promises to meet the next day and cook.

The next morning Acron had arranged for all of us to go on a champagne cruise on a private yacht and it seemed prudent to go on the trip – in spite of the plans we had made to cook together – and leave the chefs to their enterprise. And although the workaholic in me was itching to get in the kitchen, I am glad I went.

Highlights of the Champagne Cruise on the Solita!

It was such a fantastic experience. We were hosted by the Britto family that own Acron Waterfront resort aboard the Solita; a beautiful, 42-foot motor yacht that sails Goa’s gorgeous coastline. We sailed the coastline of Goa and ventured into deep sea, and as the speed and wind picked up, the champagne was uncorked and began to flow, followed by platters for excellent small bites packed for us by Acron.What a super morning! We even saw dolphins albeit fleetingly! All of us sailed away on a cloud of bubbles We made our way back to the resort tired but exhilarated.

The Gala dinner that night was star spangled affair. The entire riverside lawn was decked out in lights and decorated with hand painted scenes of Goa. All the five chefs had stations dedicated to them that showcased their take on food with a little bit of Goan inspiration stirred in. The evening was even more starry for me because Vir Sanghvi, who for me is an inspiration for food writing, was a fellow guest. He was kind enough to keep a thrilled me company and talk food & writing all through the evening! I think that pretty much was the high point of a fantastic trip for me.

I began my evening with Chef Paul Cunningham’s creations. Chef Paul is head chef Image (6) at Henne Kirkeby Kro since 2012. Schooled and trained as a chef at various British restaurants and country house hotels. He is also co- owner of The Paul-Tivoli Garden in Copenhagen which received the star in Michelin’s Guide Rouge in 2003-2011. Paul has also written 6 cookbooks namely Privat, Paul Food, Paul’s Grill, Incognito Royale, The Paul and Madjournal. His offerings that night included Henne style samosas, Mutton keema rolls and a beautiful kingfish Gravad laks. But it was the beautiful summery crisp shrimp watermelon and green mango salad that blew me away!

Next I tried Chef Colin Bussey’s citrus barley risotto with home-cured and lightly smoked kingfish and a whisky and brown butter sauce. A member of Master Chefs of Great Britain and a true master, Colin’s work history has been split between kitchen and specialty food supply. He was Executive Chef for P & O’s ‘Oriana’ cruise liner and also Executive Head Chef at the world-famous Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire.

I moved to Chef Cyrus Todiwala’s table. Cyrus Rustom Todiwala runs four restaurants in London including the celebrated Café Spice Namasté. Cyrus has an honorary doctorate and was awarded an MBE in 2000 and an OBE in 2009. He has appeared on multiple television and radio shows including the BBC, Channel 4, ITV and The History Channel. Cyrus’ menus offer a contemporary; some would say extraordinary, twist on traditional dishes. His stall offered an array of Indian recipes served contemporary style. Pretty akoori tartlets, Parsi balchao-style prawn patia chappati, Goan rice dumplings filled with spiced cheese and a variety of Parsi favourites like patra ni machhi, jardaloo ma murghi, leeli tarkari and vaaghaerala chawal. His spicy beetroot rasam and Country Captain, a slow cooked mutton casserole like offering with a chili potato mash were my favourites.

Chef John Feeney came next. John has mastered the full panoply of modern kitchen techniques and technology; he 20150111_152450uses his free roaming creativity and the full gamut of technical wizardry to present the essential qualities of ingredients with guaranteed fireworks of emotion. As one of the most influential development chefs in the UK, his vision of cooking has won John accolades and a legion of devoted fans. That night, he had prepared a red onion and paneer emanada drizzled with brown sugar, cauliflower couscous salad and pickled onions, served with baba ganoush and bacon jam.

And for those who did not get enough, Acrons own Chef Shubham Dhar had a station groaning under the weight of a fantastic array of main course offerings; roasted vegetable lasagna in pesto sauce, chicken with lemon and sage, succulent Awadhi baby lamb curry and a Moroccan tagine. All his dishes offered the perfect fillers after an evening of picking at flavours from all over the world.

The evening concluded with the dessert counter by Chef Sarah Hartnett. As Head Pastry Chef at Sheraton Park Lane Hotel in London, Sarah was awarded “Outstanding contribution to F&B department” in 2013. She participated in the Queen’s first Jubilee luncheon at Waltham Forest, London. She had created some fabulous confections. An Old Monk- Callebaut chocolate mousse with a banana cardamom caramel jam, strawberry cheesecake with a roasted cashew crumble, coconut cream and malt crumble with pineapples soaked in feni and my favourite a subtle pistachio and lime polenta cake.

Unfortunately I never got to cook with the chefs. Despite specifically asking for that. But I had a lovely trip nevertheless. And I have managed to get some of the recipes from these brilliant chefs.

Source: rushinamunshawghildiyal.blogspot.in/2015/04/a-food-filled-sojourn-to-acron.html

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