European Cuisine is known for it’s mild yet savory flavour. Goan Cuisine on the other hand is a fusion between Indian and Portuguese cuisine. Combine the two and you’re in for a mouth watering surprise! This magical fusion of cultures in the kitchen allows for a pretty creative menu and a chance to deliver unique food blends from farm to table.
Located in the Old Latin Quarter of Panjim, influenced by traditional Portuguese heritage, and right there in the heart of Fontainhas, an European Fusion Restaurant, Desbue couldn’t possibly find a better place to set up. “Desbue” unlike most brand names is not laden with pre-establish meaning. It doesn’t have a rich and personal history associated with it. The word Desbue is a derivation from the French language however doesn’t exist in the French Lexicon. Luis Filipe Menezes, the owner of La Maison says “We wanted to create a word that was derived from the French language but not associated with palace or person in order to let our guest have the opportunity of assigning a fresh emotional connect with our brand by the sheer virtue of association or first-hand dining experience.”
The restaurant interiors overflow with shades of green and blue creating a perfect European ambiance within the Portuguese establishment. Mirrors with vintage framing and curvy wooden chandeliers with cold lighting help reflect a serene French atmosphere. The high back chairs, the sofa covered with lush green upholstery added to the smooth and relaxing feel of the place.
The Team
Managed by the same team that runs hotel “La Maison”, going by the seamlessly beautiful interiors and the well curated menu one can tell the level of expertise and skill the owner Mr. Luis Filipe Menezes aimed to derive from this venture. During our visit, we didn’t get a chance to personally talk to the owner but the steward (who is perhaps the most humble I’ve met) gave us a little insight on the place.
Chef Kishore, a native of Kerala, the head chef at Desbue with experience ranging from cooking on a cruise liner to preparing savoury treats in a restaurant at Hamburg Germany, was extremely precise in getting across the idea behind the menu. Chef’s specialty being beef and pork, you can expect nothing less than a perfect break from the regular to the specials of European Fusion. The chef’s special, Beef Carpaccio is a splendid option for those who want to venture into tasting raw/semi-cooked beef.
Our most humble steward provided smooth service and gave us more insight on what the chef had picked for us to eat.
The Food
European Cuisine infused with Goan allows for a creative and mouthwatering experience and the best place to start is, well obviously, the menu. We let the chef pick the best for us and he suggested we try the Watermelon Feta and Pomegranate chicken for starters.
At first we weren’t sure what watermelon and cheese would taste like but The Watermelon Feta after tasting it was a delight to our taste buds. The mix of sweet watermelon and salty cheese, tomato, garnished with cilantro and sprinkled pomegranate provided for a good change from the regular.
A plate full of honey glazed pomegranate chicken served with lettuce and sprinkled pomegranate and walnut is another mouthwatering treat we were served. The mix of all the ingredients that went into making this dish and the watermelon feta provided for a happy appetizer.
We were surprised to see what the chef prepared as the entrée, Spanish Pork Chops and Beef Steak, a match made in heaven! Roundels of beef covered with red wine sauce, mushrooms and fried leeks, garnished with cilantro and slivers of fried onions which were appealing to the eyes and the taste buds. The beef was well done and very tender, the red wine sauce was the perfect finishing touch.
The Pork chops served with Barbecue sauce that gave it a Shenzhen flavour were literally one of the best we’ve ever tasted. The mixture of all the flavours in those pork chops was the best part of our visit. We highly recommend it. Both the dishes served a reasonable quantity enough for two and the chef picked the best for us.
For dessert we had the Green Tea Pannacotta and the Nutty Fruity Chocolate something again the chef picked on our behalf. The Green Tea Pannacotta was just brilliant compared to actual green tea. The combination of green tea, cream, gelatine and vanilla was something we totally didn’t expect.
The Nutty Fruity Chocolate was also mind blowing, filled with liquid chocolate and fruits wrapped in filo pastry served alongside with ice-cream. The mixture of hot chocolate with ice cream was magical! The molten liquid chocolate was of rich quality and really good in taste.
The Verdict
For a change from the regular, Desbue is the place to be. The setup is beautiful and peaceful, a perfect escape from all that stress. The food we had was just amazing and I’m totally looking forward to next time. The mouth watering flavors of European fusion, the complexities in taste and texture and a quite reasonable menu is one reason why I would want to try all the other items on the menu. Overall we had a very good meal and were highly satisfied with what Chef Kishore had served us that evening and now we cannot wait to go back.
Desbue - La Maison Goa
Website | Contact | +91-832-2235555 / 832-2235554 | Email info@lamaisongoa.com
Hours | Monday to Sunday 12 - 11pm