By Joe Mascarenhas
Do you remember the Spice girls.....Posh and Spicy? But this is temptation of another kind - right on the beach of Candolim that will make your mouth open in a very big O! Try it out at the O Hotel.

Yes that is the place, and as you walk down towards the beach, you can ask for a buggy if you like, but I would definitely recommend a walk to activate the gastric juices, because you are going in for a treat.
So I walked, right beyond the pool, up a wooden platform overlooking a private secluded sandy stretch to my very own private dining hall. Believe me, just limited seating on comfortable cane chairs as you commune with the stars above, to the soft music of a live two piece band, ADDAH, a tryst with Indian cuisine par excellence.
Meet the Executive Sous chef Pritam Mahadik. He needs no introduction, he has been in Goa for some time now and his Indian preparations always have me begging for more. We were presented with a classy pull out menu, well the place spells ‘Posh fine dining’, someplace where you can entertain or celebrate in style. How much closer without the crowds can one get to the beach?
There is a wide variety of ‘spiced cuisine’ that one can choose from. “Try our Maan Sahari Kebab Platter,” Chef Pritam suggests. And while the order is being executed I look at the wine list and the spirits offered. Well there is an open display cabinet too, before the spice works its magic. While my better half was getting romantic, I was very practical nursing a Jack Daniels on the rocks and soaking in the ambience.
‘Maan lo……’ I am now referring to the platter consisting of Lasooni fish, Tandoori prawns, Chicken adraki Tikka, Seekh Kebab and the colourful accompaniments…mint chutney, garlic chutney and pickled onions. Now let us get down to serious business. We all have eaten and relished Indian food, but having kebabs served sizzling hot on the beach, is literally mind blowing and succulent too. The faint tinge of the Adrak’ in the marinade of the chicken…ADDAH! …to your vocabulary my mind commanded. The prawns dipped in the mint chutney, the delicate spice marinade sheer ‘Tandoori delights’.
But before I go on to explain the delightful explosions in my mouth, the waiter arrived with ‘Bhuna hua Anjeer’. Now this was a new one for my repertoire. “We have many vegetarian preparations,” Chef Pritam says. I popped a mini ball. Dry figs soaked in whey, and when infused to perfection smoked in mustard and spices. Eaten plain or even with the kebab the ‘sweet and spicy’ combo of fig and spice.
The shammi kebabs had arrived, those tasty minced cakes of gram and spices. I looked at the menu wondering what chef would surprise us with next. I peeked down the platform at the kitchen and saw him with a platter. “Raan.. It’s not on the menu, but one can order it in advance,” he says. Sikhander Raan, cooked for 45 minutes with yoghurt and spices…believe me it’s a feast for the Maharajahs right down to the bone. As we chomped and relished every bit we were informed that this preparation and many others were standardised in all the restaurants of the ‘O Hotel’ around India.
But he was just teasing us with ‘starters’. Bhatti ke Bharwan Khumb (mushrooms in cashew paste, onion, curd and capsicum) a vegetarians delight, Dum Aloo Kashmiri (although this dish needs no explanations it packs a ‘Dum’ filling), Deg ki Dal (the whole black lentil-my favourite) and with piping hot Missi Roti’s and Laccha parathas. Well I have mentioned the vegetarian dishes because Chef Pritam is passionate about pleasing his vegetarian guests, but he had also added a Murgh Changezi….chicken in a spicy tomato curry. A crisp missi roti dipped in that curry, all I can say please practice your vowels.
So remember whether it is ‘Ah’… ‘Eee’…. ‘Oh’…the ‘I’, ‘U’ will have a delightful time at ADDAH which is absolutely Posh and Spice.