A Reverie: An interesting mix of masalas and wordplay

A blob of gleaming yellow mass lies on one side of the plate, a cracked egg shell on the other. Next to it is a poached egg-like amber liquid glistening brightly on a white plate; there is also a melting white ball on a porcelain egg holder – the dish is titled 'Egg... but no egg!'. It's a dessert that looks as if someone has broken raw eggs on a plate, but it uses no eggs whatsoever. It was only conceptualised because restaurateur Aakritee Sinh loves wordplay.

Look closely at the menu of A Reverie, and you will see how it is peppered with numerous puns, making it one of the most giggle-worthy repertoires we have seen. Take, for instance, an amuse bouche titled 'Wel-cum to Goa'. The dish served at the advent of the meal is a potent white ice cream made frothy just so it can resemble a certain human liquid. Then there are words such as 'horny', 'threesome', 'laid', 'between the sheets', 'foreplay' and others scattered across the menu. "Sometimes I come up with the name first and the dish follows. And most of the dishes are sheer coincidences," says Chef Sinh, who has no formal culinary training but has been cooking professionally for over a decade at her own restaurant.

So, hear this about her signature dish titled 'Senor goat cheese and its 7 senoritas'. "Once we found a beehive at the restaurant. We spent two days trying to get rid of it. Incidentally, a staff member got a big barni of Bondla forest honey around the same time. I took this as a sign and set out to create a dish around these events. Thus was born a goat cheese salad with an orange jelly and Bondla honey called beehive," she says.

Aakritee runs the restaurant in the Calangute area of North Goa. Their claim to fame is their quirky menu which is creative and technically advanced. "My husband Virendra is a closet stand-up comic and I am a closet poet. Every dish on the menu is a reflection of our playful personas," she says.

According to her, the only way she can connect to her diners is by having fun while cooking, plating and narrating her story to them. "Only once the diners know the process, the madness behind each dish, can they experience A Reverie in the truest sense," says Aakritee.

While the likes of Vineet Bhatia (of Ziya fame) or Jiggs Kalra (of Masala Library) introduced Indians to the marvels of molecular gastronomy just recently, Aakritee says that she has been churning spheres and foams for over 10 years. "Even when I started out, I adopted a theatrical approach to gastronomy – but not theatre only in terms of visual appeal. It had to challenge the taste buds as well." That is why you will find things such as edible plastic sheets, faux salt and pepper, edible soil and other gimmicky things that will make you holler at the staff and enquire 'Can we eat this too?'

Another distinguishing feature about this Goa-based chef is her flavour combinations. Take, for instance, cafreal masala-zested Pad Thai noodles, recheado-flavoured meringue and Goan gun powder-dusted brie cheese.

"For me, creating each dish is like a birthing process.The aim is to create food that is playful to the extent of being crazy. It should make one wonder, 'What the hell is this and why does it taste so good?'," she says.

The restaurant also serves food with heady Goan influences. Apart from using several regional masalas, it use cheeses procured from neighbourhoods like Siolim and Anjuna. There is poi or the local bread, abundantly available coconut water, Xacuti spice, local bebinca and other ingredients that are fused to create something larger. "We want the world to meet Goa and absorb every ounce of its rich culture through food. As chefs, we are paying homage to the land we stand on," she concludes.

For reservations at A Reverie, call 09823174927 / 09823505550