O Pedro’s Carnival Brunch that extends to all weekends in February is an ode to the Goan Carnival
Someone rightly said, Goa is not just a state, it’s a state of mind. With the Goa Carnival beginning tomorrow, most of us can only dream of the festivities that we are missing out on. But maybe it doesn’t have to be this way, maybe there’s a way to create that state of mind, right here in Mumbai!
O Pedro, that lovely modern Goan restaurant that opened its doors to us just a couple of months ago at Bandra Kurla Complex, is offering its patrons a Carnival Brunch — a special menu which kicks off this weekend and will be available all through February. “The idea was to create a Goa carnival inspired menu, and by that, we don’t mean just the food, but also create an experience for the patron with live music and the ambiance” co-founder Yash Bhanage tells us as we settle down to try out the special menu.
Put a spin on it
At O Pedro, Executive Chef Hussain Shehzad tells us, some of their dishes are traditional while some are inspired, keeping in mind the Portuguese and Saraswat influences on Goan cuisine. “We have kept the same philosophy in mind while creating the brunch menu,” he says. The Avocado Poee (Rs 575), for instance, is their take on the avocado toast. “Avocados are used a lot in South America and Brazil, which were also Portuguese colonies. As for the poee, the traditional bread is rooted in Goa,” he adds, putting a plate in front of us. The spicy salsa on top binds the different textures of the creamy buffalo milk cheese, the guacamole and the toasted poee beautifully. The Chilled Sea Bass Ceviche (Rs 475), which he puts down next on the table, is a fresh and light take on the fish fry, with the fish cured with tamarind, ginger and chillies and served with pickled chillies and onions on top. A beautiful, light dish that had us going back for more! The desserts, too, find inspiration in Goan traditions. “Alle Belle is a traditional dish with jaggery and coconut but we have looked at it from a crepe point of view, and made a Crepe Cake (Rs 375) with 16 layers of coconut pastry cream, salted jaggery and cashews,” he says. The cake, with its different textures, served as the perfect end to the meal for those with a sweet tooth.
Flavour-full!
As for the drinks, Yash tell us that they wanted them to be brunch focussed. “We wanted to bring the colours of the Carnival in them. For instance, the Peru Switz (Rs 750) is flavoured with a bit of pink guava and vinegar which gives it a bit of tartness, while lending a beautiful colour to it. We have used ingredients such as tamarind and kairi (raw mango) which are used in Goan cuisine to create cocktails, but without making the drinks intimidating,” he adds.
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 "Carnival Brunch")
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