OK, maybe I should rename my site “New Beginnings on the Gastromomy Circuit”. Um, yeah, this blog’s about my adventures in grub-land as well. Lunch today was at the totally happening ‘Opus’ – serving authentic fluffy sannas, tangy pork sorpotel and other lip-smacking Goan fare. Despite a dull headache, I fell in love with the place. It may, however, turn out to be a short-lived love affair as the bill deftly vacuumed my wallet clean. (My sweet and deserving younger cousins had the distinct, and definitely one-time, priviledge of watching me pay for the meal while my heart sank into my high heels).

Getting into further descriptions of the delightful eatery: there’s a decidely Goan feel about the place. The patrons lounging in bean-bags and floor matresses bore the air of tourists suntanning on languid Anjuna beach. Zany artwork displayed on the walls is actually up for sale – although, if you’re like me, after paying for the meal you probably want to enroll the ‘ascetic living’ classes at Dharamshala and buying artwork is teh fartherest thing on your mind. The glass covered table tops serve as display cases for an ingenious sand n shells artwork nestled below it. And the music … just the kind my stuck-in-the-fifties dad would have loved.

We sunk into our bean bags and received our menu – a bunch of CDs filed together. Slightly over the top, I thought, considering one might need a magnifying glass to decipher it. Each of the CDs carried a too-clever title like “Articul8” or “Contempl8”. Hello!! I wanted to place my order not play a puzzle. The waitor squatted on his honches while taking our order … attempting to break the invisible lines to step into ‘buddy’ zone. That done, the three of us played a game of Taboo, conveniently distorting the rules beyond recognition to suit our collective level of laziness.

If I had to capture the restaurant in a phrase it would be “unhurried swindling”. Alright, that’s my rather sorry attempt at humour. I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon out.