For starters…let’s take the 4 T’s…Tiny Tim’s Tapas Treats. Toasted sweet chili nuts with fresh coconuts, Olya’s mushroom caviar, Thai chicken balls with sweet basil….now before you go ‘nuts’ about the Thai chicken balls, have patience, explanations will follow.
Let’s take the 4 G’s….Gentle Giants Groovy Grills….boy they are hot. We have all heard about the ‘G’ string. Well the flavors wafting from the grill had our tongues hanging out for more. And if you have not seen Joe’s tongue hanging out…don’t even think of it. It tends to stick out a mile. What with those aromas of the pork chops, fish and chicken doused with a marinade of your choice. It was Mediterranean that night.
The Two P’s? All for 245/- Now that is a steal for Passionate Pastas. The Penne, Linguini especially Mina’s quick fix mint and lemon preparation had Joe slurping on those slim twisting slippery ones which tended to elude his fork. Don’t get ideas…this was the Linguini pasta I was referring too.
Now you have noticed that I have left the 4 S’s for the last. The reason …we were sitting with her. Sexy Samta’s Sumptuous Sandwiches. Well you can leave out the Sandwich bit…we had landed there for dinner. But if you ever land there anytime between 11.30 am onwards, the fillings will definitely tempt you-Tuna, corn and mayo, Cajun chicken, Bacon, avocado and cheese or under the same heading another two S’s- a Saucy soup and the Sexiest Salad. I can see Joe going Sssss… as he reads the draft.
Meet Samta Gupta, the proprietor, chef of this lovely place ‘a twist of lime.’ A terraced restaurant-the terrace overlooks the Baga waterfront, the beautifully canopied interiors…’naturally canopied by the trees’ speaks of years of experience in this trade. She had her very own restaurant called ‘Mulakat’ in Delhi named by none other than Madhu Limaye, and was patronized by the ‘intellectuals’ like MF Hussain etc.
Joe was drooling over his ‘Leninade’ a cocktail of Vodka and lemon which has a pleasant taste and a kick of a mule. I realized it’s after effects only on our way home- his musical repertoire was in full bloom. Of course I would partly blame it on Sigmund. You see his beautiful rendering of some old favorites started the ball rolling.
Anyway coming back to the food. The chili nuts with fresh coconut…crunchy, sweet and tangy…a perfect snack with a drink. ‘I use a lot of honey and lime with my preparations,’ confesses Samta. Then comes the Olya’s mushroom caviar. Now don’t get me wrong, this is not fish roe from Russia, though the name could ‘fox’ you. Pure vegetarian and delicious. The mushrooms were minced and marinated with herbs and spread on top of hot grilled and buttered ‘Goan bread’. ‘I use a lot of local material,’ Samta states. Well, I have had Goan bread umpteen times but it had never ever tasted sooo delicious (pardon me the ‘s’ seems to slip in so easily) perhaps the effect of Samtas company. And the Thai chicken balls…crisp on the outside, soft within…a dip in the tangy dressing and you are in heaven. ‘There seems to be twist of lime in every plate,’ I remark. Samta smiles. Now I know why she chose that name.
The 2 P’s are next. Well I did remark about Joe’s obsession with Mina’s quick fix linguini. Now if you feel that I am leading you on with the names, I suggest that you check the menu out for yourself…although the ‘warning’ in big print down below states ‘Dishes on the menu are prone to go off for a dip in the ocean once in a while!!!!’ ‘Why Mina, Olya, Deepak?’ I query. ‘Friends of mine,’ Samta says, ‘I believe in relationships and I would like this to be a place where people meet. Moreover Mina is a Tarot card reader and she will be at the restaurant twice a week to read cards.
The Not so Traditional fish and chips arrive…why untraditional? Because the coating on the fish and French fries are definitely untraditional. As is the full glassed air conditioned lounge for people who would prefer the air condition to the natural sea breeze.
But stuffed as we were we still had place for Deepak’s (aka Motu) Delicious Desserts. Another friend and the explanations say it all. Well there is ample choice Toffee cake with cream, twisted lime pie, lemon sponge…well we decided on the lemon cream cheese pie…after all even the sweet finale should have a ‘twist of lime.’ Topped with ice-cream, this creamy concoction would have you shouting for more…’C’mon baby now,’ was that Joe? And who was he talking to? After all only Samta was at our table. I give a huge sigh of relief. The vodka had put him in a mellow mood; he was telling me that it was time to go.
So if your driving down the new Baga bridge, all you have to do is say....’C’mon baby now, twist and shout’…you will do so in more ways than one at ‘A Twist of Lime.’
Details:
Name of Proprietor: Chef Samta Guptamobie
Contact: 9011 06 1514
Address:New Baga bridge,Overlooking Baga creek,Bardez, Goa 403 521
Open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
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