MEET MARIA
Now serving lunch, Black Sheep Bistro in Panjim continues to give patrons a global dining experience
Black Sheep Bistro has carved a name for itself in the delicious food guide for Goa during the last few months it’s been open. It is chic, contemporary and at the same time grounded and classic. And for those who missed out on dinner, the restaurant has now opened for lunch too.
Set in the busy environs of Panjim city, the owners have discovered one of Goa’s pretty heritage homes in which to offer their modern take on local cuisine. The ambience is delightful, with clean cuts and simple lines, a mix of high chairs and tables and low lounges.
The bar is equally pretty and offers a great place to have a quick one before you head home for lunch on Saturday after a half day at work. It’s also a nice place to catch up on nibbles while you discuss that new project with your business partner.
A well-researched collection of wine lines the walls and a subtle sign on the menu requests guests to pay attention to their dining partners rather than their phones. Kudos to that! There might be too few tables for the steady stream of patrons but the first rule of knowing a good restaurant is to visit the popular ones.
And Black Sheep Bistro has definitely turned out to be popular. The Chicken Salad is a meal in itself, plated up as a grilled chicken thigh surrounded by roasted red peppers, chick peas, capers, basil and topped with a mustard vinaigrette.
It’s ideal to kick off with some tapas while you enjoy a lovely chilled sangria. The restaurant does a lovely version of fish cakes made from fresh local seafood with roasted spices and a garlic chilli aioli to go alongside.
One of the Black Sheep Bistro’s most popular entrées is the Inspired Chorizo Pão. On toasted hunks of homemade whole-wheat bread or ‘poli’ sit spicy dollops of Goan chouriço topped with caramalised onions. The cherry on this pie is the shavings of dark chocolate that round out the flavour of the dish.
The bistro only serves single portion meals since they believe that “there is no ‘we’ in food”! A marriage of spicy and sweet comes alive in the Chicken and Chorizo Paella. Fragrant chicken and piquant chorizo are toned down with the sweetness of tomato and green peas in a sea of saffron-flavoured Arborio rice.
Equally delicious is the restaurant’s latest introduction – the Bistro Pork Poutine, which is essentially slow roasted pulled pork, braised pork gravy and soggy French fries topped with melting cheese. So good!
A great lunch must end with something sweet and here the bistro has outclassed itself in fusion. One option includes a choco
late lava cake with vanilla ice cream and sonpapdi crumble. The other is crispy churros with dark chocolate dunking sauce. Choosing either of these is pure mid-day madness, but one you’ll never regret.
The bistro also serves a range of artisan coffee from the estates of Chikmagalur in Karnataka and a selection of fine teas. The menu also includes soothing soups, pastas, paninis and wraps. With its new lunch dining, Black Sheep Bistro gives you a reason to make afternoons special too.
