Tuesday 19 Mar 2024

Buntastic bites

Akio Fernandes | FEBRUARY 18, 2018, 05:58 PM IST


Though the concept of colored bun burgers started somewhere in 2014, it only caught up in Goa last year. The concept is not as intriguing to the Goan crowd as it was last year but then again Cidade De Goa always tends to go one step ahead of the rest. The resort’s culinary team spearheaded by Chef Sunit Sharma along with the management decided to start the Burger & Beer Festival from February 16 to 25 for a period of 10 days. The Burger & Beer Festival will feature 8 burgers with 8 different colored buns and different fillings for each one. They’ve also concocted a special dessert which will feature on the menu for the festival.  

The resort has made sure to satisfy the taste buds of both vegetarians and non-vegetarians with 3 vegetarian burgers and 5 non-vegetarian burgers. Starting first with the non-veg burgers was the ‘Tomato Red’ which features a bright ‘tomato red’ bun filled with mutton keema, tomato, onion and coriander. This burger was absolutely scrumptious and was inspired by the age old, North Indian recipes of the prominent keema dish. Cidade has put in lot of efforts to infuse Indian and Goan elements into most of the burgers on the menu to appeal to a wider crowd and make sure that there’s at least one burger for a person regardless of tastes and preferences. The messy and stuffed Red Tomato burger was one of my favourites on the menu and will certainly leave you cleaning your plate empty. We then move on to the ‘Beetroot Red’ infused with beetroot puree to give it that ‘blood red’ hue. A simple burger with a grilled chicken patty, veggies and mustard sauce, but the star of this burger was the beautiful tomato jam that topped the burger. A reduction of tomato and onions with a strong smokey flavour to it, complemented the burger very well. A different and rather unique topping from the traditional ketchup used on burgers. Next up was the ‘White’ which was a regular sesame bun with a panko fried mahi-mahi fish fillet and a tartare sauce. You certainly can’t go wrong with a fish and tartare sauce combination. The fish fillet was marinated beautifully and with your first bite in, you already taste the freshness in the fish. I always appreciate the use of locally sourced and fresh ingredients in food, a practice that the resort stresses greatly upon. We’re only halfway through the menu so far, hope you still have the patience to read this. Next up was the ‘Yellow’, a bright yellow, turmeric infused bun filled with a masala omelette and xacuti gravy. Everything about this burger screams local! Turmeric, masala, xacuti, this burger was packed with flavours and I’m pretty sure this one will be a hit with local crowd! Finally we end the non-vegetarian segment with my favourite burger on the menu, the ‘Black’ which is coincidentally my favourite color too! A black olive bun with a tenderloin beef patty, cheddar cheese sauce, balsamic onion relish and crispy bacon rashers. This tenderloin patty was cooked to perfection and glistening in all its glory. A lot of people often tend to dry out beef patties and the problem is it all happens in a matter of few minutes. The patty also had a lovely smokey, charred taste to it which was amazing because it reminded me of the lamb kofta and grills that I used to have in the Middle East. Upon clarification, I found out that the beef was char grilled which means that it was grilled atop a charcoal grill and was cooked in its own juices and smoke that left it all moist and juicy. You also have a choice of either a patty or slices of beef tenderloin for the burger.  

Vegetarians rejoice because you don’t have just the one standard option but three different burgers to choose from. First up was the ‘Green’ a mint and coriander infused bun with a spiced potato and gram flour patty topped with garlic peanut and chili sprinkle. Again yet another Indian inspired burger, almost like a modern, continental take on the famous ‘wada pav’. I then tasted the ‘Brown’ which was not a bun but the local poi bread filled with a semolina or rawa fried carrot, cauliflower bean and potato cutlet topped with a peri-peri sauce. Again another burger inspired by local cuisine with a very dominant Goan flavour to it. Finally, we end with the ‘Orange’, an orange zest infused bun with a cutlet filled with sweet corn, broccoli, bell peppers, carrot and potato along with a soya ginger sauce. I actually enjoyed these vegetarian burgers and I’m glad the resort put in great efforts to make them unique and different from the standard veg cutlet burgers we see everywhere else. Every burger comes served with either potato wedges or french fries and a house salad. Also, since it is the burger & beer festival you get a pint of beer inclusive of your burger meal.  

Chef Sunit always had a knack of knocking it right out of the ball park with his desserts every time I visit Cidade de Goa and yet again he did the same, a straight home run with this one! Sticking to the burger theme of the festival, for dessert, Chef Sunit has devised a clever red velvet based dessert. Two delicious red velvet, sponge cake doughnuts filled with chocolate mousse served with strawberry sauce and vanilla ice cream. Oh how I wish I could just grab on this dessert with my hands, press them together and stuff it into my mouth, like a burger but the mess would be nothing short of monumental, not to mention the ridiculous stares I’d get from people. Nevertheless, make sure you add the ice cream to your dessert and scoop up some of that strawberry sauce too, get a little of everything into your spoon and watch as you are transported to a sweet heaven with every bite. The festival will only last for seven days more and officially end next Sunday, so make sure you block a day and save some time to drop by Café Azul for the Burger & Beer Festival at Cidade de Goa. 

(Akio Fernandes is a passionate foodie and the owner of The Hungry Wolf food blog – that showcases various culinary delights across Goa) 

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