A warm embrace

abraço

noun

/a’bɾasʊ/

embrace, hug

If it is the Christmas and New Year festivities, then there is no better place to celebrate it than Goa. Even better if your childhood friend warmly embraces you into his fold to spend time with him and his extended family.

And so, I found myself in Goa to celebrate a birth and ring in the New Year. What I did not expect was to spend lots of relaxed afternoons and chilled-out evenings, enjoying a drink or three, and some lip-smacking delicious food at Abraço.

Serving you delicious meals, with warmth

The word may come from the Portuguese. However, that has not stopped the good folks that own and manage Goa’s newest restaurant to reinterpret what it means to them and their patrons – Food that feels like a warm hug. Traditional, authentic flavors of recipes from around the world are served with all the love and warmth you would expect from a family meal. It made for a dining experience unlike any other I had experienced for ages in Goa.

The 9th of October 2022 may have been just another ordinary day for a lot of people, around the world. However, for two kindred spirits, Deborah Steele and Joe Gomes, and their team, it would be the start of a new culinary journey. It was on that day that they formally opened Abraço to their patrons, friends, and family.

The restaurant down the alley

Driving on the CHOGM road, between Sangolda and Saligao, this distinct, well-laid, and comfortable restaurant is nestled just down an alley off the main road. Once you have walked in through the gates, what greets you is a naturally lit, well-laid, open restaurant that invites you to come and settle down. Not long after, a smiling member of the staff will come on over and warmly embrace you into their fold, first with a glass of water, and then with their recommendations.

They have an extensive beverage and dining menu. Thankfully, it is not so exhaustive that it leaves you confused and hungering for something else.

A twist to your drink

While they stock on the usual suspects of alcoholic drinks, including single malts, gins, rums, beers, and breezers, pay closer attention to their cocktails. And no, I am not referring to what is there on the beverage menu.

Chances are, Joe Gomes, one of the partners, will be right behind the bar, concocting a delicious mix of one of his unique specialty cocktails. It could be anything – from local feni fused with cinnamon, a slice of lime, and salt, to a traditional long island tea that is well, not traditional at all.

Food with soul

Their selection of food is excellent, from salads and small plates to thin-crust pizzas, burgers, and entrees. Throughout my visits to the restaurant on many an occasion, I was fortunate enough to sample a variety of dishes.

Depending on the time I was there at Abraço, I could order a salad, like their pear cashew spinach salad dressed with basil vinaigrette, or a good old Caesar lettuce salad. Seafood lovers will relish their Focassia-dusted calamari soaked in buttermilk and served with harmal chimichurri, or red snapper bouillabaisse – a complex fish soup originating along the Mediterranean coast of France.

And for lovers of pork and Obelix, this little friendly restaurant offers a traditional pork amsol tortellini wrapped in butter-based tortellini, just like some grandmas used to make it in the good old days, or even a Filipino-style pork ginataang cooked in a coconut-based broth and served with cilantro rice.

However, if all of this doesn’t appeal to your taste buds, and you would rather have some comfort food, then don’t worry. One of the joys of being warmly embraced by this família at Abraço is that they can quickly rustle up a delicious meal or two, never mind that it is not on the menu. Don’t be too surprised if your dish has been specially cooked by Deborah Steele, the other half of this fabulous partnership.

And for those with a sweet tooth, fret not. They also have some excellent signature desserts, including Basque cheesecakes – a crustless cake with a deeply caramelized burnt exterior and rich creamy center, apple crumbles – with notes of cinnamon and butter, and topped with vanilla ice cream, and chocolate torte – a decadently rich cake, with flavors of hazelnut and orange. However, if you are unsure, it is best to ask what the day’s special is. You could be in for a sweet surprise.

Sing and swing the night away

Without making a song and dance about Abraço, its excellent vibes, and delicious food, there is one more thing that it is surely building on. Live music Saturday Nights, with the occasional Karaoke Nights thrown in too. That is right. So, unlike me with my two left feet and a voice I can vouch is far better than Freddie Mercury’s but have no way of proving, then head over to the restaurant any Saturday night you are there.

Most Saturdays feature Toto and Ning, with a fabulous curation of retro hits. They also have a whole lot of guest artists who drop by from across the country, belting out your favorite numbers in English, Hindi, Konkani, and Portuguese, including Goa’s foremost contemporary folk music band featuring Sigmund and Keanu, and Celeste and Adrian with their own unique interpretation of music.

And though I was pulled away even before I made any attempt to grab the microphone with my version of Queen’s ‘We are the champions’, chances are you will have better luck giving a rendition of your favorite song, The owners and patrons are more than willing to give you a sporting chance to shine unless they grab the microphone themselves. Who knows, you could be the superstar of the night too.

Abraço – where the heart yearns to be

Whether it is a relaxed lunch or a music-filled dinner, I would highly recommend this little gem of a restaurant, tucked away in an alley in Sangolda, for its delicious food, great ambiance, and positive vibes. Being slightly off the main road adds a bit more exclusivity to your dining experience.

These qualities, after all, is makes for a great dining experience.

PS: The fact I have put on four kilos has nothing to do with this small matter that I spent way more time in the restaurant, eating all that delicious food being served to me when I should have been walking and exploring Goa, which was my original intention. However, like all well-thought plans, this too came a cropper. Not that I am complaining.