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he uses a French recipe for fish, which is accompanied by traditional Indian green lentils and an Italian sauce!). A reasonable, well-established alternative is Xavier’s (near the flea market, Praia de San Miguel; 0832/227-3402; daily 9am–11pm)—it has a lovely ambience (with additional seating in the garden), and the seafood is always fresh and the lamb chops excellent. But perhaps the most reliable place in Anjuna, this time good for delicious pizza, is Basilico (D’mello Vaddo, near Casa Anjuna; 0832/227-3721; daily 11am–midnight). It’s run by an Italian, which explains the authenticity and subtleties in flavor so often lacking in the many knockoff Italian joints.

A Bluffers Guide to the Unique Flavors of Goa

If you don’t know your xacuti from your baboti, here’s a short guide: Spicy chicken cafreal is marinated in green herbs, ginger, cinnamon, pepper, chili, mace, fresh coriander, and garlic, and then fried. Vindaloo is a curry usually made with pork and marinated in vinegar, garlic, chilies, and assorted spices. Prawn Balchao is a sweetish shrimp preserve made with spices and coconut feni. Ambotik is a hot curry made with onion, cumin seeds, pepper, and garlic, and soured with kokum berries—it’s usually made with baby shark (although other fish can be used). The state’s favorite fish, kingfish (isvon), is best sampled “recheado”—stuffed with chilies and spices blended in vinegar; not recommended if you’re unfamiliar with spicy food. Xacuti is a coconut-based masala prepared with Goan spices; baboti is a sweet and spicy ground-beef dish. Sorpotel—not for the fainthearted—is traditionally a spicy concoction of pork, offal (mostly liver), feni, vinegar, red chilies, and spices. Another unusual dish is the Portuguese cabidela, prepared by cooking rice with chicken and rabbit blood and meat; caldeirada is a typical Portuguese seafood stew. Uned are the small round rolls that feature on the Goan breakfast table and are traditionally delivered fresh from the bakery each morning (if you’re staying in Panjim’s Latin quarter, Fountainhas, you might hear the delivery man on his bicycle doing the rounds). Bebinca is the traditional layered dessert made with lots of eggs and coconut milk. Dodol is made with jaggery (sugar) and should always be accompanied with vanilla ice cream; doce is a sweet rice pudding from Portugal. Goa is famous for its cashew nuts available in many forms; get the roasted salted variety (great with any drink) from Zantye’s or Kajuwala in Panjim. Kokum (fruit of a plant by the same name), served as a syrupy juice, is a delightful thirst quencher; when mixed with coconut milk, garlic, and salt, it becomes a digestive aid called sol kadi. Speaking of drinks, feni is the deceptively light alcoholic spirit distilled from the cashew fruit (or coconut); try it, but be wary.

After Seven—The Restaurant EUROPEAN It’s definitely worth tracking down this difficult-to-find restaurant (located between Calangute and Candolim near the Sarkar ice factory), as it’s one of Goa’s best dinner venues. Owned by the gracious ex-Taj hotel duo, Leo D’Souza and superchef Soumyen Chakraborty, it’s a really pleasant alfresco place set on the lawns of Leo’s house. You can watch your meal being cooked in the glass-fronted kitchen, and discuss how you liked it afterward, when Soumyen visits every table. Begin with the near-legendary Camembert soufflé, and move on to the delectable “Ocean’s Fantasy” seafood platter. This is also one spot in Goa where you can happily indulge your lust for a juicy steak—order the chargrilled filet with blue cheese sauce. And do prepare yourself for either the chocolate mousse with orange Curaçao or the unbelievably light and delicious orange soufflé.

1/274B, Chapel Lane, off the Calangute-Candolim main road, Gaura Vaddo, Calangute, Bardez. 0832/227-9757 or 92-2618-8288. Reservations essential. Main courses Rs 300–Rs 1,000. AE, MC, V. Daily 7pm–midnight. Closed May–Sept.

Bean Me Up ORGANIC/VEGETARIAN An American with roots in Italy and Germany, Lisa Camps started this ultra-wholesome, all-organic restaurant