Enter, and a server hands you a toothbrush.
Thankfully, it’s not the hygiene police.
This is mixologist Harsh Pandya’s way of welcoming you into the 35-seater bar that depicts a living room (surely, of a really rich friend). We play along, and let the paste onto our palate. It kicks in, roping us into the space story. It’s a mint washed, rum spiked and chamomile flavoured agar-agar base that takes 48-hours to prepare. There’s an unusual pop to it. “I added absinthe too,” he laughs.
Pandya, we must mention who is not related to this writer, has created nine cocktails that takes inspiration from rooms in a house. “We had nine cocktails to represent each corner of the house. Someone joked that we missed the bathroom,” says the 29-year-old, a finance professional in Australia, who found his calling in cocktails after working a few gigs at high-profile events such as the Australian Open and Formula 1. In 2018, he joined Left Bank Melbourne as a barback.
Today, his bar language has evolved into making drinks his guests can relate to. “I want you to go home and try making it,” he expresses. After Dinner is founded by Twinkle Keswani, Chef Rohan D'Souza, and Daniel Lobo. Keswani and D’Souza also own Pisco by the Beach, Cafe Montagne, Halo, The Backwaters, Blue Turtle, and Lazy Goose, envisioned the bar to feel like an extension of an inviting living room by the sea. They roped in Sheldon Pereira and Rahul Thakkar of Right Brain Design to bring the space to life. With a statement vintage bar done up in reclaimed wood and local ceramics, the seating is comfy sofas, printed cosy cushions to sink into and aesthetic home décor, all understated under the dim yellow lighting. Fancy and warm, the showstopper is the large open windows that open into an uninterrupted view of the sea.
After cleansing our palate with the ‘toothpaste’, obviously it is time for some coffee from the study. Coffee Sour is a clarified cocktail that has company of Plantation, a Jamaican rum aged in pineapple barks for three months, white rum and orange juice and coffee. The Jamaican rum comes forth smoothly, lending the cocktail a mildly sweet, tropical flavour. “Rum is extremely underrated, and I am using a list of my favourite rums here,” Pandya explains. The drink is garnished with a Tiramisu ladyfinger, piping of cream and orange peel. Unlike a coffee martini, the punch of coffee is tamed in the clarification process. Sessionable and easy, we end up reordering it during the course of the night.
Our first bite of the evening is Parmesan Cracker with Spicy Beetroot and Shallot. This easy sounding dish has complex layers of taste and texture. The acidity of grape tartare, the mushy comfort of avocado puree and umami of balsamic caviar. The beetroot is pickled, and leaves a sharp bite.
The food menu has chef-founder Rohan Dsouza’s culinary magic at its best. In a side chat, he tells us that he was mindful that the guests would have already eaten their main meal. “In a late-night format, the food must support the cocktails, and bridge the gap with light faring options between cocktails and the last meal. We are by the beach and humidity levels are high. Technically, you need something very refreshing, very high in moisture to hold the fort for long hours. Also, in terms of flavour, not too spicy, not too sweet, just a gentle hint of umami,” says Dsouza.
He also had to factor in the point that food gets soggy by the beach. “Most of our prep is last minute and designed to sit on the table long, as it is something guests will reach for between sips. Even our Profiteroles have a crisper coating to accommodate the humid conditions,” Dsouza explains.
Next up is Pandan Negroni inspired by the bedroom. Gin, Campari and housemade Pandan liquor, that gives the bitterness a vegetally sweet finish. The drink is clean, and evolves as the block of ice melts.
Pandya’s execution is simple and pays attention to technique and craft, relying on techniques such as clarification and sous vide. “Where four to five ingredients are enough, I won’t use 10. I make select batch liqueurs, including pandan and banana,” he says.
The bar bites between sips are easy to eat with our hands, and get our equal attention. We love the Mille Feuille of Chilled Salmon and Watermelon Tartar (Rs 475) for its creamy radish mayo, dill cream and cheese with a hint of pickle.
The Cheddar Cheese & Crackers come spiced with fig and grape chutney, and popcorn to cut through the acidity. The Irani mutton keema samosa is folded in a puff pastry and topped with a blob of eggplant dip and pistachio dust. The keema inside is cooked in a desi style, retaining the overall punch of the classic. The presentation is smart execution for the diverse crowd. While the cocktails are great in concept, some of them could do with a restraining order on the sweetness levels. Lollipops and Rainbows is inspired by a child’s room and served on a little teddy bear, but is too sweet for our liking. Same is the case with Banana Pancakes made from a homemade banana liqueur and garnished with mini pancakes.
We turn our attention to Something Saucy from the bedroom that sizzles with a hot sauce-infused tequila, Cointreau, coconut water, and pineapple. Pandya’s creative interest in garnishes gives the drink a robust pop of coconut plus kachampulli (a Coorgi souring agent) caviar.
We dig into Old School Tempura Sichuan Pepper River Prawn, a spicy soy-ginger and seabuckthorn dressing. The Living Room Chicken Hot Dog Brioche Buns with sauerkraut is another non-fussy, comfort bite in between cocktails.
According to Dsouza, the food is designed to complement the cocktails. “Harsh is playing with very mild ingredients like pandan leaf. Something as bold as chicken wings would break the link. I would say it was more palate cleanser food,” says Dsouza.
The Tiramisu in the dessert section can give the stiffest drink a run for its money. Served in small tea cups, it packs in a strong punch. The window extends into a hammock seating, offering an uninterrupted view of the sea. We plop ourselves to soak in the view as the night slows down. On the far left is Curlies, once the only OG party spot on Anjuna, drenched in a purple light. This awakens a mix-bag of memories – binge drinking on a budget, eating after party anda burji from the village women, and lying under the moonlight on the cold sand.
But we are not done yet. Pandya offers to make us an off the menu cocktail. We give him our picks: whisky. It’s a white negroni with a twist of orange bitter. Our house tour through the cocktails ends on a high note.
Address: Pisco By The Beach, St Michael Vaddo, Flea Market, Anjuna, Goa
Meal for two: INR 2,500
Timing: 9.30 pm onwards