Black Sheep Bistro – Goa

You simply can’t shun this little place called Black Sheep Bistro while walking down the street in downtown Panjim. With chic and serene dark brown interiors, it seems like one of those places of Hollywood sitcoms where friends meet and chill. Black Sheep Bistro is one such place in Goa where you can go after work for a couple of drinks (and of course food). Set up in a 100-year-old Portuguese house and at present open only for dinner, the Black Sheep Bistro serves fusion and contemporary cuisine at affordable prices.

A heart-warming welcome to every guest by Prahlad and Sabreen Sukhtankar — the owners of BSB — leaves the diners elated for the rest of the evening with a feeling of comfort and calmness. I sat on a high stool in a corner of the bistro for my food tasting. Not being spoilt for choice as the food menu is a bit restricted, my evening started with glass of a cocktail Dill Fling, a chilled well balanced drink of vodka with fresh cucumber juice and egg whites froth. Black Sheep Bistro also offers the largest selection of local and international wines available by the glass in the city. Or else if you are like me, you can have handcrafted fun beverages with fresh seasonal ingredients. Prahlad, a certified sommelier, has decked up the bistro with wine racks and bottles all over. So that and the light groovy music playing at the background makes you feel transported to another world.

The next to arrive was rabiola, an exotic salad with zucchini, roasted bell peppers, cheese and homemade orange marmalade for garnishing and it tasted as delectable as it looked. Chicken wings with a tandoori rub were crisp on the outside and juicy inside with just the right combination of chilli-mayo dip. With an aim to promote healthy habits and low carbon footprint, Prahlad and Sabreen Sukhtankar, try to source the ingredients from within 100 kilometers of the city. They also have “farm to table” philosophy of sourcing and supporting fresh local produce and fish that is appropriate for the season.

After an impressive start of cocktails and appetizers, I had high expectations of the main course. In the meanwhile, Prahlad and Sabreen Sukhtankar told that they aren’t much fond of authentic food and preferred not to follow any rules, but would rather amalgamate what has inspired them from the places they have visited and customize the food that would suit the Indian palate. My main course arrived within 10 minutes – Chonak fish (a local Goan variety) with orange beurre blanc served with grilled veggies and mashed potatoes, was succulent and delicate in flavour. But I had to struggle a bit with grilled chicken that was served with thick mustard gravy and crisp potato wedges and veggies.

Moving on to desserts, their Tart PC is the most well-liked one right now. The freshly baked pineapple-coconut tart that looked similar to a quiche and tasted just like Pina Colada was served with vanilla ice cream.  

The owners are really courteous as they take orders and lend a hand to the chefs in the kitchen and bar. And hey, they are also willing to customise a meal for you to make your experience worthwhile.

Where:  Black Sheep Bistro, Swami Vivekanand Road, next to ICICI Bank, Panjim, Goa
Time: 7-11pm
Cost for two: Rs 1,500 Approx