Set in the by lanes of Assagao, MAAI beautifully blends Portuguese design with enigmatic décor. Retaining the charm of the bygone era, the interiors of Maai are painted in a pale-yellow hue with classic Portuguese architecture and upcycled décor. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating areas The indoors has a more formal setting with wooden chairs and dining tables lined against Portuguese-style windows, elegant chandeliers, and longstem fans; the walls are adorned with plenty of paintings, vintage photographs that add a vibrance to the space. The outdoor seating is a whole other experience. A courtyard-style seating area, the space is furnished with lounge chairs and wooden benches, making it the perfect spot for a casual dining-out experience. While the ambience is unforgettable, the menu is even better.Maai is among one of the few restaurants to serve Portuguese-inspired dishes, and it does so by combining it with Indian and Western specialties by preparing the dishes with locally sourced spices and ingredients. The resulting curations represent a replication of home-cooked by mothers. Some of Chef Balaji’s personal recommendations on the menu include edamame hummus, pepper spiced mutton, beetroot galettes, raw banana cutlets, pan seared prawns and pepper spiced mutton. paddy field, Lollo Rosso features a large open area defined by earthy tones and naga bamboo furniture. The thriving green plants inside complement the abundant greens of the palm and other fruit bearing trees outside, setting the tone for a surreal culinary experience. While the space is predominantly neutral, it does get a fun pop of colour with the tropical jungle themed bar. The menu is all inclusive, although it does focus on South Asia cuisine presenting a variety of sushi, dim sums and bowls. The bowl meals, which come from over 15 different countries including Palestine, Santa Fe, Indonesia, Korea, Thailand, Greece, Turkey, and Burma. Each of these is inspired by the founders’ personal travel anecdotes and is created with careful consideration after conducting extensive research about their respective origins. To put into perspective, the Palestine bowl has garlic labneh, Fulmedames, zattar-grilled chicken/aubergine, the Santa Fe is filled with Adobo and Tomato sauce rice, and the Stroganov comes with mushroom and pepper sauce glazed chicken/lamb. A fun fact about the restaurant is that over 80 per cent of the raw materials used are imported from their local origins. The breakfast menu too is designed to include unique flavour profiles to give a completely different experience. Some must-try dishes include Palestinian Eggplant, Gochugaru and Sesame Chicken Little Bowl, Stroganov Bowl, Buffalo Chicken Sushi and the Indonesian Rendang Bowl. Pair these with their fine gourmet cocktails that complement beautifully, and you have a guaranteed trip to culinary heaven. Maai, Goa Revamping old Goan bungalows into a cosy restaurant is the hot new trend in Goa. And while many of these properties are fairly new or belong to the recent past, they hardly stand tall against the 120-year-old villa in Assagao, now known as Maai. Maai Maai Maai 44|L U X E B O O K|J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 |L U X E B O O K|45
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