Sunday Brunch At St Regis Goa's Miri Restaurant Is Culinary Excellence And South Goan Warmth Served Fresh

I've never quite fit into the category of morning bird or night owl. For me, afternoons are when the magic happens. And when those daylight hours are spent in Goa, the merriment triples. It may be my Goan bias talking here but there's nothing quite like spending a sunny afternoon in the sunshine state. The air is crisp, the sky is clear and the greenery abounds. That fact is proved well and truly at St Regis Goa's Sunday brunch which is held at their newly launched restaurant Miri. On this edition of #SheSays, I am pleased to report that it is Goan charm served with polish and panache, in the signature style that St Regis is globally renowned for.

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Less than a year old, St Regis has expanded its presence with its premier resort in India in none other than gorgeous Goa. Situated in the lively district of Mobor in South Goa, the resort welcomes guests with a koi pond, turtle pool and running waterfall at the lobby; bringing Goa's famous water bodies into the luxury scape indoors. Spread across an expansive property of 49 acres, St Regis Goa features glorious villas, plush gold courses, a host of premium restaurants, a newly renovated swimming pool and lotus ponds as far as the eye can see. Miri, the resort's Goan restaurant whose name translates to pepper in Konkani, prides itself as the newest launch in the crown that is the St Regis. With gleaming white interiors, the sprawling restaurant also features its own bar, a patisserie and theatrical kitchens throughout the space decked with massive windows, which you can spot the sparkling blue pool from.

Music, song and dance are what turn a meal into brunch. Otherwise, it's just lunch.  Where there's a lively Goan feast, there's a live band. And Miri's Sunday brunch was a special kind of feast altogether. The musical notes and smooth crooning of their band spread across the room, making it hard to resist getting on your feet and moving onto the floor to shake a leg.

With counter after counter laden with cuisines from every corner of the world, the variety of food is expansive to say the least. The usual suspects of Goan cuisine like sorpotel and ross omlette were very much present and take it from me, delightfully authentic in flavour served most luxuriously. As a Goan at a buffet serving my very native cuisine, the pleasant surprise came when I found the quietly delicious likes of prawn balchao, roulade and grilled fish find a seat of pride at the counter. It's a delight to see hidden gems of Goan cuisine finally find a much-deserved spot on the menu.

If you love Asian food, you're in luck as an entire section of the buffet is dedicated to pan Asian fare. Like a culinary trip across Asia for your tastebuds, it featured steaming hot specialty dumplings, hibachi grilled salmon with smokey notes and even a DIY khow suey station where one could whip up their own bowl of curried noodles with garnishing. Given the popularity of Japanese fare, a dedicated sushi station was a given. Possibly a favourite of the crowd, the nori-wrapped bundles were running out as quick as the blink of an eye. While Scottish salmon and shimmering tuna were delightfully fresh, vegetarian sushi ensured that no one felt left out.

Walk further into the corridors of the restaurant and you'll find that the counters of food still keep going. It's comforting to know that even if you aren't fond of experimentation, Indian staples like dal, rice and biryani are present to tuck into if you're playing safe with your stomach. A stretch of your arm's length away is a European area, which offered the most divinely fresh seafood salad and tuna aioli you could set your sights on.

But it wouldn't be a Sunday brunch, in Goa especially, without a bar, now would it? That's why the Miri Bar, is a flocked-to spot within the restaurant. Local cocktails like the Konkan Old Fashioned and Estuary made with Dukshiri feni are up for a swig with classics like martinis and margaritas available on request. Teetotallers need not worry as detox waters and fresh juices can be turned to as well.

The in-house patisserie is good enough to be a cafe in its own right. Fondly referred to as the Sugar Factory, it's the very first sight you will set your eyes on when you enter the restaurant and it probably won't leave your mind throughout the meal. Looking like something conjured up by Willy Wonka, the dessert section will definitely cast a spell on you. Its incredible offerings of macarons, fruit pastries, mousses, cakes and tarts with a light sprinkling of traditional Goan sweets in between, is a sweet treat. The highlight however is a chocolate fountain, which the Trevi fountain will pale in comparison to. Beside it are cheeses, fruits and cakes with their prime dipping potential.

For many, Sunday Brunch is a meal. At St Regis Goa's Miri, it's a celebration of Goan flavours and continental fare spread across the afternoon. The diverse cuisines are a treat for every food lover set in the most luxurious of ambiances. Piqued with wine, dance and song, there's no better plan for a Sunday afternoon when you're in Goa.

In #SheSays, Dayle Pereira explores the sights, sounds, experiences and tastes of luxury hospitality at hotels and resorts, restaurants and hotspots all over the world.

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