Goa's culinary marriage of nostalgia and artistic expression
When food transforms into art, the humble plate becomes the canvas upon which the artist presents his masterpiece. For Chef Jason DeSouza, a white plate represents endless opportunities to create, innovate and captivate the senses with gastronomical delights.
With his love for food and passion to create art through cuisine, Chef Jason unveiled his first restaurant in Goa located in Candolim back in December and named it The White Plate after his muse.
A restaurateur, an entrepreneur and flavour savant extraordinaire, Chef Jason DeSouza embarked on his culinary journey with the Taj Group Hotels.
His meteoric rise to the youngest executive chef in the country was punctuated by stints with various luxury hospitality brands in India.
After being an alumnus of Le Cordon Bleu in London, Jason honed his craft in the famed kitchens of culinary royalty, Gordon Ramsay and Alain Ducasse.
At The White Plate, you are promised a one-of-a-kind culinary experience in Goa. Chef Jason mentions that for him fine dining is about elevating the senses. He says, “It’s a delicate harmony of textures, flavours and scents which come together – gently balanced to deliver an almost transcendental experience.
What is The White Plate all about?
A sneak peek into the highly-guarded and yet-to-be-revealed menu assures a feast for the senses, with exotic offerings from the world of molecular gastronomy.
Savoury olive oil snow, amsol foam, caviar made from honeysuckle and cider, kokum gels and ghee dust are just some of the alluring mentions that catch the eye.
What’s the idea behind Chef Jason’s menu?
The menu is an amalgamation of his heritage and experiences in the famed kitchens of culinary masters Alain Ducasse and Gordon Ramsey.
He mentions that from Gordon he learnt the nuances of building impeccable flavours, while Alain taught him about finesse and elevating dishes to the next level.
The White Plate brings to the plate a combination of these elements, accentuated by the nostalgic flavours of our own backyards.
Chef Jason explains that nostalgia can be a powerful tool within a culinary artist’s hands, capable of transporting one to places unknown and familiar at the same time.
A classic example would be corned veal tongue paired with edamame pearls and a kokum gel, which would simultaneously take one back to their grandma’s kitchen and to foreign lands in just one bite.
Pairing a kasundi caviar with a modern ratatouille traverses the distances between Kolkata and Paris in a single morsel.
His daring combination of deconstruction and reconstruction, spherified and cloaked in the mystery of scented smokes and beguiling aromas, urges food enthusiasts to explore the thrill of the unknown while basking in the soul-satisfying comfort of flavours familiar to our palates.