Catch of the day

Menus that change daily. That's the current rage in the smartest restaurants in the gourmet capitals of the world. With the emphasis shifting from fussy food that's all frills to the lightest handling of fresh produce, most temples to fine dining are beginning to worship the menu dictated by the market place.Which is what Prasanna Shenoy has also set out to do at Konkan, his restaurant recently relocated to Frazer Town.He makes his visits to the fish markets, finds out what's freshest and then decides the menu for the day.It's written on a board and they also give you a print-out. On a day when the shellfish looks appealing there'll be mussels sukka (Rs 70) on offer and the next day it could be squid chilli fry (Rs 70) and sardine curry (Rs 30). Everything is utterly fresh, which is half the job done as far as seafood is concerned.They also change the style of cooking frequently. So, it's prawn balchao on one occasion and prawn pepper fry on another. The Shenoys are especially proud of their Konkan special prawns which is very good, if of a rather vivid hue. That's available most days of the week.Konkan's cooks also handle the delicate kane or ladyfish with an expert touch, the right amount of masala and cooked just right. Ask for the masala fry, the rawa-coating masks some of the wonderful flavour of fish. Sardines and silver fish, vastly underrated and avoided by most restaurants, come into their own at Konkan where they know their seafood only too well.If you are allergic to fish, then there are mutton and chicken dishes to choose from. The mutton pepper fry (Rs 55) is most satisfying, with plenty of chopped capsicum thrown in. The Mangalorean speciality of kori-roti or crisp rotis with the chicken gravy (Rs 60) is on offer as are chicken ghee roast (Rs 70) and special chicken white curry (Rs 50). To accompany these dishes there are sannas, Mangalore's own version of idlis, and neer dosa.But if you want the real Konkan experience then the red boiled rice with the fish curry is what you must have. The plump rice, full of goodness and flavour, absorbs the silken, coconut-based gravy and makes a robust meal. Konkan also has a splendid home-style pickle to perk up the fish curry and rice.For the in-a-hurry office crowd Konkan serves mini meals for lunch Monday to Friday. There's a basic veg meal (Rs 25), fish meals (Rs 35) and chicken meals (Rs 35). Though there is a small section of the menu devoted to vegetarian food, it really doesn't make much sense for pure vegetarians to eat here unless they absolutely adore red cucumber curry.With its passionate approach to seafood and traditional cooking styles, it's food rather than the packaging that takes precedence at Konkan. This family restaurant offers a very nice view of the street (Coles Road-Wheeler Road) but very little else in the form of trappings. There's an excellent kokum juice and sol kadi for beverages, but no alcohol. But if you fancy a beer before you're fish curry and rice, you might consider a brief stop at Sherlock Holmes, the pub which is virtually next door.(Konkan, 3 Wheeler Road - Coles Road Junction, Frazer Town. Phone 5066613.)