At Viva Goa, authenticity sometimes trumps taste

Comments (0) By Jonathan Kauffman Wednesday, Sep 15 2010

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Kimberly Sandie

You can taste the confluence of Portugal and India in the beef assado.

Location Info

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Viva Goa

2420 Lombard
San Francisco, CA 94123

Category: Restaurant > Indian

Region: Marina/ Cow Hollow

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Details

2420 Lombard (at Scott), 440-2600, www.vivagoaindiancuisine.com. Lunch buffet 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; dinner 5-10 p.m. daily. Muni: 28, 43, 76. Reservations not required. Delivery available. Wheelchair access: easy to navigate. Noise level: moderate.

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I had the unexpected opportunity to taste it again. On the second visit, the waiters, who'd noticed my friend frowning over our plates, came around with more and more frequency as the night progressed, with each pass asking her how everything tasted. As an enticement to return, I think, they snuck a full order of chicken xacuti into our bag of leftovers. I was at home a few days later, looking for accompaniments to the Thai sticky rice I was cooking, when I discovered the freebie. One bite brought it all back — the elegant suggestion of sweetness, the coyly floral aroma. If I'd been cooking with an eye to culinary appropriateness, I suppose I should have taken the bamboo steamer off the stove and replaced it with a pot of cumin-laced basmati. But I was too hungry. And the chicken xacuti was too good to wait for. I enjoyed it all the same.