It’s French, so don’t go expecting the can can, snootywaiters and Bridget Bardot. Instead you are more likely to meet MorganRainforth , a Welsh-French national who will greet you with an Indian accentand invite you to partake some of the fare at his restaurant La Plage locatedat Ashvem. He along with Florence Tarbouriech and SergeLozano started off in 2002 serving breakfast and lunch. With six tables then,it gained popularity over a period of time and is today one of the more popularshacks in that area. An abundance of deck chairs, soft jazz and eclectic Frenchcuisine makes it possibly the only shack where you need to reserve your tablein advance.
For Rainforth, Manager and chef, the clientele at La Plageis a reflection of the tourists that come to the area. It is not unusual tofind Russians, domestic tourists and locals savoring French cuisine. He says “We have a lot of families that comeover and we keep our rates reasonable. We welcome everyone and our clientele isusually an interesting mix. It can be the backpacker on one table and a localbusiness magnate on the next. “According to Morgan celebrities like AmitabhBhachan, Jeremy Irons, Yuvraj Singh, Kate Moss and Akshay Kumar have frequentedthe place.
According to a customer, the average bill for two starters,main course and a round of drinks can come to approximately Rs. 1500. Butaccording to Morgan the average bill is pegged around Rs.850 per head whichincludes alcohol. With 170 chairs now, the outlet entertains approximately600-800 clients everyday. The tuna fillet is specialty of the place and Morgankeeps a close eye on the quality of the dishes served. Fish is purchased at Margoa, mussels fromChapora and it has been like that for years, he says.
For Morgan the dishes served signify French cuisine , looknice and more importantly taste good. The flavor, Morgan say’s has to comethrough. For the crew at the restaurant, Sunday afternoon is usually verybusy.
The outlet is shut between the months of April and Novembergiving the staff that come from all over India, time to rejuvenate as theirworking day starts at 8.30 am and winds up at 10 pm. As Morgan puts it, we are happy with what wedo and would like to continue creating our signature dishes with the style weare used to.
