There’s a new-age group of senior citizens discovering new passions and rekindling their dreams with such renewed gusto that it puts the younger generations to shame.

One such woman is Smita Surendranath Blaggan, a 65-year-old restaurateur based in Goa who made her foray into the hospitality sector post retirement from her government job. Her Lake View restaurant is the labour of love of both her and her son Rohit (30).

Born in Karnataka’s Dharwad district, Smita is a Maharashtrian who married into a Punjabi family.

“With such a diverse family background, I have been exposed to so many cuisines and flavours,” she says.

She is well-versed in Punjabi, Goan, Konkani, Maharashtrian and now even world cuisine like Italian and continental. She ensures that all the masalas (spice mixes) are made by her. “When it comes to shopping for the ingredients, I do it myself. I do not cut corners; I only buy the best and freshest ingredients and vegetables. That makes such a difference to the flavour of each dish,” she adds.

A post shared by Smita’s Lake View Restau & Bar (@smitaslakeviewgoa)

Setting up the restaurant, however, has not been easy. “We started operations in March 2020, and before we even had time to settle in, there was a nationwide lockdown announced. The months that followed were spent in anxiousness and a sense of unease since we had no idea what to expect,” adds Rohit.

Good food to the rescue

The one thing that the mother-son duo was very confident about was delivering good food with great flavours. “We spent the lockdown months waiting to be able to serve people. Having always enjoyed cooking, I was sure that the food would draw people to us,” says a very confident Smita.

© The Better India