To Serve Us Better

I am writing after a long hiatus. Call it an amateur writer's block. Having commented vociferously on an article in the last 2 days, I feel compelled to write an article about it. The article in question can be found here: foodenthusiastsofdelhi.com/2011/11/nightmare-in-machan-taj-mahal-hotel-new.html. For those of you who feel too lazy to read it, it basically talks about the poor service standards in the coffee shop of one of the oldest and the most luxurious 5 star hotels of Delhi.

"Atithi Devo Bhava" is the oft quoted line in the Incredible India campaign. Loosely translated, it means that the guest is god. I feel that off-late, we have moved away from this motto. I can understand this in other aspects of life, but deviation from this in the hospitality industry is unpardonable. Being fond of eating out, I have seen both sides of the coin as far as service is concerned. Let me give you a couple of examples to highlight this.

First, is a good one. A while back, I visited Pickwick's in Claridges, Aurangzeb Road. Dad and I took the buffet and realized that the deserts were not as cold as they should have been. Now, this is a problem which a lot of buffets face, though establishments are beginning to learn how to tackle it. In the comments card, I mentioned that the deserts were not up to the mark as far as their temperature was concerned. No-one likes a warm cheesecake! Having paid the bill, we were waiting for the change when the manager came to our table and asked us about the issue. On being told, he apologized profusely and gave us a huge (ginormous!) slice of  their famous 'corn cake'. It was on-the-house, ofcourse. We were stuffed, but were obliged to finish it because of the manager's appreciable gesture.

Now comes the ugly part. Recently, my parents visited Yoko Sizzlers in G.K.-II. Yoko, to establish itself, had been issuing a lot of discount deals on the new deal sites. Dad, never one to turn away from a good deal, bought the vouchers. They visited the restaurant for dinner one day and ordered a vegetarian sizzler. The menu said that the sizzler would have baby corn. To their surprise, they realized that instead of baby corn, they had cut-off pieces of "bhutta" and put it in the sizzler. It, ofcourse, was un-chewable. When my parents complained to the manager and asked for the chef, the manager was defiant and the chef unavailable for comment. They refused to finish their meal and settled their bill and wrote a scathing comment in the comments card. A few days later, my mother got a call from the manager and arrogantly (rudely too) started questioning the comments which she had written. On being badgered further, my mother told him that we would not be visiting the restaurant again. To her shock, the manager's reply was, and I am quoting him verbatim here:" Don't worry madam, we do not want customers like you visiting our restaurant!" Imagine that! I will not bore you with the rest of the story where the owner/MD called us and offered us a free meal. Needless to say, we have never visited this place again.

Restaurants and even shops have moved away from the one rule of customer service: "Customer is always right". I have faced it all, very good service where the manager comes and asks us how the food was and appalling service where the chef tried to pass off a cheesecake gone bad as the original thing (Radisson MBD, Noida). What they have forgotten is that even if your food is spectacular, bad service will always lose you customers. Eating out is a complete package experience. You spoil one part of the package and one will never-ever go there. There have been places that serve brilliant food but I refuse to go there since the service is pathetic.

The posh restaurants have this habit of treating their customers in a way that makes them feel unworthy of being there. The attitude of waiters is such that we should be in their place and they in ours. Remember, your restaurant will do well only if you have customers there, no matter how posh it is. We should learn from hotels and restaurants in South-East Asia where the service is always welcoming, the servers/attendants always smiling and willing to engage in a conversation with you irrespective of the language barrier and your affordability. At the Sheraton in Langkawi, the bellboy/girl namaste-ed me every time I entered the hotel, which was about 5 times in 30 minutes on one occasion. The shop attendants and waiters in Malaysia and Indonesia were always smiling and engaging in a conversation with you about bollywood!

I will leave you now and hope that the service standards improve and reach what we were famous for!

Food Hybrid

Hybrid cars are all the rage in the West. It's fashionable to drive one and fashionable to own one. In India though, hybrid cars have not caught on. This blog is not about cars. It's about food. While the West might have the lead in environmentally friendly hybrid cars, they are way behind us in hybrid food. Yes, you got that right, HYBRID FOOD.

Now if you know your mythical creatures, you would know that some famous hybrids in mythical stories have been minotaurs, mermaids, Typhon, Shedu etc. While some hybrid foods can be identified as the beautiful mermaids, some of it can be called an ugly minotaur, some downright weird like Typhon and some look like the love-child of a minotaur and Typhon (More of these and it'll surely be the end of the world).

What is it with hybrid foods in India? We have made a hybrid of possibly all the popular cuisines in the world except French. We are known for our hospitality. We make our guests feel at home and feel equal if not greater than us. That can be said about the different cuisines that have visited us from abroad and stayed here. Chinese? Italian? The ubiquitous American? We are also witnesses of the love-childs of these cuisines. Thus, we play cupid as well. Chilli-paneer/chicken pizza, pasta do exist. Remember the Typhos and minotaur love child? That's them. Yes, you can think who will eat that, but I know you have. Come on, admit it! I have too. This is like my confession in the Food Church. Forgive me Father, for I have sinned.

We take out our hatred of the Chinese on their food. How could you even try to wage a war on us, usurp our territory and create an unrest? We will bastardize your food. Chin-jabi has become all the rage. Believe it or not, there actually is a restaurant by that name in Delhi. Wontons, spring rolls, drums of heaven, sweet corn, manchow, manchurian, chilli chicken/paneer, they are all brown, oriental children roaming our streets. Manchurian was invented by Nelson Wang, the Mumbai restauratuer for a dinner in CCI. He said he was inspired by the Indian dish of kofta and instead of adding the garam masala, he added soya sauce. Chinese chat has suddenly started springing up everywhere. I haven't tasted it though and I am unlikely to try it, even though I am an adventurous eater. I will take noted food columnist, Vir Sanghvi's advice on this when he very simply stated, "it doesn't taste good."

Pizzas have differed not only in their toppings but also in their crusts. Seekh kabab pizzas, paneer el-rancho pizzas, they are all the not so good looking mermaids. Their crusts are more often than not tasteless, greasy and rubbery. The pastas, well they are the minotaurs. Chilli chicken pasta? Tandoori chicken pasta? I feel Don Corleone would have spun in his grave like a top! The shawarmas here, are well, another story all together. Greasy with unidentifiable bits of meat stuffed in them love their parents, the minotaur and Typhos. Although, again I confess, I used to gobble them up in my first few years of college when money was hard to come by.

I understand the need for these hybrids. We are very fussy eaters and our food differs greatly from the other cuisines of the world. One of the chief culprits in this regard are the fast-food chains. To increase their profits in a market which boasts of a billion people, they have introduced flavors and variations which have been made to suit Indian tastes. The only way that they can become popular here is if we make some changes to it to suit the common man's palette. A lot of people won't be happy with sticky rice or the original Italian pastas which don't necessarily drown in sauce. Not many here like their pasta al-dente. But pizzas should not be messed with. Naan pizzas, parantha pizzas are abominations and the sooner we get rid of them, the better.

I am not against hybrid food, I find it fascinating. Some people swear by it, I understand it and find it okay (though I do sneer at people when they say they prefer the chinese found here than in China). Mughlai or North Indian food just about edges out Chin-jabi  in popularity. Chinese tourists who visit India come in bus loads to eat at a very popular Chinese restaurant here, which, lets just say serves a milder form of Chin-jabi. They really seem to enjoy the food. It has become so popular, that a restaurant has opened in Shanghai that serves chin-jabi.

Manchurian and American Chopsuey anyone? Or would you prefer a chicken tikka rissotto?

Food From our Masters

India experienced globalization much before the word was even coined and made a part of the English dictionary. Due to our lack of cohesion and unity, we were trampled over by many dynasties and races. Notable amongst them, the Persians, the Uzbeks, Portuguese, Afghans and the British. The British were the worst amongst the lot. Most came here for our wealth and a rich reservoir of spices. However, we have to thank them for shaping our culinary history and determining the food we eat and love today.

Not only the dishes, but also a large varieties of the vegetables we eat today have been imports which were not known; let alone grown in India prior to foreign rule. Imagine Indian cooking without tomatoes? Hard, right? No butter chicken, dal makhni etc. It would certainly be a dark and depressing world without it. We have the Portuguese to thank for making the base of all our cuisines from the North to the South. Potatoes also, were introduced by the Portuguese. Frankly, I love the Portuguese for this. Anyone who has read my previous posts would know about my love for potatoes. Onion, garlic, cauliflower, okra, bitter gourd, all introduced by the foreign rulers. This makes me wonder, what did we eat before this? Rocks, mud, leaves?

We ruled the roost as far as spices were concerned, but the essential spices in our food? Fenugreek, coriander and chilli peppers came from Iraq, North Africa and Latin America(possibly) respectively. I will repeat what I said earlier, can we imagine what we ate before these spices? Mirchi, Dhania (powder as well as fresh) and Methi are as integral a part of Indian cuisine as salt and sugar. You love apples? They came from Kazakhstan, most probably imported by the Mughals. Water Melon was bought in donkey-loads by Babar, the founder of the Mughal dynasty in India. Oranges? The Portuguese are at it again.

Now, this was only the raw food. The cooked items have been tremendously influenced by the rulers. Do you love the stews found in North and South India? Influenced from the Middle East. In fact, the mutton stew that we all love is a spicier version of the Iranian 'Istu'. Biryani? Middle East again though it has been adapted and modified brilliantly in the different regions of India. Quorma? Middle East. The kofta, in all it's shapes and sizes resembles the Persian dish of Kufteh Tabrizi named after the city Tabrizi in Azerbaijan. Roasting meat on skewers also seems to be a habit influenced from the Middle East. Many of you will be surprised to know that the Jalebis originated in Jordan. Though it was served as one big desert. Almost the same size as a cake.

The British have relatively less influence on our food, surprising, considering the fact that they ruled us for a long time. But, probably because they were more interested in exporting than importing. If I was British, I would be writing an article about how Indian food has influenced British cuisine. Mulligatwany soup is probably the most famous food item that has been born out of British influence. They have influenced our bakery system though. Most of the traditional bakeries running in the hill stations, according to me, have been influenced by traditional British bakeries. The hill stations used to be summer vacation resorts for the British and they probably wanted the same tea and scones experience that they had in the good ol' Blighty.

So curse the invaders, lament the fact that we were run over and plundered by them, but thank them for the culinary heritage that they left behind!

The Secret Ingredient

How many of you have seen Kung-fu Panda? Remember Po's father's secret ingredient soup? For those who haven't let me bring you up to speed. Po is a clumsy panda working in his father's noodle shop. One of the items there, which is the hot favorite, is said to have a secret ingredient which has been handed over from one generation of Po's family to another. His father tells him that once he takes over the business, he will be told all about the secret ingredient. The story then moves on and becomes a classic bollywood-esque coming of age tale. We again get back to the topic of the secret ingredient towards the climax when his father whispers to him that there is no secret ingredient in the soup, none at all. It is this supposed story of a secret ingredient that created the myth of it being something more delicious than the other just-delicious items of the shop. It is the reputation of the secret ingredient.

Delhi is an old city. It is a complete foodie's city, with delicious and fabled items that have been made there for generations by either the same people or by their son's, nephews etc. Every nook and cranny of Delhi has some restaurant or shop or food cart that has been making something for years and has gained legendary status. They've built a solid reputation amongst the citizens of this city who, according to me, are amongst the most discerning foodies in India.

Sadly, it is this reputation that has been the downfall of those once fabled places. Forgive me for trashing some of your favorite places but this is something which has to be done. These fabled places have lost what they were once famous for and are now riding the gravy train. Though mind you, not all of the old and reputed places are bad, some are still good. This blog is against those who are just relying on their reputation now and taking other things for granted.

Let me start out with Moti Mahal, the legendary chain which started the butter chicken revolution. Sadly, now, it can only talk the talk but cannot walk the walk. Just about average food, with appalling service and exorbitant prices. Oh, and did I mention that in their GK-1 joint, you get a free side of cockroaches? Their butter chicken is so-so, but I can tell you of many other places which serve tremendously better butter chicken. Al-bake in New Friends Colony according to me has the best butter chicken in Delhi. Gola Sizzlers in Defence Colony has awesome butter chicken and so does Mughals in New Friends Colony for take-away. In the same vein, the food at stalwarts Embassy and Gaylord is overpriced and mediocre at best. Aap ki Khatir which, once, was such a crowd puller that they used to run out of food by 9.30 pm, now is over-priced and a joke.

Khan Chacha in Khan Market has ruled the roll segment for decades. They have now shifted to a swankier residence in Khan Market. I remember going there for the first time in 2004. The rolls there were below average. I came back puzzled and doubting my taste buds for not liking something which the whole of Delhi raves about. At a recent outing in their swanky new outlet, 3 rolls (2 mutton and 1 paneer) cost an exorbitant 400 bucks. These rolls were ordinary, not of legendary status. If you want to eat legendary rolls try Salims which has now shifted to Defence Colony. Try Qureshis opposite Don Bosco School. Aunty Rolls in Alaknanda Market, just behind the telephone box makes excellent rolls.

Parathas near the Moolchand flyover are abysmal. Slightly overpriced for the whole experience, I would much rather have home cooked parathas. Try the parathas at the dumpster near Nizamuddin Railway Station. They are good and really really cheap. Chaat at South Extension market and at Prince Pan is a rip off and again mediocre at best. Nathu's, while hiking it's prices, has downgraded the quality and quantity of the food it serves. One place that gave me a lot of joy when I was a kid, Nirula's now just disappoints me. Once a pioneer of the ripped-off 'Big Boy Burger' and pizzas, it is a mere shadow of it's once behemoth self. Saravana Bhavan is one such gut-wrenching disappointment.

It is important for these places to realize that reputation, while important, is not the be-all and end-all of the restaurant business. They need to make good food to keep the reputation that their founders worked very hard for. Its easier to lose a reputation than to earn it and once its lost, it can be very-very hard to regain.

Though, all is not lost, some places like Kareem, Natraj, Changezi Chicken Corner, Wenger's and Maxim's still live up to their reputation of serving truly incredible food for generations. It is only a matter of what one's priorities are and these places have stuck to providing good food, which is the engine room of any good restaurant.

PS: I have not been paid for praising restaurants and institutions here. This is just a reflection  of my thoughts and views. I might be wrong, I might be right. I would love to hear your opinions nevertheless.

Solanum Tuberosum

This definitely sounds like a spell in the Harry Potter series of book/movies. Imagine Harry is in a duel with the Dark Prince himself, Lord Voldemort. The duel is at it's peak, the viewers/readers are at the edge of their seats and then Harry screams: "Solanum Tuberosum". What do we see next, Harry and his nemesis sharing a plate of french fries/hash browns/blinis and forgetting what they were fighting about! What a great end to an epic(that's what some claim) series.

Intrigued about why they are eating such delicious things when they should be fighting? Well, solanum tuberosum is the Latin name of one vegetable that is truly and unequivocally loved by millions all over the world. POTATOES! Yes, that ugly rotten looking bastard that has been the sustenance point of millions and a base of cuisines all over the world. Everyone loves it, no one hates it. Every person on an average, according to a UN study, consumes about 33 kgs of potatoes annually! There is a friend of mine though, who dislikes potatoes. Let me tell you, my liking for her dropped a few notches after that.

Remember the "jab tak rahega samose mein aloo" song? It's only because of the aloos that I love the samosa. Let me confess, I am a full-blooded carnivore, I can eat anything that walks on God's green earth but if there is one thing for which I can ignore my carnivorous tendencies, it is the potato. There is no food which is more comforting and more satisfying than that.

Potato was first grown in the southern regions of Peru and introduced to the world by the Spaniards. No wonder that "Patatas Bravas" is one of the best avatars of potatoes in the world. I am pretty sure the Spanish Conquistadors were raving and going crazy about potatoes rather than El Dorado, the city of gold. The blessed vegetable, it is said, came to India some time in the 18th century and it has been residing in our hearts ever since.

Every cuisine in the world has it's own avatar of potato and it is delicious in it's own right. A number of cuisines in the world now are based on potatoes. Naturally, Peruvian cuisine is one such cuisine. The Irish people had a massive food crisis when potato imports to their country were hampered by World War II. Probably Hitler understood the importance of potatoes and was really, really fond of Himmel und erde which very successfully combines potatoes, bacon, apples and onion. The British have their very own 'bangers and mash', roast potatoes and 'shepherd's pie'.

The French have made one potato creation, the most popular in the whole world, the 'pomme frites'. French fries are devoured and loved all over the world. Nothing beats well made fries, though I would advise you to stay away from the McDonalds' mass variety ones. The Russians have 'blinis'.

We as Indians, love potatoes more than any other vegetable. Aloo paratha, jeera aloo, dum aloo, chops, samosas, aloo kachouries, aloo papads etc. I can go on forever. My personal favorite though is the Tandoori Aloo, barrels of potatoes stuffed with cottage cheese, nuts and spices. For this one thing, I can ignore chicken, mutton, pork and beef. This one dish has helped me get through some really rough times.

One of the main reasons for their popularity, according to me is their relatively simple and quick cooking procedure. It is tasty when it is cooked with the least number of ingredients. Also, it is cheap. Did I mention that it is nutritious too ? It is a good source of starch,vitamins, proteins and carbohydrates and in this inflation driven economy, one of the cheapest vegetables available. But do not write off this vegetable as a cheap one because even though it is normally cheap, a rare form of potato called 'la bonnotte' is usually sold for around Rs4500/kg. It is amongst the five most expensive foods of the world.

I won't keep you any longer now. Go to the market,  buy some potatoes and cook and eat them the way you like it.

PS: I thought that to keep you, my readers more involved, I would run a poll on what is your favorite potato avatar. Leave a comment on this blog or email me on: uditmaheshwari18@gmail.com or text me on:+919811836692.

Judge a Book by it's Cover

The famous quotation says otherwise. But, in today's materialistic, busy world, why not? I am a firm believer in the fact that we first judge by sight, that's what makes the first impression. As is said, first impression is the last impression. Same for people, same for food. A picture speaks a thousand words? Applies to food too.

I was seeing celebrated chef Vineet Bhatia's show on Fox History and Entertainment, "Twist of Taste". Frankly, I was disappointed. From a chef who is responsible for giving us the revered Rasoi Vineet Bhatia in London, I expected much, much more (Unfortunately, I haven't had the pleasure of eating there, but I have read about the food, seen the pictures and read the reviews. Normally, not one to rely on customer-reviews, the food looks and sounds delicious. It dares to do something different with Indian food.) But, I digress. His variations with indian classics were too simplistic and too obvious. Maybe it was meant to cater to people cooking at home, maybe it wasn't. And again, I digress. (ADD is to blame I guess)

Why that show made me write this blog is the way the food was presented. The presentation of the food literally made me salivate. For desert, he made a cage of jalebis and put kulfi in it! He made something so simple, look so avant garde.

In contrast, Indian food, has long-since suffered from poor presentation. I am a firm believer in the quote that "we eat with all five senses". When the waiter brings you your food, you just don't jump into the bowl, you see it first. Hence, your vision is used. At about the same time, you smell the food, your sense of smell is used. When you eat it, it arouses your taste buds.  Hearing and touch, also play a huge role. Nothing beats the feel of a crispy roti or a nan or the cracking open of a bone and the sound that it makes!

But eating comes at a much later stage. What sets the first impression is the sight. Indian food, is amongst the most delicate cuisines in the world. Yes, some of the flavors are bold, but hidden under those bold flavors are some very delicate, subtle flavors. So why is this delicate food presented in such an un-delicate manner? Indian food is more often than not serve in a haphazard and chaotic manner. Chicken tikka haphazardly spread out between a few spoonfuls of kachumbar salad or the ubiquitous cucumber and tomato. Gravies unceremoniously dumped in a bowl, the dal dumped in a balti. Rotis stacked tall in a basket.

We are Indians, we eat Indian food all the time, we know how most of the Indian food tastes, hence presentation doesn't deter us from eating anywhere. However, for a person who is just introducing himself to the joys of Indian food, his first date; if we can call it that; will never be a good one. And we all know that we dress up the most for the first date and then relax afterwards as the number of dates keep increasing. How do we attract a person to our food if we present it to him like that?

I, for one, have suffered a lot due to this bad presentation. My household has seen a number of cooks come and go. Some have been good, some have been bad. Now, I know that most cooks who cook in our kitchens won't know a garnish from a "silpat", however, cooking vegetables to make them look appetizing is something which anyone who cooks should know. A lot of the cooks who cooked at my place made simple vegetables like cauliflower, ladyfinger, bitter gourd unappetizing. I have often quipped that bhindi, if cooked badly, looks like a lizard's tail, burnt (Now, we can all collectively puke). My eating out increased significantly during those cooks' reigns and decreased when cooks presented the food in a good way.

This is where Indian food loses out to other cuisines of the world and maybe some cuisines from Mars too. A rissotto is presented extremely delicately. Even the very simple and uncomplicated spaghetti and meatballs is made to look different from it's simplistic self by good presentation. French, we criticize for being too pretentious, however, they do know how to make their food presentable. They can make a simple "pommes frites" look bloody beautiful. We are 4th in world cuisines as far as popularity goes and we rank 54th in the world in the list of "haute cuisines". 54th! Good presentation can make us really jump up this list. Yes, Indian food can be "haute".

It doesn't take much to make food look good. Some fresh, evenly chopped corriander can go a long way. Use a squeezy bottle, the one people use for ketchups, to make patterns on the plate with gravies, chutneys etc. You can easily make a circular pattern with rice using a bowl or katori. You can use a "mandolin" (a type of knife, not the instrument) to make waffle shaped potato fries. Try it out.

But, I am not a professional cook, I won't preach to you or give you tips on how to present it well. Present it in a way that makes it look good. Use your own creativity. Let it be abstract, go crazy with it.

PS: Your food should still taste good, there are no two ways about it.

In the Mood for Adventure and the Lack Thereof

I might earn a few brickbats for saying this but I believe that we, as Indians, are a bunch of people who prefer to stick to safe and secure food and cuisines rather than venturing too much into a territory without a flashlight. Indeed, you see many Indian restaurants serving your usual malai tikka, dal makhni, laccha parantha fare. Even Italian or Chinese restaurants serve the usual fare. Very few Italian restaurants here serve "Gnocchi" and no one serves "Cannolis". Something as common as "pot stickers" are hardly seen in Chinese restaurants and again "bubble tea" isn't found here. No one dares to go beyond the regular fare. Call it being scared of taking risks and seeing their means of livelihood tank or just not knowing any better. However, if you do truly love food, just take one step beyond the ordinary and you will love it.

I used to be a very safe eater preferring to go to the tried and tested restaurants and ordering the same food which I eat every other weekend. My love for food has truly grown in the last 3 to 4 years which has resulted in me craving experimentation with my food. Sure, once in a while I do crave the good ol' stuff but more often than not, I am disappointed after the meal because I rue the missed chance of having tried out something new.

This obsession with trying out new things has resulted in me tasting some truly incredible food. I will try to describe a few of my experiments with food here. While on my month long trip to London, I encountered a farmer's market in Greenwich which had food from all corners of the world. I tried out some Turkish fare dished out by the good looking (ahem) Turkish sisters. The completely different Turkish pizza was one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten. It was a pizza crust stuffed with keema and rolled-up and stuffed with what can be called a kachumber salad. It was brilliant. While there, I also visited a beer and jazz festival which had a dark beer which had mint leaves and lemon in it and it was the most refreshing beer I have ever had. I also had a hog sandwich (hog meat grilled on a huge pit and marinated with honey and mustard and stuffed in a baguette). Once you have eaten hog meat, it'll be difficult to appreciate any other kind of meat. Sadly, it is not found anywhere in India.

Coming back to the something different food in India. Here the hunt for something different begins with another 'D", something difficult. My trysts with experimental food here has mostly been in food festivals. I recently attended a Bohra Muslim food festival. It has a huge Gujarati influence since most of the Bohra Muslims resided in Gujarat and specifically the Kutch region. The hara masala mutton was brilliant. I have hardly found such subtle and complex flavors in Indian food (that probably sounds like a paradox but it's true).

I also had Tajik food recently. Now this cuisine has probably hardly been eaten by anyone here and I am pretty sure there are no restaurants serving this. The dumplings, roasted vegetables in curd, the sambusek etc. were really really good. Special mention must go to the mutton quorma,which, with its delicate spices beats it's Indian counterparts anyday. The biryani and keema 'non' though good, were not very different from what we might have eaten here. Though, I would advise vegetarians to steer clear of this cuisine unless they are happy with grazing on very few vegetarian dishes, most of which consist of roasted vegetables.

Experimentation in Indian cuisine, specifically, cuisine of the South should be done by people who swear by the usual suspects the vadas, dosas and idlis. Try it. It'll knock your socks off. I used to vociferously malign Gujarati food though I must confess that a recent encounter with it tempered my indignation at it. It is probably the most balanced Indian cuisine.

Though I have to confess, not all my experimentation has turned out to be good. My experiments with Malaysian food were not good. I would not be running back there to try their version of 'thukpa' nor for their green colored dessert made from potatoes (yes, it's true). Their 'rendang' though, was something I would travel the world for. A dinner at a French restaurant; a cuisine which I have never eaten before; left me a little disappointed. The 'Quiche Lorraine' was the only redeeming part of the meal.

Try different food pairings. You never know what you might love. When I was a kid, we were hosting a dinner party and Dad made a vegetable, complete desi style, from artichokes. To this day, I regret frowning at that dish and not tasting it specially after our guests really praised the dish. Try a pineapple and pepperoni pizza, its good.

It makes me happy to see Russian, Irani and Afghani restaurants opening in the city I love. I like the fact that Lebanese restaurants are experimenting, Italian restaurants are serving pizzas without the overpowering marinara sauce. But still, a lot needs to be done.

Experiment, broaden your horizons, try something new every time you eat out. You never know what you might love.