Perspective for Lunch

My stomach churns. Literally. Any appetite that I might have built up or naturally occurring would shrink immediately. I have, unfortunately, reached this stage when it comes to lunch in office. I turn to Buddhism - have food to sustain the soul. Barely.

Well its not that bad.At least thats what I get told. I am offered perspectives. Think of all the hungry people in the world, who donot receive not a grain not a drop of water. And here you are bestowed with..with this. So stop cribbing and stop eating from my Lunch Box.

So I think I will try hard to describe my food with the suggested perspective - whats usually for lunch? Two pieces of lovely Indian Flat Bread prepared with a checkered baking technique, a healthy vegetable salad at suspicious levels of freshness, peas (usually) floating in a lissome gravy not to be confused with motor oil, fried and spiced vegetables in a slime gravy, white rice of a mysterious chalky variety with a distinctive unsettling character once ingested, more rice of same variety but rendered with tomato or soya infusing some character, a wonderful thin dal of such make and consistency only rivaled by dals in government hospitals, curd(yoghurt) diluted and re-diluted to ensure homoepathic consistency, salt water forgivably called 'rasam' and finally the actual and honest highpoint - fries which gets ruthlessly flicked off my plate by others deficient of food. The dessert is ok, strictly.

But there are alternatives. I can have some very boring sandwiches, fruits and some sprout salads.But there is a saving grace- a Manhattan Sandwich - entirely unrelated to the original Manhattan Sandwich. This double layered spicy mayo and vegie sandwich saves the day many a times. People visiting the Indian office from overseas, resort to this tried and tasted culinary marvel. But its not lunch.

So I had the best thing on offer today, a glass of sweet lime juice and some perspective. Those poor starving kids in other offices...

Hungry in Bangalore: Eat Street aka VVPuram – Bangalore's answer to Khau Galli

Took me 4 and half years to get here. Its like being in Agra and missing out the second best thing after the Taj Mahal in the food department. As you can see my metaphors have gotten worse after my hiatus.

Bangalore's answer to Mumbai's Khau gallis, both in crowd, taste and quantity Eat Street or Chat Street or Food Street or the original name VV Puram is a must visit. When asked by any guests what is the trademark, or distinctive street food of Bangalore – I would usually say Masala Puri or Gobi Manchuri (this isnt a chinese dish let me reiterate) or some Bhajjis (fritters for anglophones). I dare not say Dosa and idli cause thats best found in Bombay or the Bay Area and are just too usual fares. But the answer was right in the front of me for all these years here. Just point them to Eat Street.

People here have constantly mentioned this eat street, but in modest tones – never like the blatant chest thumping praises for Chowpatty. Its almost like as if Bangaloreans didnt want outsiders to know about this place. Too bad. We are invading this bastion too. Crowding your eat street and changing the way food is made. This is but natural, food sold is tailored to suit the crowds that eat which has changed from the past.

So after a jarring and eventful 1.5 hour search for this place guided by google maps, we realized its much better to chuck the gps and simply ask people for directions, we hit eat street with a vengence like titanic hitting a crowded well lit, good smelling iceberg which had a lot to offer than what was visible. I am going to stop with the metaphors now.

Immediately we saw a TV crew for a food programmed from TLC channel covering a shop – we were at the right place. We watched the shooting for a few minutes observing for clues which would help chalk up a strategy. A strategy, a plan is very ncessary when you attack. We were here to finish a mission in one night. So we broke it down; South Indian or Local, North Indian chats, the South Indian chinese, local dessert and then finally a drink probably followed by a kulfi and then weigh ourselves on the ruppee coin weigh machine.

1.South Indian – or local – we started with the variety dosas. This place is legendary for that. And the amount of crowds will tell you which spot to hit. The varieties are several, we had the chutney roast and th masala bhath dosa. Equally great and filling the chutney roast is a super crisp dosa layered with chutnyes and served with chutneys while the masala bhat is a masala dosa filled with masala rice and peanutes. We wanted to continue trying other varieties but there was so much to be tried. The same shop was selling 'Paddu' – dosa like balls served with a wonderful array of chutneys. Belle holige, nipattu and several other dishes lined the counters and were moving fast. But we had a plan tostick to

2.North Indian chats – apparently recent additions, these shops were also crammed with people looking for a taste of their origin. Wonderfully made North Indian chats like Kachori, dahi papdi and sweets alike had sated many cravings and we could see the crowd swelling by the minute. I loved the dahi papdi and it was distincly north indian taste – which is very much different from the local chat versions. Although the Pav Bhaji was a let down – affirming my belief that Pav Bhaji best be had in Mumbai. We wanted to have some more sweets – but the plan!

3.South Indian Chinese – pronunched 'chayneese'. It means 1 thing most of the time – Gobi Manchuri. Legend has it that some guy made it here and it became popular..yadayadayada. So we had a plate and it was OK. Not nice. Didnt live up to the praises heaped by some of my friends but perhaps he was having a bad day, but looking at the crowd he might be whipping out some mean chayneese usually.

4.Local Dessert – South Indian deserts are plenty, healthy and delightful. And what a delight we discovered – Gulkhand with ice cream and fruits. Dished out in one exclusive shop, swarming with people, the guys dishing it out seemed like they didnt want any more business. I would too given the endless hoarde of people screaming at you to give them this gooey goodness. Gulkhand is basically preserved rose petals, very healthy, and in combination with the butterscotch ice cream and cut up fruits it was amazing. I will be back, definitely.

Note to myself, wear belt a notch loose during such missions. Place for a drink, masala soda at the same shop. Kulfi at the marwadi sweet shop, yes please.

Literally with food upto our throats we trudged back to my bike. Our mission was not entirely successfull, betrayed by our limited appetites. We would be back, definitely to finish what we started.

Hungry in Mumbai: Carter Road, Bandra

As per the latest unofficial survey of the few people who were tortured by this blog, I should be hauled over coals, again. Apart from the usual travesties inflicted, my friends complain that I have failed to do justice to my home town of Bombay. After being adopted by Bangalore I seem to have forgotten my roots and sworn my allegiance to Vada Sambar over Vada Pav. To this I say, my home is where I charge my laptop.

My dull Republic day holiday evening was rescued by the Agnel College gang consisting of 2 other neo-Bangaloreans like me. For them there is only 1 place to hang out, the hang out to beat all hang outs in Mumbai - Bandra, which I unfortunately had done very less of hanging out.

So after much jostling for parking space we hit Carter's Blue for the awesome succulent shawarma, chiken tikka and paneer rolls. This is rolls the right way. I think this is the best I have ever had and I have had a lot. The Shawarma here is much better than the authentic Mediterranean wraps I had in california. I shall come again.

Dont get distracted by the aston martins, harleys and the lowly BMWs while you finish your friends rolls after you done yours. Next up, dosas. After suffering Bangalore's dosas - yes suffering cause face it after sometime what you eat everyday gets pedestrian, we wanted the Bombay version. Cheesed up and crisped out, non jain varieties and made by the trademarked bushy mustached fat Tamilian Anna plated up some Mysore Masala, more like Mumbai Masala. Good stuff.

OK now for some Momos. Dear stomach, I am gonna punish you today. We were disappointed with the poor attendance of celebrities. Anyways as a consolation we snapped up Dance India Dance judge Terence. If you dont recognize him dont fret, neither did Ankit who's expression was priceless.



Ok now what, frozen yoghurt. Seems to be all the rage with one shop crammed to max and a line snaking out into the road. I don't have homicidal tendencies, usually, but after standing in line for a frozen version of 'Shrikhand' if I have to wait behind girls who probably apply make up with a mop wondering what toppings they want only after reaching the counter, getting it piled and then asking them to make it again as the yoghurt wasn't Non Fat. Urge to kill rising...

Note to self, skip the frozen yoghurt stick to Kulfi.

11.30 and the streets were full of people having a good time, something I feel Bangalore lost out a few years ago. We head to Cafe Mocha, another college hang out and we proceed to order another cache of desserts. Time to loosen the belt one notch. Wonderful Apple Cinnamon Tea complimented the ungodly size of cake and Oreo Chocolate chip shake. All this while there was a DJ spinning tracks and happily taking requests.

In this particular visit I came to Mumbai with a pouring cloud on head. This city sure knows how to turn a frown upside down.

Yercaud: Poor Man's Ooty

What does one really want from a vacation. Usually a change from the routine. Some people like to 'chill'. But given that people working in IT are susceptible to lapsing into a coma given the super sedentary lifestyle, it would be nice if one can go stretch out ones limbs.

So we decided to chill some more by going to Yercaud lake in Tamil Nadu.

A wonderfully pleasant 4 hour drive away from Bangalore on Tamil Nadus silky smooth roads, you pass through Steel City Salem as you head upwards into Yercaud. There is nothing much to do here and frankly the poor man's Ooty moniker is deserved given well there isnt anything proper you would get to eat or dine upon unless you would want to splurge in the British era style resorts like the Grand Palace or the Regent Hill Side - which by the way has an opulent buffet.

So this is what you do - you go to the lake do some boating, shoot some arrows at everything apart from the targets, go to the points and vistas and you come back to your hotel room and not get drunk with some bad food, cause you dont get proper booze in this town. Not that I drink. But the best thing is there isnt the same maddening crowd as you could find in Ooty. For me thats good enough.

But as far as the whole chilling thing goes mission accomplished! And make sure on your way to and back, you have some proper South Indian style lunch in some of the nice restaurants on the way.

Would I go back here? Bike ride to Yercaud anyone?

Hungry in Bangalore: Ice N Spice, St Marks road (Guest Review by Karthik)

Guest Article by Karthik -

Situated in one of the most happening areas of this so called "Silicon Valley", Bangalore, lies my most beloved restaurant that goes by the name of 'Ice 'N Spice'. A title that very aptly describes LIFE as well. And yes, i find my very purpose for existence in here. GOOD FOOD.

Known primarily for its British, Italian, and Mexican cuisine the place also offers a few Indo-British (yeah you read that right! ) dishes which are no doubt, the chef's own creation. But good ones at that. The exquisite flavor, and the variety of the food makes the place quite a rage among the foodies!

I, personally being an aficionado of British cuisine( Steak, burgers, et. all) am a regular face over there. The ambience is quite good, and the music is just another reason to be present here. The Non veg steak being a specialty of theirs, is so well made and soft, that you wouldn't need a knife at all! And all this food talk is making me extremely hungry. Sadly I am miles away,and can only look forward for tomorrow to arrive.

A tad too expensive, the place does not have much to offer for the common man, hoping to find an 'Idli' or a 'Dosa' over here. What it does have, are the mouth watering Chicken Steak burgers that are embellished with Barbeque Sauce and oodles of Mayonnaise that comes with the classic potato chips as well. All in all a great combo, that makes for a very satisfying experience every single time i come here. With a large crowd present almost through out the day, the service is
is well...limited. But who cares as long as the food is worth it?

And I am off to make myself a midnight snack!

Until next time,
Bon Appétit!

Advice Animal - Avoid getting trapped by the Net

Internet addiction - digital dope of the masses now. Depriving millions from exercise, well rounded personalities and 20/20 vision over the past decade. Sporadically recognized as a problem, this personal vice is affecting people with alarming pace and magnitude.

After alarm bells were set off by my junior who apparently spent a huge part of the day on the internet, consciously ignoring more time on this vice, I decided to write the following mail addressed to both of us.


I noticed your computer usage is largely unproductive in nature and now that your student life is coming to an end, there has to be a drastic correction for your own significant benefit. Trust me, I am speaking looking back at my own and others mistakes.

Somedays I would be surfing FaceBook and share sites the whole day. The brain just happens to tune out of anything 'work' related. I read stupid jokes and forwards and procrastinate on things till the last minute when I would work through the night to complete things. I wonder why would I knowingly while away time so very very unproductively. Its scientific probably. We get so used to this habit of instant and constant internet stimulation that we rewire our brain to seek out this artificial hit of dopamine. Much like nicotine.

If one writes down what he/she has done the entire day they would realize how much value that day had and was lost. By value I dont mean constant productivity, watching a cooking show would teach you something new too. As long as you have your priorities right, you would know what is worth the valuable time spent. But this is very difficult, I guess only Buddhist monks can be the true practitioners of this wisdom - knowing what really matters. I am guilty of not practicing what I type.

Since you are not a monk, lets stick to the basics and get down to the point. Time/Life is getting wasted in front of a screen. What to do? Like it takes an injured man incredible resolve and perseverance to become fit again, a comparable and satisfying effort is required here too.

1.There is life beyond a PC. There is the great outdoors which is getting lost everyday due to pollution and what not. There are so many new activities done and they dont come as attachments or apps.

2.Maintain a strict schedule. Take a decision how many minutes and how frequently you thinking surfing is good, write it down and STICK TO IT.

3.Cultivate better uses for the internet. There are so many productive sites to learn so many things and add something of solid value to your life. Learn a Foreign Language (livemocha.com). Join a professional forum, if you are an electronics engineer there are robotics site. Blog..etc etc there are endless good things that can be done. Scheduling time is necessary as its very easy to get carried away with things so easily.

4. Most important - Donot neglect you have a problem which has a solution. Neglecting a problem is first and usual reaction; to escape from a problem by neglecting it. Like all bad habits, realization of its presence and knowledge of the solution immensely helps overcoming it.

I look forward to your reply.

Hungry in US: dil ko SAKOON at Mountain View

Coming soon the pics as soon as I get it

Indian food in the US, many a times victim to the degradation to suit 'localized' tastes. Its what has happened to Chinese food in India - to that effect you get the 'Indo-Chinese' cuisine in the US ..mind blasting! But it hasnt suffered as much due to places like Sakoon at Mountain View, Ca.

Probably the best Indian food ever. Its a whole new ad different dimension to Indian food - sample this the Avocado Jhalmuri - basically the humble Bhel on a base of Avocado cake with Tamarind chutney and the Lavender Kulfi, take something basic and make something innovative and super tasty. The traditionals like Shahi Paneer and Chana Pindi got the thumbs up from Veggie King Rohit. The Chicken Sakooni was very very good.

Veg Biryani, paradox in its name since Biryani was invented to be a non vegetarian affair, but these guys here took it, gave it a great presentation and even better taste. The service here is good with the waiter cutting open a doughy shroud of freshly cooked biryani which tastes great.

I am keeping it short because I have to sleep on time if I am to be on schedule tomorrow for more feasting and fun. Probably celebration for getting over my writers block at the end of my awesome US experience.

Hungry in US - Monterray, CA: Indian Summers

Do you know the Chinese food in India. Its not Chinese. Here is what is happening to Indian food. Well not the exact analogy, since Indian is so unique you can only go so far as to corrupt it..anyways hungry from our long drive we come down to the nice city of Monterey in the night. Read that this place is a tourist destination - well not in the night.

Indian Summers. Music is arabic, not a single desi in sight. Its definitely a happening place, but chilly and the fireplace you see in the pic is not for show. You need the fire to keep warm. Well food, me and Sharayu tried to Non veg with Spicy Fried fish not spicy, Chik Jalfrezi - mysteriously spicy since we didnt see chillies. The veggies had a good time with the Maakhanwala, the dal and the peas jeera rice. They even went as far to say this was the best they had! Come on now Non Veg is also food, you have to make both of them good.

Anyways we had to leave before the Reggae band started playing. Yes Reggae band in and Indian Restaurant. On the expensive side...

On a foodie blog roll! No.3:

Hungry in US - Aptos, CA: Manuel's Mexican

I was growing loathsome about Mexican food in the US. Mexican is close to the Indian cuisine, but I just simply didnt like the fast food version. Until we got hungry along CA1 and decided to have some mexican. Thank you GPS, for guiding us to this delightful place. I like mexican now, especially at Manuel's.

Hemant guided the vehicle to this blink and you miss restaurant. This place is pretty old with and old style mexican tavern feel to it. The service was very warm and friendly. We needed a lot of guidance with the orders since we were new to this authentic cuisine which is unlike that of taco bells. Lot of variety for Non Veggies. We didnt want to risk anything meaty on the road so we opted for everything Vegetarian. Which again the hostess guided us. The Cheese Enchilada I had ordered was enchanting. Delicately made pockets of veg stuffed with cheese and covered in a wonderful tomato bean gravy melted in my mouth. Sharayu had the Quesadillas and the guys had the traditional Bean Burrito which were pretty decent. The Salsa Fresca was adequately hot. The Mexican equivalent of masala Papad - the Tortillas and Habanero sauce kept on coming. We generally dont have deserts, cause in the US, the portions are huge. Still we decided for the hostess's suggestion and again she hit the sweet spot with Flan and Mexican ice cream - a nicely spiced (not hot spice) chocolate ice cream which she described as 'her favorite ice cream'. Its really really good.

For those who would want to know and should know, they do not take Amex :)

Hungry in US - San Francisco: Burma SuperStar

This made me right a review at Yelp and give it four stars. This made me write a blog about it without a pic (coming soon). This is making me very hungry writing about it.

I said hello to Burmese cuisine in San Francisco. Burma, our country's iron curtained mysterious neighbour, has such delightful food to offer and I wonder why we didnt take it and indianize the hell out of it.

Well, authentic or not this place is a must visit. My cousin followed instructions, not suggestions, to drive all the way upto Frisco with the kids and me to San Francisco just to eat at this place. We had to wait 30 mins to get in at 5.15 pm. So that just pretty much sums up the popularity of this place.

Heres my review same as at Yelp:

The food here is very very good. For an Indian guy, even I found this place to be spicy..I guess because the server was observant of my tastes and got my order in the right time. I loved the Samusa soup,Tea Salad, Nan Pia...well heck everything. Really liked the Mango Coconut juice too. I am coming here again and ready to wait in line for a long time just so I get hungry and eat moar!