Walk for Food

Today I decided it is better to take a long walk before I get to eat food !

One way of working out, right ?

Not that I did not work out today, I went for my usual early morning treadmill walk.

However, I thought it would be better to again take a natural walk and went looking for food.

It was a good long walk, to and fro. I did not feel tired at all. It was good to see many people walking around, and heavy crowds in the shopping area and food courts.

I realized one thing – sometimes it is better to walk around in the natural manner, though in a brisk way, rather than keep running/walking on the treadmill every day. I do not know what exactly is the difference, but I felt good taking a walk on the pavement.

I was surprised that food still remains quite affordable in Singapore, though all other prices seem to have gone up significantly. If one wishes, it is still possible to get decent food for around SGD 5 (INR 220), which is pretty good. Of course, a coffee can cost as much in a Starbucks or Gloria Jeans. Such prices are not out of the world in India as well.

Well, the key point here is that taking a long walk (say, at least 2 KMs) for getting food is a good exercise (even in hot weather). And then, walking back after lunch is even better for digestion.

Good stuff !

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
26th May 2013

Freedom Vs Bread

I return to one of my earlier topics on the same/similar subject, because I saw what was happening in Malaysia post the general elections and felt that I should mention my views about the developing scenario over there.

This is not a political blog post and I am not taking sides with any one political party (anywhere). My point is simply that people are yet to attain full widespread, equalized prosperity levels (not the same level for anyone but the difference between the top and the bottom earners is not more than 10:1) in most countries. There is very wide gap which is expanding even in the most developed countries, such as the U.S. During such a phase of development, what is more critical – the ability to strategize together for a faster pace of economic development, or being able to fight for and secure the fullest freedom levels that are possible ? Which effort should take precedence ?

This is not a trivial matter and merits intense discussion amongst peer groups, not just in academia. The ability and competency of a government or a political party to work for the overall widespread economic prosperity of a nation, in my opinion, far outweighs the ability of people to protest and derail any economic gains that a country has already achieved. If a country has already reached USD 10,000 per capita and is well on its way towards meeting the next goal post of USD 15,000 per capita, and the current political dispensation is intensely focused on the same, then why disrupt what is progressing just for the sake of a change ? A change would bring in rather inexperienced politicians to power and would make the economic pace grind down to a very slow pace, while new strategies are being thought through. It would eat up one or two years of crucial time necessary for continued progress.

There are many examples in this world of countries which have lost out due to revolutions – let me avoid naming them. Of course, there are also examples of countries which have come under the influence of dictators who have gone on to rob their countries.

On the other hand there are good examples as well of political parties which think of their countries’ economic prosperity first before anything else. Mistakes will be made by any government, but the intent is crucial for the country’s benefit.

In a nutshell, bread is more critical (even more so in today’s world) than political freedom. Yes, elections are important, issues are challenging, democracy is probably the best form of government, protests are to be encouraged without affecting law and order, etc., etc., But at the end of the day, bread always remains the most crucial part of one’s life – I do not buy the argument that enhanced economic prosperity would lead people to look for more esoteric, psychological satisfaction via political expression – I have only seen prosperous people wanting to make even more money for their and their childrens’ future security.

I would like to be challenged, of course. 99% of the people that I am connected with would disagree with me (that is my expectation). Let me see how this argument develops.

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
11th May 2013

Rapscallion and Arroyo

I enjoyed some excellent seafood at the Rapscallion Seafood House and some fantastic, authentic Mexican food at the Arroyo Mexican Grill – both at Reno.

While I am not a food writer, I can comment on the ambience and generally the quality of the service in general.

The Rapscallion Seafood House is a fabulous seafood place, having been around for more than 3 decades……probably the most well-known seafood place in all of Northern Nevada. Great ambience, excellent service and some great wine selection distinguish the place.

I had the New England Clam Chowder Soup (on the recommendation of my Venezuelan friend from Mexico City), and the Alaskan halibut – both were amazingly delicious. I forgot to make note of the wine variety they served, but again it was a great Cabernet Sauvignon (probably Californian). I also took note of the fact that almost everyone around was enjoying the food greatly.

What struck me most was the classy ambience of the place and the outstanding service level. I guess the most important thing in a high-end restaurant is service and the need for the waiters to watch out for the needs of the diners and instantaneously appear nearby to take care of that need. Food only comes next, though it cannot be compromised.

No compromise was necessary at the Rapscallion as the food was equally good.

The other place which blew my mind was the Arroyo Mexican Grill. I had been telling my friends that I would really love to have a 5X food – really spicy to the maximum, and one of them found this place through an internet search. We were a bit worried when we arrived at the restaurant in downtown Reno on a Saturday evening – there was no sign of people and no activity. In that respect, Reno differs from most large American cities. It is a quiet place.

When we walked into the restaurant, there were just about couple of diners in a large-format place, and we were a bit worried. But then we got around to tasting the nacho chips with some outstanding sauces and dips that they had, and our doubts started to slowly vanish. We had a most spicy dip (don’t remember the name), which bombed all of us. Complete knockout was possible with that one.

I ordered the Molcajete with chicken and added further spice to it to make it even hotter. It was a blow-out concoction of a fabulous Mexican chef, punchy, extremely spicy (meeting my specification of 5X) and almost managed to knock me off. I truly relished this dish (being the first time I have ever had Molcajete). Actually, Molcajete is a Mexican version of the mortar and pestle tool – a stone device used to crush and ground spices. It is used to serve dishes in restaurants and the dish itself came to be known as Molcajete. The food stays hot for a long time in this stone utensil.

Overall, both restaurants are great places to host folks and enjoy food while enjoying the companionship of friends. Strongly recommended !

Best Regards

Vijay Srinivasan
8th December 2012
Mumbai

Best Mumbai Dosas

Today my wife and I took a ride to Marine Drive and Malabar Hill in South Mumbai, just like that, with no specific purpose in mind except to laze around a bit and have a bite.

The ride took an hour and 25 minutes, and that on a Saturday morning ! Well, normally I use the Bandra-Worli Sea Link which cuts the travel time by about 20 minutes or so, but today I decided to see the other route into town.

So, we saw Mahim, Dadar, Prabhadevi, Parel, Worli, and then reached Chowpatty…..something like that ! I had a restaurant in mind, and that was Sukh Sagar in Girgaum Chowpatty, which is a famous vegetarian restaurant chain. On the way to the restaurant, we drove slowly from the Pedder road end, and drank in the sites of some of the oldest buildings you could see in old Mumbai. I saw a fascinating building called “Jehangir Mansion” (which I also saw last week during one of my business trips into town).

We then turned into the short road which leads to Marine Drive, with the “Ideal Restaurant” on the left and Sukh Sagar Restaurant on the right. I understand that the Ideal Restaurant is a hangout for the backpackers, but so far haven’t had the chance to try out their dishes.

So, here we were at Sukh Sagar, and climbed the steps to the first floor “air-conditioned” area (the ground floor is not air-conditioned and open to the pavement side. It was not crowded at all at 12:30 PM – there was just one other family having their lunch.

Since I knew Sukh Sagar fare from my last week’s trip along with a business friend, I decided what I wanted very quickly – it was the “Onion Rava Dosa” with the masala on the side (rather than on the inside, as is the usual way it is made and delivered). I learnt this small variation from my business friend, and I like it !

My wife ordered the “Mysore Sada Dosa”. I suggested that she try their Pomegranage juice, which I found refreshing.

So, the dosas arrived (it took some 20 minutes !). They were crisp, fresh and looked good. They were delicious too. It is difficult to get a strong endorsement from my wife, but this time around she liked the dosa so much, she told me that the dosa was “very good”.

There you go – we have had dosas in other places in Mumbai. For example the Cafe Madras in King’s Circle in Dadar is good, but their dosas are traditional – a bit soft, not crisp. Their dosas are also good to eat, but they are not big and solid like the Sukh Sagar ones. Of course, one has to pay more at Sukh Sagar for their dosas, but we thought it was worth the trip of some 35 KMs !

Strongly recommended – but do not venture into their Italian or even traditional rice-based items. Dosas remain their strongest fare and it is surely worth the attempt to try them.

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
27th October 2012
Mumbai

The Delectable Breakfast

It was Saturday morning, and I had to wait for some 3 to 4 hours before my daughter completed a competitive exam. So, I decided to drive from Colaba area (where the exam was being conducted) all the way to King’s Circle in Dadar area of Mumbai for a nice South Indian breakfast.

Not that I have done this for the very first time though.

I am always amazed at the crowd of well-heeled folks at the smallest of a Cafe that you can imagine at Cafe Madras, especially at 9:00 AM or even before – I have been there at 8:00 AM once, and saw a similar crowd.

Why not?

The simple food is simply amazing, well-prepared and delivered without fanfare. The usual stuff that almost all Indians are familiar with – the idli, the vada, the dosa, the upma, the pongal, etc., served with ample chutney and sambhar!

And the cost? This one beats me everytime. Inflation does not seem to be having much of an impact. I had a pair of idlis, one vada, one plain dosa and a coffee for all of INR 93 (SGD 2.20 or USD 1.70). This would cost atleast 2 to 3 times in a better located restaurant in Mumbai, and even more in Singapore for sure. I don’t know how they manage to operate, but going by the volume it appears that they are doing a fairly good business with a very good name.

So, some simple pleasures in life are totally underpriced and can be enjoyed without any fanfare. The only discomfort is that, if you are alone, you would have to share the table with others. While it might seem to be a difficult proposition, everyone at the table minds his/her own business without bothering about others, and everyone understands the space crunch. The focus is on enjoying the nice food. Even if you order all the stuff that you can have for a breakfast, I doubt the bill would cross INR 250.

Parking is a problem, and one would have to deal with it, may be park at a distance and walk back. Good food is always an attraction when it is this good with an old, forgotten taste at such a very good price.

Try it!

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
7th September 2012
Mumbai

Di Bella Coffee in India

I had an outstanding coffee experience today at Mumbai.

Never heard of Di Bella Coffee, and I raised a questioning look at my wife. I would have preferred Costa Coffee any day, I thought.

But my wife said, why not try the new sounding coffee for a change ?

So, we went and ordered Capuccino and chocolate muffin + bruschetta.

It was simply great – I mean the coffee. The coffee cup had a slitted edge wherein some chocolate syrup was kept and if you so wish, you could scoop some of that along with your coffee. A unique design, I thought.

I was impressed with the quality and taste of the coffee, so I asked the coffee maker at the counter about where else in Mumbai I can get their coffee. That is unusual, coming from me. I rarely go out for coffee, and so far, my favourites have been Cafe Coffee Day and Gloria Jeans. But now it appears that there is a new kid on the block from Australia.

I like the ambience of Di Bella Coffee shop located at the food court area of the 2nd floor at Phoenix Market City. Calm and peaceful, with hardly any disturbance as compared to the Costa Coffee outlet around the same place, it attracted me. My family liked the place and we ended up ordering what I have mentioned earlier in this post. The chocolate cake and the capuccino (especially) are unbeatable, but the bruschetta was not so great.

I am going to look for these guys again soon. I liked their unique coffee, and so would any coffee connoisseur. The prices are OK, at around INR 95 (USD 2) per cup of capuccino, not very different from Gloria Jeans.

Try them !

Cheers

Vijay Srinivasan
17th March 2012
Mumbai

Taming Inflation

Food inflation went negative towards the end of December in India.

That is wonderful news, after a long period of almost double-digit inflation, which ensured that the interest rates were kept continually on the ascendancy by the RBI (Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central monetary authority).

The very high level of interest rates has started to finally crimp the growth of India’s economy, which hit a low of 6.9% in the July to September quarter. That, combined with lobbying by businesses, finally made the government sit up to the realities of growth necessity for India. This is one country which needs dollops of economic growth and investments for the next twenty-five years, non-stop. This is mandatory for lifting the 600 millions of people who subsist around the poverty levels, out of their misery and towards economic development. In fact, I would say that this effort is required on behalf of the entire world ! Yes, not only are these numbers mind-boggling, these are also the people who will eventually provide the workforce required and form the consumer-base for many global companies.

Given that India needs industrial growth (which has fallen to the level of 5%), and employment generation, it is inevitable that interest rates should start falling by March 2012. I do not think the RBI can hold the current level of interest rates beyond that period, without further damaging the economic growth.

Inflation has finally been tamed. It should come down further within the next couple of months. And, that drop should give the necessary impetus for the RBI to start cutting the rates, thereby reviving the economy and the markets. Of course, any hint of such action will lead to irrational exuberance, but that is the way things pan out in the equity markets. Nothing can be done about an over-reaction, after a rather long period of depressed market. The Sensex is still around 15,000 points, and it is the worst performing index in the world probably. And, hopefully, the Indian Rupee will start its move back towards where it was – at INR 45 to the USD (now it is around INR 53).

Finally, a ray of hope. May be the vegetables and fruits we consume would be available at a cheaper price soon. That should please the poor and middle-class families.

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
7th January 2012
Mumbai

Don Giovanni

Pondicherry has several exotic-sounding French restaurants, that is just to be expected in an erstwhile French colony. Readers who are not aware of Pondicherry should read up on its unique history, dominated by French culture and language. It is located some 167 Kms (around 100 miles) south of Chennai along the eastern coast line of India.

I was looking for a nice restaurant for lunch (today being my birthday) along with my family, having just returned to Pondicherry from a short trip to Chidambaram temple. Located Don Giovanni via TripAdvisor and then checked on it through couple of other websites. Though we had a few selections, decided to go for Italian lunch.

Don Giovanni is a roof-top restaurant located on Mission Street (around 50 feet from the Nilgiris shop corner). It serves Italian cuisine from the northern part of Italy (Bolognese) as the owner (Chef Massimiliano) hails from that region. He was friendly and sat down with us for a chat. He is married to an Indian and has been living in Pondicherry for the past 3 decades ! Knows a bit of Tamil as well !!

The food was simple and excellent. We had spaghetti, grilled chicken, greek salad, tiramisu, etc., Don Giovanni is different in providing authentic Italian taste with no flourishes and a nice ambience. The owner told us that the evenings are too full and today being a weekday at lunch time, there was not many people.

We took our own time and enjoyed the lunch. This place is reasonably priced and had a homely decor. The owner told us that he has the best Italian food in India !

If you are going to Pondicherry, do not miss a meal at Don Giovanni. You will enjoy it.

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
27th December 2011
Mumbai

Health Food

I am not writing here about the list of health foods for all and their benefits. There are any number of websites and publications that address all kinds of health foods, and I keep seeing a number of articles in local news media in India, as India is developing a fascination for such health aspects of life at the affluent community level. People seem to be worried about their health, and the number of heart-attack and diabetes patients at the sub-30 age level is fast increasing causing fears in the minds of the younger generation.

I thought that we should start following good eating habits right from the young age. I am on the losing side of this fight even with my own kids who are ardent junk food eaters. I am not able to wean them away from the McDonalds and KFC. I won the fight against the bad sugary soft drinks though only partially. These are now banned at home, though I cannot stop them from consuming these bad stuff outside home when they are on their own.

It is hard to avoid eating rice in India. I have almost completely stopped, except for certain occasions. The combination of rice and fragrant ghee (melted and heated butter oil – don’t know how to describe it better) is the reason why we put on weight and it is also bad for the heart. Both rice and ghee are out from my food for a long, long time. The best is wheat and that too without adding butter to make the chappathi or naan fluffy to eat. I know that even here a tough looking naan won’t be acceptable at home, but I try to get a variation done for me somehow. At restaurants, they often cheat you when you order a “plain” roti or tandoori naan and then go on to specify you want to have it without butter. They just cannot do that and deliver to you in the way you desire. So, whenever I go to restaurants, I eat even less – I prefer to order rotis and some vegetables. Now comes the vegetables – all the curries in the restaurants have butter for their smooth texture and creaminess. So one has to consume less of this stuff. At home of course we can make dry vegetables with some spicy masala and that would taste great. One needs vegetables for sure, but without the extra addition of butter on top of it which will have a bad and long-standing effect on one’s health. You won’t be able to fix the damage later on, despite what you hear to the contrary in the health media.

Completely avoid the sugary soft drinks. Banish them altogether. Do not order mocktails at the restaurants, they almost always have sugar and bad alcohol. The restaurants do not like patrons who avoid drinks, even if the customer is a tee-totaller. The fact is that they make more money on drinks as compared to food.

Lots of nuts – almonds, walnuts – and lots of fruits – pomegranate, apples, kiwi fruit, pears, blueberry, peach and the like – will be great to have for anyone. There is no hard and fast prescription. Keep eating fruits and nuts as long as you do not have medical conditions which might preclude these food items. Unfortunately, fast food snacks have taken over our evenings – the samosas, fried chicken, masala peanuts and the like – which are really bad for the heart. Avoid all fried substances, banish them. I know it is really hard to do all this stuff, but given the way our lifestyles have changed, do we have a “bad” and at the same time “good” alternative ? Anything which tastes great is not necessarily bad, though often they are !

Enjoy healthy food, but check with your doctor always before you change your regular food habits, and mind your BMI (Body Mass Index) and your waist line. Better to be healthy than to be sorry later in life or even in the near term as it is happening increasingly in India.

Cheers

Vijay Srinivasan
3rd July 2011
Mumbai

Karma, an Experience in Montreal

Probably you thought that I am going to write about Karma, or fate, and how one’s karma is determined at the time when one is born, etc.,

Not at all. I do not believe in fate anyway.

This is about a restaurant dining experience that happened to me at the West Island area of Montreal in Quebec, at a restaurant called “Karma” – see
“Restaurant Karma”

I know that usually Indian cuisine is considered a bit exotic and the real quality and taste is lacking in Western countries. For this reason, I normally avoid going to Indian restaurants overseas (except in Singapore of course). So, I was surprised not just with the quality of the food and wine at Karma, but also with the great ambience, decor, and service. It turned out to be a truly amazing and enjoyable dining experience last evening.

Couple of things puzzled me though – the restaurant is located some 35 Kms from Montreal downtown, in a faraway place called West Island. It took me approximately an hour and 20 minutes to reach the place via Metro and bus. While there was absolutely no issue with the Metro, the bus ride was confusing and the driver was not speaking English. The Pierrefonds location is quite far away from the Cote-Vertu Metro Station – I felt occasionally that I have lost my way !

The second thing was that the economics of the restaurant would be difficult to ensure its continued sustenance. While it is surely a pricey restaurant, I do not see how they can be profitable. The place and decor looked impressive and expensive – I should also mention their unique Zen style washrooms. The restaurant’s exclusivity does not capitalize potentially on a wider cross-section of the upper middle class clientele that could have enhanced its image and income. Further, it would be too difficult and expensive to replicate the restaurant elsewhere.

So, was I surprised when I learnt that the restaurant is going to be closed in a couple of months ? It is sad and a real pity to let this restaurant go away. It is a truly lovely experience, to be enjoyed at least once a year !

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
2nd June 2011
Mumbai