Making you feel special

“Food is symbol of love when words are inadequate.”  

– Alan D. Wolfelt

From childhood I was very choosy with what I would wear and most importantly what I would eat. Hailing from a middle class traditional Bengali family, I was taught that rice and fish were to be my only close friend. While, chicken or mutton who I treated to be dearer could visit me once a month. So, in short, feeding me was almost like being at war with yourself. Until one fine sultry evening my mother discovered that my taste buds attracted something so authentic that she could not believe her eyes. Although, for a moment she felt that it was the hunger that was calling but it was on this particular day that all my five senses had got attracted to the whiff of this cuisine. Until, after a few years I again had a rendezvous with this mystery cuisine and this time my parents definitely realized that I did have some connection with them! - CHINESE!

Surprised? Shocked or Amazed? Well I am not too sure about my readers but my parents were definitely. The journey began with my then most favourite and only joint in Dubai which probably served the best of Chinese cuisine was Golden Dragon.  

It was during Durga Puja while staying at Kolkata, I had noticed that there were quite a few restaurants that had started to serve Chinese. Although my taste buds were dancing to try each one of them until my foodie friends called me up and informed that there was a new outlet that had opened at Gurusaday Road.

At first my parents were unwilling to step out in the hustle bustle of the city. Moreover, they were least interested to stand in a never-ending queue but with the help of my cousins we managed to persuade them to go. It’s a long time and I don’t exactly remember what the menu was but when I did complete our dinner, believe me or not, that was the first time I enacted the famous dialogue from Sholay, “Yeh haath mujhe de de thakur” (Thakur, give me your hands) in the most cinematic manner, because I really wanted to keep those hands who had created this wonder of a dish which tasted something that words alone can’t express. This is when I was first introduced to ‘Mainland China’. 

After having completed my higher studies in the UK, I had for the first time travelled with a team to Mumbai on an assignment.It was a summer afternoon and to add to it we had been a part of a boring conference. So, in order to compensate we decided that we very much deserved a decent meal. They say there is no sincerer love than food.  Just as we were deciding on options for a good eatery joint my friend Sunil called over. Call it coincidence or not he mentioned that there is an outlet of Mainland China in Andheri. Since, he was a Mumbaikar it did not take us too much time to find the spot.

As I entered the restaurant, for the first time it seemed as if I was entering a temple. There was a silent sound of the Chinese chimes playing in the background with pin drop silence, as diners were meticulously concentrating on doing just one thing. EATING!  We were greeted by the restaurant manager and then was asked our choice for Ala Carte or the buffet. For the very first time I was taken away with surprise when I experienced their never-ending buffet spread. After a very long time I felt so elated to know that, after all, there was a brand that exuded a hospitality far beyond international standards.

For over two months we have been in a state of lockdown and dining out is definitely not happening. So, one is just left with no choice but to sit back tight and have home food. Until one Saturday afternoon my wife was craving to have Chinese.

I had taken for granted that no restaurants would be operating for obvious reasons and hence I was about to give up the idea and go to her with a sore face. Until I saw a post on Facebook, that read, “Speciality Kitchens- Now get your favourite delicacies delivered to your doorstep”. I was not only pleasantly surprised, but truly loved the idea of how they had laid down their steps of maintaining hygienic standards. 

When you order from Mainland China the package entails the information of the temperature of the chef preparing the food, followed by the temperature of the person packing it and finally the temperature of the delivery person at the time he picks up the order from the outlet. Furthermore, there are steps mentioned in the form of a sticker pasted on the delivery bag. 

This entails the step by step procedure of opening your package in the most safe and hygienic manner.  Once you receive the package there is a FREE hand sanitizer sachet for you to sanitize yourself first before you proceed to open the package. The contents of each dish are securely stored in separate containers which are 100% Food Grade to prevent cross-contamination.  Over the years the brand has made its presence felt over continents and has now carved for itself an identity not only locally but globally too.  Having completed over 25 years in this food industry the only mission of this magnum opus of a brand has been to provide their guests with food that is authentic to its core. 

Well, as I am writing, I felt the urge of ordering food from them. It seems it has arrived and I am already getting intoxicated by the essence of the smoky feel of the  Pan-Fried Soya Garlic Noodles,  the fragrance of the Sizzling Lamb and my most 'treasured' soup, The Eight Treasured Soup (a recipe I await to smuggle from the hands of its creator!).  

As they say that there are moments, there are memories. But if there is someone who makes these moments larger than life and most importantly if its Chinese it gotta to be from just one place…. MAINLAND CHINA. Because it is all about '

'Making you feel special’. So, EAT HEALTHY & STAY SAFE!

PS: KEEP ORDERING!

Mind the Gap - Distant Socializing

The one who are separated by distance but dine together - A perfect couple

From setting up lawn chairs in driveways for socially-distant neighborhood parties to conversing with one another from apartment building balconies people have been finding innovative ways to continue socializing with friends and neighbors. Amongst all of these, dining has always been such a companion that has brought people together.

Whether it is a lunch party or meeting over drinks with your old buddies the essence of socializing has always been face to face in its utmost physical form. Take for instance, our very own City of Joy, Calcutta which is famous for its chit chats of many sorts. From having addas on something that has an edge of adventure followed with cups of teas and coffees or sitting at the coffee houses and discussing literature, cinema and culture had its own essence and magnanimity.  But now the world has taken a different route altogether where this art of entertainment is going to undergo a slow death. Does that mean we will be cutting of all means of socializing in the post COvid world is a thought that might have crossed most of our minds.

In fact, we are in the mode of entering a new world altogether. One where large gatherings and social events will soon become private and exclusive. Hopping to a bar to meet your friends will convert to smaller house parties. Lounges in clubs will take the shape of living rooms in your houses. Most ironically, greetings will be verbal than physical. Well, you can forget giving the pecks or hugging, instead it’s going to be a folded hand gesture or a “Hi” from a distance.

Tea parties will take place via Skype and Zoom. While you are at home you call over your friends on these apps and basically enjoy a ‘Virtual Tea Party’. Sounds crazy? Well it’s going to get crazier than this with time! We will now be having virtual birthday parties and is that fine, come to think of it, if we can’t have the cake, the least we could do is dress up and sing ‘Happy Birthday!’ via video conferencing apps.

We have been discussing of how the world is going to work in this ‘new normal’ environment. So, are people going to be visiting restaurants? Or for that matter will they at all be dining for say the next 4-6 months? An industry which accounts for the largest employer of the workforce have already started to think on the lines of operating with a short team. Does that mean we are looking at a ‘contactless’ dining space? 

The other day my friend was suggesting me with a tone of sarcasm, that its not too far where he would find drones flying over his table or robots coming and taking down orders! For a moment his suggestion quickly took me to the sets of Spielberg or Josh Lucas!

I told him that I hope that it’s not going to be that bad, while his reaction was is it? But if such a thing really is on the cards then we are soon going to lose on having a physical interaction. 

The essence of celebrating a Valentine’s Day or an anniversary at a restaurant would mean asking the couple to sit at a length’s distance.  By the end of your evening, the maximum they could do is just send messages via What’s App! I might be exaggerating my suspension of belief but what if this is actually the reality we are about to face.

We are surely heading into a world where it is certain that for the next few years socializing and camaraderie in public places would become a distant thing. The essence of finding the time to have a face to face meeting will get replicated with a FaceTime. Our focus to zoom in the minute feelings of goofing off will be made out of focus by Zoom. The vitality in feeling a connection will mostly happen over a Skype and all the kibitz, dawdle and giving high fives by saying, “hey buddy was sup” will have to be limited to just a “What’s App” call.

In the end of all this there is still a ray of hope that while dining out will come with its prohibitions, the fun and frolic will continue in house parties and potlucks. There will be music and the world will continue to be a better place to live in but with a change in how we think. So, while you enjoy all the moments of your life do not socially distant yourselves but ‘distant socially’ because we are heading into an era where at every step the world will be announcing, “MIND THE GAP!”

The Power of Ma

  "To the world you are a mother... To us you are the world"

“Aaj mere paas buildings hai, property hai, bank balance hai, bungla hai, gaari hai… Kya hai tumhare paas?”. And there was a long silence, until Shashi Kapoor in his most under toned voice responds, “Mere paas MAA hai”.

A nation was stunned and that feeling still lingers amongst every movie buff.

If I had to rewind myself it was Indian cinema that had made the figurative speech of “MA” its most essential ingredient of success.

So, whether it was “Rakhee Gulzar” or the Late “Nirupa Roy”, they had instilled into us the essence of mother. Over the years this essence has slowly died down in the India’s “New Age” cinema. In fact, Ma has now been promoted to
Mom or Mummy until we entered 2019 and then we encountered scripts that were mother centric can not only be intriguing but thrilling too. Reeling out from the reel life and entering into the real life the question arises, are our mother’s equally so dramatic? In the cold wintry night of 1986, September 02nd, I started kicking fiercely quite successfully disturbing my mother’s sleep. And on the morning of the 03rd as the sun’s rays fell on St Mary’s Hospital, Kolkata (then Calcutta) I entered into this world with a bang! To me this lady was pretty a stranger because I was surrounded by nurses most of the time and was kept with many other female babies! But when my eyes first met her’s, I could feel that tear trickle from the corner of her eye. What we most famously market in all Indian movies as “Yeh toh khushi ke aasoon hai pagle”.

From pencil pokes to pulling my hair or from stretching my ears to making my cheeks go red or showing her grinning teeth or almost turning into one of Frankenstein’s characters, she has not let go any moment of expressing her love. And this would be at its epitome especially when I would sit with her for my studies. She would wear a pair of gigantic 1980’s style reading glasses and the pencil in her hand would not look less than a whip! No doubt, that I finally realized and was sure that she was a descendant of Adolf Hitler, until I bestowed her the title of “Mother Hitler” and till date she still holds that title.

But there was also another side to this character. It started with preparing me for fancy dresses or teaching me the piano or for that matter preparing me for elocutions and such contests which would go on till the wee hours of the morning and she would not only stay awake with me but also prepare me a warm cup of tea. Today, after thirty four years, countless days and nights and where time never seems to stop, I am still in awe of this character and for some reason I never was able to call her ‘Ma’, (although she still awaits that time when I would), instead I would call her by her nickname (hidden for privacy) and while that in my extended family was seen as a crime, I decided to continue to commit it!

While, I am most close to Baba, but the journey that I have travelled and if I had to thank one person, it would be the driver of this vehicle, it would be this strength, it would be this power - the world may know it by different identities and names but what lives on is a never dying essence and a resonance in its sound…. ‘MA’.

#happymothersday #ma #power #shakti