Chalta Hai and Cream Center
The omnipresent attitude across India and the often cited blame for India’s poor state of affairs is its ‘Chalta Hai’ attitude. Now even restaurants seem to have imbibed the attitude, especially after the concept of dining emerged. Now one dines at a restaurant, one does not go there for just the food. When it was the latter the emphasis was on the food, now its more on ambience and atmosphere.
This is prompted by my recent visit to Cream Center. I went there for lunch. The restaurant is fine, nothing wrong with it, neither is there anything earth shattering about it. There is nothing about the restaurant which would create a longing for me to visit it again. The place seems happy that it has not turned people away.
This is not the case with this restaurant alone. There are quite a few places which are like this. There is simply nothing which creates a longing to visit the place again. Rainforest in Adyar, Eden in Besant Nagar, New Yorker in Nungabakkam, Copper Chimney and French Loaf to name a few. This list would include most restaurants in the city.
With the concept of dining gaining prominence, the emphasis on food is being lost I feel. The food should create a longing in me, that sadly is becoming hard to find along with fine dining. The longing is there in Mathsya for instance, otherwise it’s the domain of roadside eateries like idiyappan in Pichupillai street and Brilliant Masala Dosai. This longing is also there in bare bones restaurants like National Lodge or Maris. For now its roadside zindabad.
i actually liked the food in Eden and French Loaf. it wasnt great. but that is my taste. i like the kaiyendi bhavan next to home a lot. eat there 5 times a week. never get bored. but i thought that was just me. are u sure this isnt just you?
Vatsan, what do you mean by "chalta hai" attitude what on earth are you talking about? What is chalta hai is this some new phrase you invented? Can you please use proper language as most people will not understand what you are meaning by using such terms.
@RAM: "Chaltha Hai" is a typical hindi slang for a an attituude that can best be described as "I honestly dont really care…" or in a lighter manner as "Yeah….No big deal… I’ll adjust… " ….. :)
Uday, you honestly thought that Ram did not get it? :)
I completely disagree with the article. Cream centre food is excellent. Try out their specialities, aloo tikki, cholay. They have recently made changes to their menu adding mumbai pattees and some more North Indian items. Copper Chimney remains one of my all time favorites. Even as I write this, I must say that Food is really a matter of opinion, but I dont agree with "chalta Hai" attitude. Not only food even ambience, service has improved, making dining a pleasurable experience.
I am sorry to write this, but I feel this post has been written just for the sake of blogging something
I completely disagree with the article. Cream centre food is excellent. Try out their specialities, aloo tikki, cholay. They have recently made changes to their menu adding mumbai pattees and some more North Indian items. Copper Chimney remains one of my all time favorites. Even as I write this, I must say that Food is really a matter of opinion, but I dont agree with "chalta Hai" attitude. Not only food even ambience, service has improved, making dining a pleasurable experience.
I am sorry to write this, but I feel this post has been written just for the sake of blogging something
To Vatsal no I really do not no what Chalta hai means nor do I care to know any of that god forsaken language called Hindi. It disgusts me how people in this country tend to spread this langauge we have the government already forcing on us and know we have residents of this city propogating this. Must be all the toxic stench of the cooum that has screwed up the brains of Chennai residents. This must be the only place on earth where people promote other languages not there own please clap for Chennai.
Ram,
Try to be civilized, don’t portray yourself to be a linguistic chauvinist. Dont talk like a politician to be precise a DK/DMK moron. Typical of ooruku dhan ubadesam. Learning a new language is any time appreciated. You have no bloody right to insult hindi or for that matter any language. It is a shame that you dont understand basic hindi……..grow up. There is nothing wrong in learning our national language, it is any time better than the typical of TN crowds’ fancy for flying out to US and settle and be treated like a third grade citizen.
Can the the linguistic rogues ensure all tamils are recalled to TN and provide them with opportunites to survive? A BIG NO. STOP POLITICISING………
Mr Iyengar thanks for your feedback, but I don’t see how learning Hindi will help you in Chennai, and in the USA you need to learn English not anything else. Hindi is not our national language for your information. Why do you care so much about Hindi? It is not your language, but generally I have noticed people from your kid have a bond for Hindi for whatever reason perhaps that is why there is very little of you left in TN what a shame.
Ram,
Everyone is proud of their mother tongue, at the same time ridiculing other languages is not in good taste. Learning hindi may not be in the scheme of things for you, that doesn’t mean that you stop people from learning that language.
As regards for the SHAME as quoted by you regarding the dwindling numbers of my tribe, the reason is obvious…..if you are awareof the cheap politics so dont parrot what your masters READ DK/DMK rogues have tutored you.
By the way TN is not an independent country. FYI Hindi is the national language get your GK brushed up.
Your hatred for hindi is unwarranted, your masters have got their wards educated in convent schools + hindi language so dont behave like a learned fool. All the best…….
Ram,
Everyone is proud of their mother tongue, at the same time ridiculing other languages is not in good taste. Learning hindi may not be in the scheme of things for you, that doesn’t mean that you stop people from learning that language.
As regards for the SHAME as quoted by you regarding the dwindling numbers of my tribe, the reason is obvious…..if you are awareof the cheap politics so dont parrot what your masters READ DK/DMK rogues have tutored you.
By the way TN is not an independent country. FYI Hindi is the national language get your GK brushed up.
Your hatred for hindi is unwarranted, your masters have got their wards educated in convent schools + hindi language so dont behave like a learned fool. All the best…….
Thanks again Mr Iyengar for your thoughts I have nothing against Hindi but what I dislike is the fact that it is forced on us by the government even general public is fooled by thinking learning Hindi will give you a better future if you leave Chennai then yes but not within Chennai. People can learn any language they like but stop forcing it on others who do not care to. The problem in Chennai is people prefer to speak and promote other languages than Tamil and prefer to avoid learning there own language you should leave TN then why live here if you feel that way.
Again Hindi is not the national language read the article below perhaps then you will understand , I never said TN is an independant country your masters have done you no favours by lying to you since birth and filling your head with rubbish.
As a large and linguistically diverse country, India does not have a single official language. Instead, the Constitution of India envisages a situation where each state has its own official language(s), in addition to the official languages to be used by the Union government. The section of the Constitution of India dealing with official languages therefore includes detailed provisions[1] which deal not just with the languages used for the official purposes of the union,[2] but also with the languages that are to be used for the official purposes of each state and union territory in the country,[3] and the languages that are to be used for communication between the union and the states inter se.[4]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_languages_of_India
@Ram:
I have no idea why you are picking on Vatsan for using the words ‘chaltha hai’. Don’t tell me you haven’t read news paper articles or for that matter even Chennai Metblog articles with phrases from the French language like ‘au revoir’ et al. How come that doesn’t agitate you as much as using a Hindi phrase?
I am not saying Tamil is bad. I am not saying Hindi is amazing. I’m saying be open minded and learn something if you don’t know. It is all in the mind.