Rishab Aiyer Ghosh wrote:
so madhu, what do you think of _kitchen confidential_? is there an indian equivalent of the essential illegal Ecuadorian kitchen staff?
Interesting book. If you set aside some of his glorification of drugs and alcohol, it's a fun read. The Indian equivalent of "illegal Ecuadorian staff"? Since we don't have that much of an immigration problem, the closest I can think of are the numerous Nepali guys who work in the restaurant kitchens, almost ominpresent in "Chinese" restaurants. In Bangalore, there are also the village blokes from AP and TN who get trained in a hurry to make steaks, pasta, and everything else. For instance, a restaurant like The Only Place in Bangalore hires a few Tamillian fellas for about Rs. 5-6000 per month and they're the ones who make your Chateaubriand. ;) (Since you reminded me of Bourdain, let me add my own Bourdain-eque tip: good restaurant staff are willing to accommodate your food preferences, but upto a point. If you want no mushrooms in your stir-fry, I will do it. But don't ask for a dish to be destroyed so much that you piss the kitchen fellas off. Then we simply stop caring that your food tastes good. A couple of days back, we had a gentleman who asked for "stir-fried veggies with chillies, garlic, and basil" - without garlic! The waiter advised him that garlic was essential to the flavour of that particular dish, and the gentleman should perhaps consider another stir-fry instead. But oh no! He was adamant that he wanted that particular dish. Trust me, it annoyed the hell out of us in the kitchen. Annoyed people don't turn out good food. It's like asking for a steak "well done" in a restaurant in the West. You'll get crud. And will someone please tell me why Jains bother going to Oriental restaurants when the very th ings they abhor form the fabric of the cuisine? Vegetarians are not a problem for me, but Jains are a nasty pain in the arse.) -- <<< * >>> Madhu Menon Shiok Far-eastern Cuisine Indiranagar, Bangalore http://www.shiokfood.com Chef's Notes: http://www.shiokfood.com/notes/
