I used to sit on the 21st floor. Now I am retired

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Tiffin

Most restaurants I am going to these days, can be divided into 3 types:
1) Ask them what will they recommend, and they will play safe. Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka, Masala Dosa or some such banal dish (Unless it's Moti Mahal recommending Butter Chicken to me).
2) Ask them what will they recommend, and be given a vacuous stare.
3) Ask them for a dish that you want, and they will debate the pros and cons with you. Sometimes, they make you change your order as well. Very rarely (though it does happen), they will make a face and mutter 'idiot' under their breath.

The third happened to me in Tiffin in the Oberoi's next door. It's got nice enough food, zero ambience (unless tables put in on the side of a corridoor with people moving in and out is your idea of ambience) and efficient (though slightly slow) service. However, this is not a restaurant review.

The interesting thing happened when I asked for some Tiffin Supreme or some special dish for dessert. The waitress, P, cruched her nose up and said, "It's not that good".
"Why?"
"No, the meringue is a small layer, and most of it is ice-cream."
"But I still want to have it."
"No, sir, it's really not good."
By this time, conversation has stopped at the table. Everyone's looking. Who will win? I make one last-ditch attempt.

"No, I really want to have it."
Not the sharpest I can be. But.

"I would suggest either a Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate or the Orange ___."
"But if that is not good, why do you have it on the menu?"
I don't give up.

"It's the chef's idea, sir. He wants it there. Very few people really like it."
Escape route to me. Good collaborative stuff. First convince me it's bad and then blame all this on the chef. Final score. P-10, Chef-0.

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I dont like you writing about Parul.
Its a serious breach.

Tuesday, January 31, 2006 7:37:00 AM

 
Blogger dhoomketu said...

Who's Parul?

Tuesday, January 31, 2006 11:53:00 PM

 
Blogger silbil said...

sorry for my inclination which seem to be fed and fuelled by mid day type news but i see more of a STORY in the comments than in the post itself heee
so who IS parul?

Tuesday, July 25, 2006 10:48:00 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dining out in hotel is not just eating it is an experience i am sorry Mr Dhoomketu put it very sweetly but i am sure the converstaion was never to put the chef into a loop but for you to enjoy, the meal. As a manager( Maitre d') we need to give Guest what it seems would suit there palate.The Dessert you are talking about is Signature TIFFIN some people love it but it did not go with the rest of the order you gave
Sorry for trying to be nice, you can come back and have Chicken tikka, please be my guest
Regards
Parul pandey- ManagerTIFFIN

Sunday, August 13, 2006 8:56:00 AM

 
Blogger dhoomketu said...

Silbil, refer comment below.

Anon, assuming you are parul pandey and not a troll, I have one request. Please use punctutation. Your first sentence doesn't make any sense.

Also, frankly, dining out in a hotel might be an 'experience' for you, but please let me eat what I want to, thank you. I am all for conversations about food, but when it comes to arrogance about desserts, I will frown hard. Would think thirty-two times before dining at your corridoor (even if for the experience) again. I would have said hotel instead of corridoor, but don't think I can resist Kandahar or Vetro. Would not like to be your guest. Thank you.

Monday, August 14, 2006 5:03:00 AM

 

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