Well. I am pleasantly stuffed. I found this "tunnel" running through a building in Darling Street. I must admit I was lured there by food smells unlike I was expecting to find there.
Woefully prepared to be disappointed by another potato-dash-bone-tastic-malay curry shoppy, I was shocked to see a place that seemed to be a bit more.
Before you ask, the place does not seem to have a name, the closest I could get is "Eastern Food Bazaar" which was printed on the tillslip.
Stuffed and buzzing with people of all walks, some enticing smells were pouring out of a Tandoor oven, with a choice of whatever you can just about imagine in mainline Indian and other eastern cuisine, being prepared in sparkling kitchens arrayed along the main wall.
I instantaneously knew that I was, once again, screwed. No way I could afford all that I would want to try. I was wrong. Not one dish was over R30.
Add some nice indian smoothies and custards. (I have never tried those but soon will.)
Ok, down to the eating. First, you decide what you want, which, I admit, was the most frustrating bit for me. I am trying to shake a few kilos, you see. So I ordered a Mince Dosa at R20.
It is a freshly prepared huge dosa with chicken mince by a real indian bloke and comes accompanied by the traditional Indian "chutneys." Don't ask me the names. One is yellowish, one is green (coriander) and one is red. Beautiful. The Dosa was folded and cut into four pieces. All served in a custom made container / plates. Grab a coke with that, since I am, after all, a Connosieur.
A plastic fork, knife, spoon and serviette and find a seat amongst the humanity.
The food was perfect. The people were loud. The decor is just right for a place like that. It is very clean. Go there anyday with R30 in your pocket and you will leave with a smile on your face. Now that is the kind of thing that we need to see more of in this town.
(Oh, and I did get a taste of the Dal Makhni as well, right from a very friendly chef. Now I must tell you, if you want to know the quality of any Indian restaurant or eatery, you just get the Dal Makhni. If they don't have it, leave. If you try it, and it does not make you see visions of an Indian Venus on a warm day, leave, because the rest of their food will be shit. Guaranteed.)
Friday, May 29, 2009
You can stick your sandwich, sunshine ....
Yeah. Evidently we are now officially in a state of recession. Although I sincerely doubt it. Here's why.
If you grew up in the same era as I did, you will remember a TV show called "The Waltons" about a family during the American recession. The phrase "Goodnight, Johnboy..." may remind you. That's my picture of a recession, at least as it affects normal people.
Well I just don't see that kind of street level reality here.
Some days I go to to the Gardens Shopping centre for lunch, especially when I feel like a piece of Pick and Pay's famous grease chicken and a Porra roll.
Now, what gets me is the rest of this lovely little centre, that seems to exist in a time - space continuum completely isolated from the rest of the universe.
For instance, there is this deli spot that sells ready-made rolls etc with a bit of cheese and cold meat on it. I do not remember the exact price, but it was befukt. Seriously. Then going further on my little tour, I end up at the Woolies Foodstore. R29 for a sandwich. Am I a lone island of " voetsek, jou skelm" in a sea of mini millionaires? It's a sandwich. Two slices of bread with some shit inbetween.
Sorry, did I miss the freshly shaved Truffle and liberal coating of real Saffron?
The most interesting thing is that I have seen quite a few places picking up on this trend. The place called Bread, Milk and Honey on Darling that sells a (quite) regular (and unspectacular) cup of take away coffee for R15 and a roll for anything between R20 and R30.
And the franchised "Fresh Stop" next door (a Fruit and Veg City mindfart) who sells, also, some very bland-tasting sandwiches (guys, I know salt is bad for you, but really,) for anything between R19 to R29. Again! Say after me, slowly now, "It's just a sandwich."
Now I know these people are all business to make money. But have they lost a fundamental idea of right and wrong? Of value in kind versus ripping people off?
I have baked bread, having worked in a bakery as a young man. I know what bread and every ingredient you put on that sandwich costs, and then I'm not even buying bulk. Can you say 400% profit? And it is not as though you are giving me a whole lot of service and ambience either. I expect to pay higher prices if I go to a larnie restaurant like Beluga. Or any place with a Pirelli Chef. Well enough. But paying those prices at a franchise?
But even worse are the rank idiots willing to pay these prices. I hope you recession-choke. And ask the guy behind the counter if he kisses his mother with that mouth.
If you grew up in the same era as I did, you will remember a TV show called "The Waltons" about a family during the American recession. The phrase "Goodnight, Johnboy..." may remind you. That's my picture of a recession, at least as it affects normal people.
Well I just don't see that kind of street level reality here.
Some days I go to to the Gardens Shopping centre for lunch, especially when I feel like a piece of Pick and Pay's famous grease chicken and a Porra roll.
Now, what gets me is the rest of this lovely little centre, that seems to exist in a time - space continuum completely isolated from the rest of the universe.
For instance, there is this deli spot that sells ready-made rolls etc with a bit of cheese and cold meat on it. I do not remember the exact price, but it was befukt. Seriously. Then going further on my little tour, I end up at the Woolies Foodstore. R29 for a sandwich. Am I a lone island of " voetsek, jou skelm" in a sea of mini millionaires? It's a sandwich. Two slices of bread with some shit inbetween.
Sorry, did I miss the freshly shaved Truffle and liberal coating of real Saffron?
The most interesting thing is that I have seen quite a few places picking up on this trend. The place called Bread, Milk and Honey on Darling that sells a (quite) regular (and unspectacular) cup of take away coffee for R15 and a roll for anything between R20 and R30.
And the franchised "Fresh Stop" next door (a Fruit and Veg City mindfart) who sells, also, some very bland-tasting sandwiches (guys, I know salt is bad for you, but really,) for anything between R19 to R29. Again! Say after me, slowly now, "It's just a sandwich."
Now I know these people are all business to make money. But have they lost a fundamental idea of right and wrong? Of value in kind versus ripping people off?
I have baked bread, having worked in a bakery as a young man. I know what bread and every ingredient you put on that sandwich costs, and then I'm not even buying bulk. Can you say 400% profit? And it is not as though you are giving me a whole lot of service and ambience either. I expect to pay higher prices if I go to a larnie restaurant like Beluga. Or any place with a Pirelli Chef. Well enough. But paying those prices at a franchise?
But even worse are the rank idiots willing to pay these prices. I hope you recession-choke. And ask the guy behind the counter if he kisses his mother with that mouth.
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