I had an interesting experience at an Indian Restaurant in
the Bay Area today. Permit me to describe
it. I saw "Murgh Musallam" on
the menu & my mind went back to Daryaganj, Delhi & a wonderful
restaurant called Moti Mahal (which now is a franchise and all over Delhi and elsewhere too, check out the web link I have included in this blog later below). A place often frequented during my Delhi
days. So when I read that on the menu at
Paradise Biryani Pointe, I got all super charged & excited....slurp, slurp
with rivulets breaking all over my tongue imagining I am going to get to eat
that dish after so many decades….Reminiscence is a wonderful thing, until hopes
get dashed L!
Well the dish arrived & I kept staring at it!
The prominent egg was missing, no sign of raisins or cashew or the
rich chicken gravy & the unique smell & the presence of a Shahi Dish! Where was all that at what was set before me??? I wondered & blinked! Not once, but twice & thrice!
Instead I am greeted by what looks like an ordinary South Indian
chicken curry with fried Curry Leaves & all the other usual trappings of
the ubiquitous South Indian Chicken Curry.
I call the Waiter and ask him, where is the Murgh Musallam
& he points at the chicken curry I described and says “here sir”. I say “No, this is not Murgh Musallam”.
He says, “Yes, sir, this is it. See sir, Murg means Chicken and Musallam is Curry" and gives me a broad smile and a grin and looks on for my approval. By now you can imagine my predicament!
Also, the choicest cuss words and pet negative words came to my mind in Hindi & in Urdu....but I bit my tongue hard and did not want to embarrass myself in front of my wife & kid and all the other guests. So I grinned back at him too! Its funny how the human mind works. I never thought I could remember so many Hindi/Urdu choice words for this guy as I did. Stuff I had forgotten eons back....tells you what a different personality I was once upon a time....:-)
Also, the choicest cuss words and pet negative words came to my mind in Hindi & in Urdu....but I bit my tongue hard and did not want to embarrass myself in front of my wife & kid and all the other guests. So I grinned back at him too! Its funny how the human mind works. I never thought I could remember so many Hindi/Urdu choice words for this guy as I did. Stuff I had forgotten eons back....tells you what a different personality I was once upon a time....:-)
From a High Point of Imagination and taste buds all ready to
bite into a chunk of Murgh Musallam, belied I thought to myself…..what kind of a
Joke is this?
Well in the Bay Area, eating at an Indian Restaurant can be
a surprising and amusing experience too!
What else can I say J
Good Night Folks! Enjoy the humor of
this Musallam Blog!
If you ever get to visit Delhi and you are a foody, then the
Pilgrimage to Moti Mahal in Daryaganj is worth it! http://motimahal.in/about/our-story/
BTW, some of our Bay Area Andhra Cousins are rating Paradise
Biryani Pointe a 5, they are doing it for sentimental reasons. Realistically this place is a 2 in my
view. If for nothing else, lack of Authenticity
& the cheek to include many great North Indian dishes on their menu and to
bely expectations, of people who visit the place with discernment! Will I voluntarily visit Paradise Biryani
Pointe, Bay Area again? NO!
