Shiok is back; new cocktail lounge Moss launches

Hi folks. I’m happy to let you know that I’ve re-opened Shiok, my restaurant, at its new home on Inner Ring Road.
I have also launched my new cocktail lounge called Moss on the first floor of the same building. 

Shiok version 2.0 is our attempt to provide you with the complete fine-dining
experience. We have moved to a more visible location, and created a more upscale
atmosphere without going overboard on the decor. 

So please do visit and check out the new look. We even have a 15% discount at lunch from Monday to Saturday. And you can book your table online.

Here’s what the new place looks like:

We are now located on Koramangala Ring Road, right around the corner from
Airport Road. If you would like to get a map and driving directions, it’s all
on our web site. The full address is:

Shiok Far-eastern Cuisine
96, Amar Jyoti Layout
Koramangala Inner Ring Road
Domlur
Bangalore – 560 071
Phone: 6571 5555 / 6666 (changed from old number)

I’m excited about Moss,
our new laid-back cocktail lounge above Shiok. It’s much larger than our old
cocktail lounge, but still features the same great cocktails (and some new
ones!) at prices that won’t burn a hole in your pocket. (Yes, we have valet
parking.)

Here’s a sneak preview of Moss:

Other "coming soon" plans include:

• Theme nights including Ladies Night
• Home delivery
• Lunch buffets

We will introduce all of those as soon as we settle down in
the new place and get over all the usual new restaurant start-up issues.

(I know this blog has been dead for a while. Blame it on a Movable Type
upgrade that screwed up the publishing and left me unable to post on the blog.
The latest version, thankfully, has fixed that problem. Who knows, this site may
come alive again. Hey, if Obama can become the President of USA…

How not to design a flyover

The problems with Bangalore’s infrastructure are well-known. Everybody knows
we have pathetic pot-holed roads, more traffic than the roads can handle, and an
administration that talks through the wrong orifice about fixing things. Heck,
we can boast that we are possibly the only city in the country, and perhaps the
world, that has a traffic light on a flyover, thanks to the wonderful
administration’s short-sightedness.

But apart from the "oh my gawd, we didn’t foresee the hordes of people
moving in" excuse, there are certain problems with the way infrastructure,
is  designed, that makes you wonder if we might indeed have better luck
entrusting the planning work to a large group of chimpanzees, banging away at
AutoCAD. For instance, at some places, you will find bus stops right after a
traffic light. At others, you will find them around corners. This doesn’t need
some genius-level IQ to figure out, for cryin’ out loud. Who in their right
minds can’t see that erecting a bus stop right after a damn traffic light
is a sure way to cause a traffic block? Couldn’t they move it, say, 200 metres
ahead?

Another thing that the planners don’t seem to understand is the concept of a
"bottleneck". You simply have to look at Old Madras Road, where the 4
lane road is being widened to 8 lanes. Oh, that’s a good thing, you think.
Except that it’s being widened only up to the point of a busy intersection, so
all that happens is that the bottleneck shifts to another point instead.

Let me illustrate this in some detail with the example of the Airport Road-Koramangala
flyover that’s being constructed. This fine piece of work (I almost choked while
writing that) was started in
February 2003 and was supposed to be finished the same year, but of course, all
kinds of bureaucratic problems (methinks somebody didn’t get a big enough share
of the "incidental expenses" pie) led to numerous delays and the first
phase is apparently ready for opening in a fortnight – 3 years later.

The purpose of the flyover is to alleviate the congestion on Airport Road
because the intersection of Koramangala Ring Road, Indiranagar 100 ft Road, and
Airport Road is where three major streams of traffic meet. And anything that can
ease traffic jams is good, right? Flyovers are supposed to help the smooth flow
of vehicles without the problems of having a traffic light, aren’t they? (Unless
you’re using the aforementioned Richmond Road flyover, of course.)

Ode to a fallen warrior

Why, oh why, do people shut down their blogs and wipe all traces of themselves out? First it was the great Jivha, and now it’s another vocal member of the Indian blogosphere.
For him, here is a farewell song. I apologise in advance to Phil Collins.
(sing to the tune of Phil Collins’s Against All Odds)
How can you just walk away from us,
When all we can do is watch you leave
‘Cause we�ve shared the laughter and the pain and even shared the tears
You�re the only one who knew the poor at all
So take a look at your blog, oh there�s just an empty space
And there�s nothing left here to remind us,
Just the memory of your ways
Ooh take a look at us now, well there�s just an empty space
And you coming back to us is against all odds and that�s what we�ve got to face
I wish we could just make you turn around,
Turn around and see us cry
There�s so much we need to say to you,
So many reasons why
You�re the only one who knew the poor at all
So take a look at your blog, well there�s just an empty space
And there�s nothing left here to remind us, just the memory of your ways
Now take a look at us now, cos there�s just an empty space
But to wait for you, is all we can do and that�s what we�ve got to face
Take a good look at us now, cos we�ll still be standing here
And you coming back to us is against all odds
It�s the chance we�ve gotta take
Take a look at us now…

New outsourcing opportunity for India

(Special to MadMan’s Web)

Move over call centres and data processing BPOs. The future of outsourcing
belongs to another industry, if Indian Minister for Commerce, Kamal Nath, is to be
believed. According to Nath, the next new wave of growth in the Indian economy
will come from – believe it or not – the protest industry, now being referred to
as SPO – Strong Protest Outsourcing.

Speaking at a news conference in New Delhi, Kamal Nath briefed reporters that
he sees major business opportunities in getting Western countries to outsource
their protests to India. Nath said, "the outsourcing business is about
saving costs and increasing efficiency. Why should people in countries like USA
and UK waste their time protesting over various issues? The per-capita income is
too high to waste time on being offended. Instead, they can simply outsource
this activity to Indian companies." Asked whether Indian companies were
globally competitive in this market, Nath confidently added, "Can you think
of any country better suited for this business? India is a diverse country with
people of many faiths and beliefs. We have a rich history of being offended at
every little thing, from western expressions of love like Valentine’s Day to
what someone names their dogs. I am certain that we can be the dominant player
in this market in the next five years."

After the press conference, Kamal Nath granted MadMan’s Web an exclusive
freewheeling interview in which he talked at length about this new business
opportunity, India’s competence in this area, and the government’s special
initiatives to foster growth in the industry.

MadMan’s Web: Mr. Nath, thank you for giving us this chance to
interview you.

Kamal Nath: My pleasure. This is the Internet age, and blogs are fast
becoming a powerful medium of disseminating information.

MW: Mr. Nath, could you please tell us a little more about this new
opportunity for India?

KN: The world is far from a peaceful place. Every day, there are
protests in Europe and North America over several issues. Part of being
democratic countries is allowing people the right to protest against what they
think is wrong. But protests also waste productivity. When  people are
protesting, they are not contributing to the economy of their nations. So
instead of protesting themselves, they can simply outsource their outrage to
Indian companies that will specialise in this area. They can then go about their
daily lives, confident that their protests are in safe hands.

MW: Why are you so convinced that Indians are the best suited for this
activity?

KN: Of course we are the best! First of all, Indians have been
offended at pretty much everything over the years. If you’ve written a book
that’s even slightly controversial, there are sections that want it banned. If
you make a movie that tackles bold themes, you can expect howls of protest about
how it’s corrupting impressionable young minds. If you wear a female tennis
outfit just like everyone else in the tennis world, somebody will be quick to
point out how you are no longer a good member of your community. So let me
assure you, no matter what the subject of the protest is, we Indians are capable
of delivering a strong protest. Our service standards are world-class and
globally competitive. When it comes to protesting, we are the epitome of "unity in
diversity"! With our wide range of religions, beliefs, and
castes, we are champions at being offended and having our sentiments hurt.

Tips on making a radical career shift

Today’s issue of Economic Times has a cover story on people who made drastic career shifts in their "High Flier"
supplement. I’m one of the people featured in the story (how I wish I could actually find the darn article on their web site) because I moved from technology and started a far-eastern restaurant. The writer of the story had sent me a long list of questions
a few weeks back, and I had written a mini-essay in response. Much of what I
wrote didn’t make it to the piece (ah, the size constraints of print media) but
when I read it back, I thought that it would be good to post the whole thing
here to help others who might be considering a career change like mine. So here
goes…

1) What are the main reasons that provoked you to make a career transition
from being a software engineer to a hotelier?

I have been passionate about cooking since I was 13. I chose to go with IT as a
career, but by my mid-twenties, I had decided that in another 10 years, I would
have my own restaurant. So it was more about moving the plans forward by a few
years. I chose to do this because I was 27, single, and thought I could take
more risks now than if I were, say 35. Also, the IT industry was going through
its bust phase a few years ago, and companies were doing crazy things, including
laying off lots of people. I decided that it was the right time to move.

2) What emotions did you go through while making a major career leap?
Weren’t you a little skeptical of abandoning the career you did for so many
years for something very new?

It definitely wasn’t an easy decision to make, and I’m not the impulsive type at
all. But several of my friends said I should give it a shot. Once I started
considering it seriously, I thought about it for a whole month to make sure it
wasn’t just a passing fad. After I made a firm decision, I experienced anxiety
and apprehension about a whole new future, but there was also some exhilaration
about doing something I was so passionate about.

Bad infrastructure saves lives: Karnataka Chief Minister

(Special to MadMan’s Web)

Karnataka Chief Minister Dharam Singh today lashed out at the media for
harping incessantly about the poor infrastructure in Bangalore. Singh said that
the media should paint a more balanced picture and not stress only the negative
aspects of the city.

"If you believe only what you read in the papers, you will think that
people are only getting stuck in traffic jams every day. Why does nobody talk
about the reasoning behind the our potholed roads?", asked the furious
Chief Minister at a press conference today. When asked to explain, Singh said
that thanks to the potholed roads and impoverished infrastructure of the capital
city, many human lives had been saved. Referring to the recently
released statistics that death from road accidents had gone down by 12% from 903 to
791, Singh gave credit to the poor roads and constant traffic jams in city. "You media people should put more value on human lives.
Earlier, people used to get hit by speeding vehicles. Thanks to our roads, we
have eliminated the possibility of reckless driving. Tell me, how can you hit an
innocent pedestrian or another vehicle when you’re driving on potholed roads at
20 Km/hour or if you’re caught in a traffic jam on Airport Road?", said the
CM.

Dharam Singh added that apart from the fewer accidents, inferior roads were
also an important part of stimulating the state economy because they generated
valuable jobs for the poor. He earnestly requested the middle class and
upper-middle class citizens to spare a thought for the numerous labourers and
construction workers who made their living from jobs generated by the road
repair and maintenance contracts that are being issued every year. "It is
easy for the people driving their expensive cars to complain about the state of
the roads. I ask these people to put themselves in the shoes of the poor person
who works on tarring roads. These people live a hand-to-mouth existence. If
there are no roads to repair, how will they feed their families?", asked
Singh.

The CM said he would recommend the Bangalore infrastructure model to other
states as well. He said that like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he too believed
in infrastructure reforms "with a human face". "Like it or not,
bad infrastructure saves lives", he concluded.

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!

Sting operation on MadMan shows he is a fraud

It seems I’m a cheat, folks. I supposedly pretend to be a “veteran blogger” when I’m not. Or at least so says Rohan Pinto in this brilliant piece of investigative journalism. (Read it at http://blog.rohanpinto.com/archives/2005/08/blogging_or_che.html – I’m not giving my Google juice away.)
Mr. Pinto is shocked and outraged, as he well should be, that I have posts dated five years back. How on earth could this be possible when this darn domain was only registered in 2003? What’s worse, people are commenting on articles three years after they were written!
I think there is no doubt, ladies and gentlemen, that I have been cheating you all by pretending to have a blog for longer than I actually have. You would do well to totally disregard anything I write from now on, because the evidence for that is clear. There can be no other explanation at all.

Book Tag

Yazad tagged
me with this book meme that’s actually hopped from LiveJournal to the
"other" blog world. Sorry, my response has been late. But getting the
flu has at least one upside, and that is that you find some time to write stuff
like this. You can’t work even if you want to because your taste buds are shot,
and without being able to taste food properly, a chef is pretty useless.

Here we go then…

Total Number of Books I Own: Like Yazad, I never counted. I estimate
several hundred (at least 700 or so). I got them insured for Rs. 50000 which is
much lower than what they’re worth. The collection also grows faster than I can read
them, so I have about 20 books still to be read. 

Last Book I Bought: I spent many hours at bookshops in Singapore
during my last trip a couple of months back (when I
wasn’t eating, that is), and the last book I bought was a double
volume of Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen
Confidential and A
Cook’s Tour.

Last Book I Read: Why
Men Don’t Listen and Women Can’t Read Maps: How We’re Different and What to Do
About It. I borrowed this from a friend because the title got me
curious. (I’m always curious about books on human behaviour.) It turned out to
be mostly crap and I read only 3/4 of it. Does that count? If not, the last book
I read completely was Frederick Forsyth’s Avenger.
It was entertaining but set off my "bullshit meter" far too often.

Five Books That Mean a Lot to Me: I can’t possibly restrict it to
five, but those are the rules, so let’s give it a shot.

On
Writing Well by William Zinsser: This book is invaluable to people who
want to be better writers. When you read it, you will realise how much more you
could be. I owe much of my penchant for simplicity and clarity to this man. It’s
affordable, so you should buy a copy too.

The
Design of Everyday Things: If you think I bitch too much, you can partly
blame this book. It opened my eyes to the world of design, and showed how poor
design is responsible for product screw-ups. If you’ve wondered why people push
a door when it’s clearly marked "Pull", this book will tell you. (And
it’s a design problem, not a user problem.)

Peopleware:
Productive Projects and Teams: Every person who manages a team of
professionals in the IT business should have a copy of this book, and even if
you’re not in IT, a large part of the management advice in this book
will still be useful to you. Stuff like how overtime doesn’t help in the long
run, or how motivational posters actually have the opposite effect… here, read
the sample chapter online. 

Influence:
The Psychology of Persuasion: Robert Cialdini has written a wonderful
book on how we are manipulated by other people all the time. He describes these
"weapons of influence", why they work, and how to protect yourself
from them.

It
Rains Fishes: Legends, Traditions and the Joys of Thai Cooking: Believe
it or not, this book has only 30 recipes, but its value lies in the detailed way
the author explains the principles of cooking and combining flavours. I’m a
strong believer in teaching people how to cook rather than teaching them
just recipes, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Read her pieces on balancing
flavours, making curry
pastes, and cooking to
taste rather than blindly following recipes. This book closely competed with
the far more formidable tome on Chinese cooking, The
Modern Art of Chinese Cooking by Barbara Tropp. So why did It Rains
Fishes win? Because Tropp’s book is not in the least for the casual cook. It
can be intimidating reading it if you’re a novice, but a great learning
experience if you’re not (and I wasn’t.)

 

Tag five people and have them do this on their blogs

Is there anyone out there who hasn’t been tagged yet? People like Yazad have
tossed their nets out to catch everyone. After much cross-checking, here are my
picks:

The Raving Atheist

Shanti Mangala

Sandeep

Jace

Anita Bora

Look ma, I’m on TV

To all the fans of my gourmet cooking, you get to see me in the flesh, cooking drunken seafood (I hope they use that clip) on TV.
My restaurant and I will be featured in a segment on Bangalore restaurants. It will air today (04 May 2005) on Zee Business at 5 PM (or thereabouts) and again at 8 PM. So please don’t miss it. I will also try to record the clip and put it up here for the world to see.
The segment is in Hindi, and I apologise in advance for fumbling a bit in my interview. While I speak Hindi quite well (grew up in Delhi, after all), my oratorial skills in the language died after school, which was 15 years ago. I had mentally prepared for an English Q&A, and had to quickly rework it in my head. But the food is all real.
Update: Well, that was a quick one. They left out all the interviews so you won’t see me speak, but you will see me smile and cook. (Since I don’t smile at all, that part was very hard to shoot.) I’ve contacted a news monitoring service about recording the clip so I can put it online. It should be up in a few days, and by few I mean at least four.