Rang Mahal restaurant: Ucchi dukaan, feeke pakwan!

Amazing ambience. (This pic is taken from restaurant website)

My brother-in-law, being foodie, always has some foodie plans ready whenever we meet up. Yesterday, we decided to go to Rang Mahal. Located at a posh and swanky Pan Pacific Hotel in Singapore, the expectations were high. Pan Pacific has seating pods over a pool in lobby and the concept is a delight to eyes.

Rang Mahal has a unique style of ambience with dim lights, high ceiling and traditional-contemporary interiors. It is welcoming for a great dining experience. Great care has been taken in making ambience perfect, working on each minute detail.

Dhoklas served with a stick.

Papad and Khakharas.

The Menu Card boasts of several awards and recognition and it was flattering but not so true about the menu itself. Since I am vegetarian, I keep my comments on Non-Vegetarian food reserved. After lot of flipping and flapping pages, we settled down with Veg Sampler – a bouquet of three veg starters. We were presented with Dhokla in a stick with some Papad and Khakhras as complimentary starters. “Dhoklas and Khakhras...Is that a Narendra Modi effect? I refrained from connecting such an extended dots.

Options for Vegetables in Main course is very limited. It was as if forcing to order out of some regular choices. We did a “majority wins” and ordered one experimental and one safe veggie.

Presentation: With TV shows like ‘MasterChef’, our understanding about food presentation and platting has gone up significantly, not that it is new to us. I remember my mom garnishing Chhole and Dal with fine-chopped Coriander leaves and making a design out-of  cream on veggies like Panner Butter Masala or a Kofta Curry. That was Indian home-maker's definition of food platting and presentation! Sorry to say, the Jodhpuri Panner Makhani had no presentation of any kind. Starters were dressed with some vegetable leaves, unimpressively. Two expert ladies with us were of the same views.

Taste: Lets ignore the presentation part. What about the taste? I guess all of us were refraining from saying negative about food and giving enough time and chances to our taste buds. Not everything could go wrong. But once we started discussing, we realised that none of us liked any of the dish that we ordered. We were trying to be appreciative and wanted to like something, but we ended eating plain breads and leaving almost half of the portions of vegetables as it is. Issue was not with limited variety in Menu, issue was with taste.

Taste-bud neutraliser served between starter and Main course was the only saving grace.

Customer service: I don’t think the staff was anywhere close to comforting or welcoming. They were eager to take order with approaching us in every 5 minutes. We had three little kids with us who were not attended or asked even once if we needed anything for them. I don’t think it costs much to smile unless they are told not to do so.

Overall, I would still say we had good outing because of the people we met and the way we enjoyed. No marks for the food, we all left the place full of disappointment. My brother-in-law came up with a phrase in Hindi – Ucchi dukaan, feeke pakwan (rich shop with little to offer), which sums up the dining experience well.

Ambience: Excellent.

Price: Expensive but acceptable only if food is good.

Quality: Average.

Quantity: Average.

Taste: Lot of scope for improvement.

Service: Could be more attentive, appreciative and involved.

Rating: 4.5 out of 10, just because I don’t want to sound harsher.

fOoD fOr ThOuGhT: I am fully aware that hospitality industry is among the most difficult industries to work in. The customers are ever demanding and it is difficult to please everyone with same amount of satisfaction. Factors like our mood, our choice of dish, time we have in hand to spend, all plays a role in overall experience. I want to sound milder and don’t want to be discouraging. Above is my (and our) personal experience and can just act as an added information for the diners.

Our HRD minister Mrs. Smriti Irani is not a gradulate. So what?

A couple of weeks back Mr. Ajay Maken, Congress leader, twitted about HRD minister not being graduate and raised concern if she is fit to deliver. Going by that logic, Ajay Maken should have represented India in some sports before becoming sports minister in UPA 2.  And the media has created a hype as if an undergraduate is picked straight from college and made a minister. Half of the people raising their voice opposing Mrs. Irani might not even know what an HRD minister is expected or empowered to do.

“I guess HRD minister has something to do with universities, UGCs, …oh ya IIMs come under him, remember Arjun Singh increased quota in IIMs…”, That’s what a friend told me when I asked what do you expect from HRD minister.

  

The Ministry is responsible for the development of human resources. The ministry is divided into two departments: the Department of School Education and Literacy, which deals with primary and secondary education, adult education and literacy, and the Department of Higher Education, which deals with university education, technical education, scholarship etc.  More on HRD department can be explored here. 

Now that we know what the ministry is reponsible for, lets look at how logical the criticism is. Some more by Madhu Kishwar, academician and writer:

First of all, As per Indian constitution, there is no minimum education qualification required to contest elections. If that is the case, anybody can stand and represent section of people from a region. If he gets sufficient acceptance (votes), he has all the rights to sit in Parliament and represent those people. If candidate’s Party decides, he can become PM of the nation also without being elected by people in Lok Sabha (has to become member of Rajya Sabha in such case). So you see, even a 4^th grader can be a PM if he is capable enough.

Secondly, the point raised here is on formal education. We need to understand that there is a difference between having a qualification, having knowledge and being literate. Smriti Irani, as per her affaidavit, is not a graduate. So she may not be having enough qualification on papers. Does that mean she does not have knowledge? Or can we say that she is illiterate?

Knowledge can be acquired by self-learning and need not be restricted to four-walls of school or college for learning. It is more important to be literate and possess knowledge rather than gather a qualification. At a minister’s level, what is required is an understanding of ground reality. A direction for progress, a plan to achieve it and a will to execute that plan in timely manner. Clearly it doesn’t require an MBA or an Engineer or a Phd holder to be an HRD minister.

Third, if we look at her political career she climbed the ladder by working hard, starting at grass root level. In 2004 she was VP of Maharashtra Youth Wing. In 2010 she became National Secretary of BJP and then All India President for BJP Women’s wing. In 2011, she was sworn in as Member of Parliament from Gujarat to the Rajya Sabha. One cannot say that she has been favored by the appointment. She has experience in administration and command over her thoughts. If formal education was everything then why Constitution doesn’t prescribe that Only Phd or Professors can head HRD or only an ex-Amry man can head Defense or only an Investment Banker can lead Finance Ministry. That is not the criteria.

Forth, the criteria is Management skills. Are you capable of doing analysis, putting logical blocks? Can you understand a problem? Can you take tough but correct decisions? Can you evaluate solutions suggested by bureaucrats under you? Can you comprehend, articulate and communicate? Can you get the job done? Can you connect and create an impact? Are you visionary? Can you inspire? If answer is: Yes; then you have the required skill sets for the job.

Fifth, I want to refrain from naming any politician unnecessarily to further substantiate my point. But if you look at the Indian political scenario, few of the state heads, present or past, are not even 10^th Pass. Then how did they manage to work? How could they understand the Economics part of the Politics?

Sixth, as long as minister has an outlook, innovative ideas to lead, qualification doesn’t matter. In a way it is good because such individuals do not come with pre-conceived notions. They cannot complain that the task is too difficult. They are only energetic to deliver.

Seventh and importantly, she is not working alone. There is a team of people who would be guiding her. She herself would have access to information and can consult to experts before taking decisions. And when Prime Minister Mr. Modi says that he will submit a report card of his government in 2019, he must be clear about what he is doing. An able captain knows whom to field where and how to achieve targets. Let the captain take the calls and may not be necessary for him to justify everything as he does it.

Eighth and my favorite, look at the disruptive thought it gives. You don't need to be even a graduate to lead the nation with important portfolio. As we progress, it is important for us to acquire right skill sets, something my mentor and ex-boss always told me. Skills and smartness can take you places. I am not undermining the importance of formal education, it provides good start in career, but that should not be considered as a road-block for achieving your goals.

I think media and opposition are in hurry to see results. We have given votes and trusted them, now let us give them fair time to perform and showcase. It is not even a month yet. Criticisms are good and help in making democracy stronger but only healthy criticism helps in diverting energy in positive channel.

fOoD fOr ThOuGhT: Looking at the quality of criticism and debates on television show, I do believe we are in urgent need of human resource development. Do watch this thoughtful video – views expressed by Mrs. Irani at International Women’s Conference held in Feb 2014. It will give you lot of hopes!

PS: I do not have any political affiliation or interest. Views are my own based on logical points that I can see.

Murugan - The 'Authentic' Idli shop!

Fresh Banana leaf on plate with four amazing Chutneys!

 Murugan Idli Shop is home for us when we want a break from routine North Indian food of Tandoori Roti, Sabji, Dal, etc. It is located on the busy street of Syed Alwi Road close to Mustafa.

The restaurant is small, simple with basic seating arrangements. It is often crowded especially on weekends when people shop at Mustafa and stop at Murugan for lunch or Dinner.

As you occupy seat, you are presented with a piece of paper and pencil. That paper is Menu card cum Order note. All the dishes are listed along with prices and you are suppose to select what you want to eat and indicate number of quantities. Unique way of taking order and I quite like it.

Menu Card cum Order Note.

By the time you make up your mind and complete the order, you are presented plate with large fresh Green Banana leaf covering the plate and 4 different chutneys on it. This is standard serving irrespective of what you order. In Southern parts of India, serving and eating food on Banana leaf is a tradition. It is believed that top of the leaf is naturally coated with some chemical. When these are consumed along with food, it makes food tasty and makes digestion process better. Other advantage of using Banana leaf for the restaurant is that the turn-around time is quick as they don’t have to wait for cutlery to get washed, cleaned, dried and ready for next serving. Though it adds to the operating cost, I deeply appreciate the restaurant for keeping the traditions alive in foreign country where managing cost is critical.

Since the name itself has Idli, it is but natural to try atleast one Idli, you can call it a starter. The Idlis are soft, big, generally hot and fresh. It is a must everytime you go there. I like Vada and they serve it really crispy. Onion Uttappam, Masala Dosa or Butter Masala Dosa, all are good with authentic South Indian taste. A special mention about Sambar – it is really tasty and you can ask for more servings without any additional cost for it.

They also serve variety of rice (Lemon, Tamarind, Tomato, Curd, Sambar) though I haven’t tried them yet so I will reserve my comments on them. But going by my experience on other dishes, it should be good.

The way Idli is must have, coffee is also a must have at the end of food, irrespective of you want to have it or not. It is served in traditional half-cut steel glass, coffee filled till its brim accompanied with a small bowl. The aroma and taste of that filter coffee will definitely revive your energy and mood.

I always enjoy food here though it is somewhat congested place with limited open space from baby-pram or shopping bags. You may have to struggle for seat sometimes but when you get it, the food is always served by heart. Options on Menu card are limited saving lot of order time and helping restaurant in keeping low items of inventory.

Murugan is part of Indian food chain and has been able to keep its long established tradition of quality and taste.

Ambience: Simple, small layout, basic seating arrangement

Price: Reasonable

Quality: Good.

Quantity: Average

Taste: Authentic

Service: Fast

Rating: 7 +1 for the Chutneys and Sambar

fOoD fOr ThOuGhT: It is a place for perfect brunching, snacking when you want to eat light still be tight!