" I think I will have to disagree with Namita about London being the capital of Indian cuisine. This may have been true some years ago. But now Indian restaurants in India beat the hell out of anything in London. Forget Bukhara or Dum Pukht – I doubt if many of these London chefs would be allowed to cook in those kitchens – but even the Masala restaurants of the Taj group are immeasurably superior to Benares. And by the time you get to Varq or Indian Accent, the contrast is so great as to be meaningless.
I mean no disrespect to the Indian chefs in London. They cater essentially to people who know nothing about Indian food and who believe that if spice levels are reduced or if the gravy is placed below the meat, this marks a huge advance in Indian cuisine. Which is fine and what’s more, it seems to work. They get Michelin stars and the likes of Atul Kochhar and Alfred Prasad of Tamarind are media stars. As an Indian I am proud of their achievements.
I’m just glad that I don’t have to eat their food"
Further signing off he adds,
"On the way back I switched to Jet Airways and was glad I did. Jet must have the best First Class on this sector. The beds are comfortable, you can shut the shutters and turn your seat into a cabin, the TV screens are enormous, the wines are first-rate and the service is so warm and welcoming that you wonder why Indians even bother with foreign airlines.
Our private airlines may be in trouble but there’s one thing you’ve got to concede. They have erased memories of Air India’s sloppiness and have proved that given the right opportunity, Indians can run airlines that are easily as good as the much-praised carriers of south east Asia.
And the Indian food was much better than anything I ate in London."
Having faith in the author, it is not an opinion blindly built. It is well-analysed and then put forth. It's not necessarily bashing the other or praising oneself. It is knowing India as it is, believing in it and letting the pride speak for itself...
