This issue is dedicated to all the restaurants of Bombay which relentlessly cater to our culinary needs. Restaurants of all hues, big and small, simple and fancy, inexpensive to high-priced, old and new.
Running a restaurant is not a joke, nothing as simple as putting together some tables and chairs, getting the décor organised, setting up the kitchen, getting a few good chefs and waiters and throwing open your shutters. And neither is it as money-making as it is made out to be. Especially today when the competition is so cut-throat.
As a tribute to those who do make living fun for us, fine-tuning a multitude of ideas, we have put together a consortium of eateries, under certain headings and categories to make it easier for our readers to identify and enjoy their existence. It wasn’t easy selecting these and please let me state at the onset, there are many restaurants not in this issue which we also love to go eating out at. Bombay does have amazing dining options and it was just not possible to put them all in one issue. We plan to make this a regular feature in UpperCrust. In fact, the next issue is Part II of the Bombay Restaurant Special.
Everything in life is like a spectrum. When we were planning this special issue, sitting in office, brainstorming and discussing food, food, food and more food, we were so full of gratitude that we had the good fortune of dealing with such a wonderful and divine subject as food, we started to thank God for all the opportunities that come our way to go tasting food, wining and dining, including travelling to all parts of the world, when the topic slowly swung... to the less fortunate, to those who lack the ability to dine out because of the expense involved, to those who think twice before treating themselves, those with no homes, those who were on the brink of poverty, who ate one meal a day if they got lucky, who starved and went to sleep with hunger pangs raging in their stomachs...
And so we thought of Mr D Sivanandan and his Roti Bank. Here is a man, a retired police officer who considers it his duty to be able to offer one hot meal a day to these very hapless souls. He is nothing short of a messiah and I say this at the risk of facing his wrath when I see him next. For as low-profile as he is, he wants no accolades for what he is doing, no awards. His award, he says, is in the reward that will come from above. Roti Bank which started in 2018 has, to date, served 10 lakh meals to the poor and hungry.
It can’t be easy doing what he does. Years ago, we at UpperCrust had attempted to do the same, but had failed. Seeing how much food is wasted in hotels and restaurants and at lavish weddings, we tried to see if we could be instrumental in just shifting the excess from point A to point B, but there were so many hurdles, it would be impossible to run our publishing house and do this charity work, too.
It pains me to think of the tonnes of excess food that goes into compost machines of various clubs and 5-star hotels of our country. So I really do thank God for giving us people like Mr Sivanandan. Who incidentally did not know I planned to put him and his happy street children on the cover. He happily trotted to Afternoon House when I called and requested if we could meet to discuss Roti Bank for a feature in UpperCrust.
“Sure, Madam,” he said, “our future depends only on publicity and celebrity appeals. We don’t have any marketing department. So thank you, I will be there. You can ask me whatever questions you want.” That’s Sivanandan-speak. Simple, honest, to the point. Any wonder that Roti Bank gets the support it does? That’s what credibility begets; respect and trust.
In conclusion, may I make two requests. Never waste food, at home or in restaurants. It’s a moral crime. Research shows 1/3rd of the food produced worldwide gets wasted, that is 1.3 billion tonnes gone down the drain. Also, feed a hungry person when you see one. Remember 7,000 Indians die of hunger DAILY. That is 25 lakhs every year!
Hunger remains the Number 1 cause of death in the world.
