Sunday, August 20, 2006

Punjabi by Nature!

Last night I went to this restaurant, Pind Balluchi with my mom and my younger brother.
I had been there before and faintly remembered that the food served is good. But that's all to the memories I had of that place!
This time things were to be a bit different...

After waiting for about 5 minutes, we were given a table. It was furnished with 4 steel glasses, accompanied by a set of 3 bowls bearing achaar, sirke wale pyaaz and hari chutney and a glass half filled with water, and stuffed with green chillies up to the rim!

The decor of the restaurant was true to its name, ethnic Punjabi ishtyle!
As my eyes moved around the place, trying to assimilate what it had to offer, a waiter, dressed in a pathani kurta pyajama, with a jacket over it, came over to take the order.

"We'll have Dal Makhani, Butter Paneer Masala and Aloo Gobhi, with Pudina Parantha and Butter Naan, and lachha pyaaz!", I said.
A minute later, another waiter, in a similar attire, laid out huge steel thalis with 3 steel katoris in each, on our table.

As we sat there waiting for the food, people all around, were chit chatting, not very loud though, but enough to enliven the surroundings.
We could hear a collection of Punjabi songs, with the likes of "Gur nalon ishq mitha" n "Dhol jageeron da", playing in the background. I have never really enjoyed listening to such songs, except when they are played in the weddings or in the parties otherwise, but that very moment, I found myself in rapture!
I smiled and looked towards my brother; he smiled back too! Apparently, he felt the same...

For a while, I thought I was there, in the land of 5 rivers. I could smell that earth.
I felt as if there is a group of people at some distance, dancing to the tunes of those songs. I wanted to stand up and shake a leg with them.


Just then, the waiter came back with the food that we had ordered. The food was yum!
It tasted better than the last time. Mum 'n' bro were pleased too!
Once we had eaten to our hearts full, the waiter got us some gur 'n' saunf. That amazing feeling continued to surround me...
We paid the bill with a handsome tip!

As soon as we stepped out of the restaurant, my brother started speaking in Punjabi, not very fluent though, but at least it helped to keep that feeling alive.
We drove to Giani's for an ice-cream on our way back home, to add on to the "being-punjabi" feeling that we were smitten over by!

An awesome night with my favourite people around and that special feeling throughout, I had the time of my life!
Haddippaaa!!! :D

9 comments:

Reeta Skeeter said...

It feels great to go and dine at such places...and the sirkey wala pyaz and hari chutney are a must at all such restaurants.... there is one 'baujee ka dhaba' at metropolitan mall guragon...it is also very nice...

cheers!

Anonymous said...

i agree with reeta... baujee ka dhabha is wonderful.

btw, a handsome tip? nostalgia isn't what it used to be ;)

Anonymous said...

Hmm... when u asked me earlier that day if i got the similar feel while readin ur post... i sed yea a 'lil bit'!!... but today ven i read it... i cud actually feel i was dere...hmm... actually imagining yew!... hehe... with a faint idea of how u look.. and yeah with the blue shirt ur wearing in the primary pic on orkut!!... :D..!!.. nice work..!.. commendable as a always say ...lookin fwd to sum new posts!!..:D.. keep it alive... tc!!

Reeta Skeeter said...

yeah u should kp it alive!!! m with tarika on this!!!

Ankur Arora said...

itz not dead anyway! and won't be dying soon...just dat i don't write dat often, coz i do dat only wen i feel a strong urge to write about smthng! wil try to put in sm more stuff...thnx fr all da appreciation! :)

Reeta Skeeter said...

I did nt say it is dying/dead ... but i can understand wot u mean by saying that u write only when u hv the strong urge to... me too does dat ... and thoda bahut laziness also contributes to no or little posts... ;)

Anonymous said...

I remember our last trip to Pind Balluchi. We were lucky to get the food as it was late in the night.

Anonymous said...

I remember my last trip there:

Thoughts of me
Thoughts of he
Thoughts of she
and US

Couln't break away
i'm sorry
coulden't keep you away

The food was good
and so were the people
all so hayzee though
felt so feeble

Mom was there
and daddy too,
you were there
too too too
thats six o you..

yup i did
I could see six of each
six o mom
six o dad
and six o bhai
could see you there
six o cry

1 o clock
2 o clock
3 o clock rock
Food was good
i was worried
to get u safe in da hood

and hunger there was
and u slept that way
i'm sorry
coulden't let u go away
4eva

-little outta my element rght now!!!

Satanic Angel said...

omigawsh my mouths started watering after readin this one..thers this place we frequent -urban tadka - it's got a similar ambience and the fooood! o maan it's to die for..infact my mum n dad go there soo often that the guys have started givin us complimentary jalebi+rasmalai everytime we visit :D