Indian Food--Please Sir, I'd Like No More

[FN Phat]

There's a reason most Indian people I meet are skinny, its because their food sucks. I've had lots of Indian food and its rarely good and never great, and I live in a city with lots of Indian restaurants.

Theres' a reason most Hawaiian people I meet are large, it's because their food rocks. I've had lots of Hawaiian food and it's really good and never sucks, and I live in a city with no diversity in restaurants.

[Harry Tic]

Where would you rank Indian food among international cuisines? I'm not much of a international foodie, so I'm certain there are many countries whose fare I would find objectionable, but among the more common entries (French, Italian, English (!), Thai, Spanish, German, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Greek, etc.), Indian for me is currently in last place, and it's not close. I was reminded of this the other night when a client (whom I hold dear, as the people are great and the company is very well-run and among the top Indian multinationals, and I'd say this even if I didn't fear one of them might stumble upon this thread!) sent a couple of officers to meet with me. They picked the restaurant and my heart sank when I learned it was a local Indian eatery. And when I drove up to the restaurant I was plunged further into the depths of depression when I observed the restaurant's tagline, "Vegetarian Indian Restaurant." I tried to flash the Bat Signal to cowboy but neither he nor his herd came to my aid.

I'll skip the review since I can't recall a single food title, although myriad chutneys and a sauce that was apparently shipped in instantly from the surface of the sun figured prominently in the various courses. While the meal wasn't horrific, it was unsatisfying and reminded me again why I patronize Indian restaurants only under duress. At least my dining companions were very nice and the conversation was pleasant. They kept telling me how healthy each food item was, but the only apparent benefit was that I would never suffer the effects of overeating.

Anyone here rank Indian food in the upper echelons of their dining preferences?

PAC, mark my words: you and Mrs. PAC will one day send in your mission papers, indicating your willingness to serve wherever in the vineyard the good Lord may call you. And you will open that letter and the word "Mumbai" will jump off the page at you.

Your fate has been sealed.

[Indy Coug]

Chicken Tikka Masala -- I could live on that stuff.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Chicken Tikka Masala -- I could live on that stuff.

Chicken makhani (butter chicken) is my favorite. Very similar. Throw in some fresh cucumber raita and mango chutney and basmatti rice. Yum...

[BigPiney]

One of my favorite Idiot Abroad episodes is when they sent Karl to China and he's at the market trying to get something to eat and I think all he ends up with were a bag of chips and a soda because everything else was scorpions and sea horses on a stick.

All of them. I love that show so much. Is the the episode where he calls warwick on the phone and tells him abou the wonder place in China they have for all the little people? That was comedy gold.

[Pheidippides]

Real Chinese food sucks so much balls.

And those balls are from a hairy sweaty yak, fermented for a year, fried in fat rendered from the liver of a diseased carp, wrapped in the picked intestine of twenty giant poisonous beetles, served with stewed sheep fetuses on a plate last washed in the Ming dynasty, and called a delicacy.

Real Chinese is against the Geneva convention.

[Clark Addison]

Same as my order. Japanese/Korean curry is the bomb. Thai is second but not that close to Japanese curry. Indian distant third.

Indian food seems to be one of those foods that when it comes up in conversation everyone has to say "I love Indian food." But really they're all lying because they haven't eaten that much of it and they just like naan.

And Mango Lassi.

Plus, to all of you people who say Chinese food sucks, you are wrong.

[thesaint258]

Indian done right is one of my top three cuisines. I love it. Part of that may be because I eat it about once a year at most, due to my wife's sensibilities being closer to PAC's, and the dearth of any good Indian restaurants in North Carolina.

But you have that delicious Carolina Barbecue, so it's all good.

[jay santos]

i hate threads like this. I'm craving good Indian food so bad right now.

[BigFatMeanie]

Anyone making fun of Hawaiian food in this thread can kiss my white Hawaiian ass.

Add my fat white Hawaiian ass to this too.

The best part about Hawaiian food is that while you have traditional Hawaiian dishes, Hawaiian cuisine is generally the best of all the Asian, American and Pacific island foods. Hawaii is fusion.

Theres' a reason most Hawaiian people I meet are large, it's because their food rocks. I've had lots of Hawaiian food and it's really good and never sucks, and I live in a city with no diversity in restaurants.

Dudes...

I'll grant that Leonard's malasadas are awesome (that's fusion for you - Portuguese donuts adopted by the Hawaiians) and a few of the things at Ono Hawaiian Foods are pretty good (lomi salmon, kalua pig, etc.). But loco moco with macaroni, all the taro/breadfruit, and the shocking amount of Spam consumed on the islands are simply too much for the few bright stars that exist in Hawaiian cuisine to overcome.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Dudes...

I'll grant that Leonard's malasadas are awesome (that's fusion for you - Portuguese donuts adopted by the Hawaiians) and a few of the things at Ono Hawaiian Foods are pretty good (lomi salmon, kalua pig, etc.). But loco moco with macaroni, all the taro/breadfruit, and the shocking amount of Spam consumed on the islands are simply too much for the few bright stars that exist in Hawaiian cuisine to overcome.

lol.

BFM is speaking a harsh truth. Fusion is not always an improvement. I give you .... Hawaiian sushi:

[FN Phat]

Dudes...

I'll grant that Leonard's malasadas are awesome (that's fusion for you - Portuguese donuts adopted by the Hawaiians) and a few of the things at Ono Hawaiian Foods are pretty good (lomi salmon, kalua pig, etc.). But loco moco with macaroni, all the taro/breadfruit, and the shocking amount of Spam consumed on the islands are simply too much for the few bright stars that exist in Hawaiian cuisine to overcome.

loco moco. I crave that stuff.

[FN Phat]

lol.

BFM is speaking a harsh truth. Fusion is not always an improvement. I give you .... Hawaiian sushi:

spam musubi is the only "sushi" that I like but I hate seafood.

[BigPiney]

Dudes...

I'll grant that Leonard's malasadas are awesome (that's fusion for you - Portuguese donuts adopted by the Hawaiians) and a few of the things at Ono Hawaiian Foods are pretty good (lomi salmon, kalua pig, etc.). But loco moco with macaroni, all the taro/breadfruit, and the shocking amount of Spam consumed on the islands are simply too much for the few bright stars that exist in Hawaiian cuisine to overcome.

spam! so gross, and that shit they call Hawaiian haystacks. That is the most disgusting pile I have ever had.

[Eddie]

Anytime we go out for a Hawaiian plate meal, my wife takes all the macaroni salad. Can't get enough of it. Not sure I would put that on the list of bad things about Hawaiian food.

Honestly - every culture has certain dishes that are horrible. It's just that some have stuff that is good too.


Back to Indian - I'm in the camp with those who say it can be very good or very bad.