Via Jason Kottke
“A rowdy group of ten young Indians walked in one Friday evening and occupied the restaurant’s large central table. Their response to no prices was to leave no money; they didn’t even tip the wait staff.”
This is at Babu, a restaurant run by Payal Saha, where the menu initially had no prices. You could pay what you thought the meal was worth. Interesting concept, wouldn't you say? But as my cheap desi brothers have shown, Babu was in danger of being deemed a soup kitchen for the can-pay. And there is this awkwardness of not knowing how much to pay and how much more to tip.
“A few weeks ago, prices were finally written into the menu: a three-course meal with wine comes to about fifty dollars a head.”
Ah, priceless.
Seshu is an Avon, Connecticut based headshot photographer and family portrait photographer. He edits and publishes Tiffinbox and produces Tiffincast for photographers like you!
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JD says
I think they forgot to put following notice:
Desis not allowed!
;)
JD says
I think they forgot to put following notice:
Desis not allowed!
;)
Seshu says
You got that right. How embarassing for them all now to be known as the “rowdy bunch of Indians” who ate for free!
Some Indian restaurants in India, I noticed on my last trip, prohibit two or more people from sharing dishes. There is also a rather unique way or ordering ‘idlis’ in South India – “one by two” – which I think means one person is going to split the order in to two. I assume those “one by two” orders are slightly more expensive than individual orders but since the order is halved each desi has to only cough up 50% of the loot.
Seshu says
You got that right. How embarassing for them all now to be known as the “rowdy bunch of Indians” who ate for free!
Some Indian restaurants in India, I noticed on my last trip, prohibit two or more people from sharing dishes. There is also a rather unique way or ordering ‘idlis’ in South India – “one by two” – which I think means one person is going to split the order in to two. I assume those “one by two” orders are slightly more expensive than individual orders but since the order is halved each desi has to only cough up 50% of the loot.
vv says
Seshu – Did it ever strike you that desis in india actually eat less than the gluttonous desis living in the US? I am still tired of seeing the fat desi sows that roam around in the US wearing ill fitting american outfits trying to resemble them.
where were u born anyway? one by two is a long standing ordering technique in India.
vv says
Seshu – Did it ever strike you that desis in india actually eat less than the gluttonous desis living in the US? I am still tired of seeing the fat desi sows that roam around in the US wearing ill fitting american outfits trying to resemble them.
where were u born anyway? one by two is a long standing ordering technique in India.
Seshu says
VV
Gluttonous desis – sounds like a potential name of a band. No, it did not strike me. I have always figured desis in the West are more in tune with what they eat and how much. Perhaps I am the exception here. But this wasn’t meant to poke fun at how much people ate as much as how friggin cheap desis can get when they order things (food or services).
And for the record, I was born in NYC, but lived a significant portion of my life in India. I am the epitome of (that cliché) – good balance of East and West.
Seshu says
VV
Gluttonous desis – sounds like a potential name of a band. No, it did not strike me. I have always figured desis in the West are more in tune with what they eat and how much. Perhaps I am the exception here. But this wasn’t meant to poke fun at how much people ate as much as how friggin cheap desis can get when they order things (food or services).
And for the record, I was born in NYC, but lived a significant portion of my life in India. I am the epitome of (that cliché) – good balance of East and West.