Re: On tipping

by Kris Sun Jun 09, 2013 12:33 pm

Merlot Daruwala wrote:Pravu, you are being cheap in not tipping the guy who brought you your dinner in the rains. And you are trying to rationalize with some irrelevant speculation on his legality.

But that apart, the tipping system is silly. While I was in the US, I conformed to the 15% norm and never gave it much thought, putting down the practice to an American quirk.

But now, having traveled round the world, I find the arrangement most annoying and irrational. Service levels in the US are the worst in the world but the waitstaff expect a tip regardless and get aggressive if none is forthcoming. And spare me that sob-story. If your employer underpays you, find another job. Why is that my problem?

Worse still, the tip is pegged to the total value of the bill. Why? Does the service improve four-fold if I order a bottle of wine with my meal? Ridiculous.

>>>>France is even worse, but the US service levels are nothing to write home about.

by Jeremiah Mburuburu Sun Jun 09, 2013 12:58 pm

Kris wrote:
Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:
southindian wrote:TIP: To Insure Promptness was paid before meals at restaurants in old England to get prompt and good service from waiters. Gratuity need to be earned and is not in lieu of salary. You decide the tip depending on your satisfaction of service you expect.

I was in Sydney in the 90s and when I gave tips at some restaurants including Pizza hut, they gave me a weird look and turned it down. I learnt later that tips were not expected in Ozland and most were salary workers - unlike the hourly wagers in US. But, it has now become another habit there.

What pisses me off is when the restaurants prints that tips be given and adds a mandatory 18% tip for groups of 6 or more is nothing but passing on their expenses to customers. Exactly what Wal-mart does as was stated in that article.

>>>>Same in China and I felt bad since the customer service was very good in some of these places. In the US, one of my pet peeves is places that automatically add like a 20% tip when the party exceeds a certain number of people. This seems rather presumptuous.

in fact, the the restaurateur could reduce the bill when a larger number of customers are served together as a group, because of economies of scale. for example, if a party of two requires the service of one waiter, a party of eight does not require four waiters. i think it would be more reasonable to charge single diners an additional amount.

as for what percent the tip should be, i have been leaving 15% all these years; i take the tip to be part of the cost of eating out in america. rarely have i paid more for superior service, or less for inferior; i don't consider the waiter perfunctorily throwing out an "is everything alright?" superior service.

by Marathadi-Saamiyaar Sun Jun 09, 2013 1:03 pm

Jeremiah Mburuburu wrote:
Kris wrote:
Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:
southindian wrote:TIP: To Insure Promptness was paid before meals at restaurants in old England to get prompt and good service from waiters. Gratuity need to be earned and is not in lieu of salary. You decide the tip depending on your satisfaction of service you expect.

I was in Sydney in the 90s and when I gave tips at some restaurants including Pizza hut, they gave me a weird look and turned it down. I learnt later that tips were not expected in Ozland and most were salary workers - unlike the hourly wagers in US. But, it has now become another habit there.

What pisses me off is when the restaurants prints that tips be given and adds a mandatory 18% tip for groups of 6 or more is nothing but passing on their expenses to customers. Exactly what Wal-mart does as was stated in that article.

>>>>Same in China and I felt bad since the customer service was very good in some of these places. In the US, one of my pet peeves is places that automatically add like a 20% tip when the party exceeds a certain number of people. This seems rather presumptuous.
in fact, the the restaurateur could reduce the bill when a larger number of customers are served together as a group, because of economies of scale. for example, if a party of two requires the service of one waiter, a party of eight does not require four waiters. i think it would be more reasonable to charge single diners an additional amount.

as for what percent the tip should be, i have been leaving 15% all these years; i take the tip to be part of the cost of eating out in america. rarely have i paid more for superior service, or less for inferior; i don't consider the waiter perfunctorily throwing out an "is everything alright?" superior service.

If it is less than 10 - add $2; more than 10 round it off to the next 5s. Too lazy to do all the 15 - 20% math thingies.

BTW, don't you get senior citizen discount while tipping or exempt from tipping - sort of like "people who trip dont tip" policy?

by Kris Sun Jun 09, 2013 1:05 pm

Jeremiah Mburuburu wrote:
Kris wrote:
Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:
southindian wrote:TIP: To Insure Promptness was paid before meals at restaurants in old England to get prompt and good service from waiters. Gratuity need to be earned and is not in lieu of salary. You decide the tip depending on your satisfaction of service you expect.

I was in Sydney in the 90s and when I gave tips at some restaurants including Pizza hut, they gave me a weird look and turned it down. I learnt later that tips were not expected in Ozland and most were salary workers - unlike the hourly wagers in US. But, it has now become another habit there.

What pisses me off is when the restaurants prints that tips be given and adds a mandatory 18% tip for groups of 6 or more is nothing but passing on their expenses to customers. Exactly what Wal-mart does as was stated in that article.

>>>>Same in China and I felt bad since the customer service was very good in some of these places. In the US, one of my pet peeves is places that automatically add like a 20% tip when the party exceeds a certain number of people. This seems rather presumptuous.
in fact, the the restaurateur could reduce the bill when a larger number of customers are served together as a group, because of economies of scale. for example, if a party of two requires the service of one waiter, a party of eight does not require four waiters. i think it would be more reasonable to charge single diners an additional amount.

as for what percent the tip should be, i have been leaving 15% all these years; i take the tip to be part of the cost of eating out in america. rarely have i paid more for superior service, or less for inferior; i don't consider the waiter perfunctorily throwing out an "is everything alright?" superior service.

>>>Good point!

by pravalika nanda Sun Jun 09, 2013 1:09 pm

Whether a delivery guy gets Medicare or lives on welfare is not relevant to tip payment. Tip is strictly related to waiter or delivery service. Waiters life circumstances should not enter this discussion.

[/quote]

** true, i shouldn't have brought it up his residency status. as for the service, i ordered dal and naan, i think it was about 12 bucks, the restaurant is 5 blocks away, the wait time was 90 mins due to the weather. i had already had a pb & j sandwich prior to the delivery. there's no reason to tip people who are employed and doing their job. even the guy who works in the bakery checks to see if i added any tip for putting a couple of cookies in a box.
**also, i think that the reason the guy dared ask me for more money is because i'm an indian woman not a white man; he thought he could get money out of me. i don't care to be liked by lazy people and extortionists.

by pravalika nanda Sun Jun 09, 2013 1:14 pm

goodcitizn wrote:
pravalika nanda wrote:it's pouring out here and i ordered out, like i do every day. i like to tip a dollar when they bring it up to my apartment. note that i live in a really dense area and everything is very close by. so i gave this guy a dollar and he said, "it raining, one dollar no good." and i said, "you have a job, they pay you." and he said some garbage to me after that.

here's the thing, yes, it's raining, it rained for me too, i still went to work, it took me 40 mins to catch a cab and i got a headache from it. this guy is 100% illegal, yet he has a job, he'll use and abuse the system, fornicate and have a dozen kids, while I have to pay taxes, watch them get Medicaid and Medicare and Affirmative Action and Housing Assistance.

i think he should shut the fuck up. there's no way i'm going to buckle under the pressure and tip these assholes more than i should, and i shouldn't have to in the first place. think about it, when was the last time any of you guys got tipped, "propa, that's some really good code you wrote, here's an extra 20." or uppili, did you ever tip your doc, "doc, thanks for repairing my hydrocele, here's a 500?"

You sound like an arrogant, self-absorbed cheapskate who takes potshots at people totally unprovoked. Given that the guy got only a dollar tip for delivering under pouring rain, he ought to have urinated on your cat on his way out.

## you speak like an irresponsible waiter or some kind of subordinate that no one would want to hire. not exactly a good citizen.

by pravalika nanda Sun Jun 09, 2013 1:22 pm

goodcitizn wrote:
Merlot Daruwala wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:
Merlot Daruwala wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:You are so right on that score. On another subject, did you consume any large serpents while you were at HK, Nephew?

Haha..no, alas. I was in genteel, much-monied company that would have looked down on anything less than nouveau-Chinese cuisine in a formal banquet.

But some day, when I'm more familiar with the less savory parts of HK, I might try more serpentine fare.

Btw, have you been to Mainland China restaurant in Bangalore or Chennai? How'd you rate the food in comparison?

I've been to the Bangalore one several times, but that was many many years back. At that time, I thought they offered the best Chinese food in India. I've no idea what the restaurant landscape is in B'lore these days.

Sadly, I never got a chance to visit their outlet in Mumbai. They seem to be doing roaring business. There's one in South Mumbai but the one time I tried to make reservations, they didn't have a table. They even had an IPO last year. I stayed away because it seemed there was a very high key-man risk. That reminds me - I should check on how their stock is doing these days.

A few years back I used to take my clients to the one in Chennai. I thought their menu had a huge variety to choose from with a wide assortment of veg and non-veg items and the service was exemplary. I'll check on the one in Bangalore on my next visit to India.

** merlot, the good citizen might offer to meet up for lunch. don't forget to tip the waiter like an aristocrat in the interest of keeping your cat dry and why not throw in a couple of bucks to the good citizen as well for keeping you company?

by pravalika nanda Sun Jun 09, 2013 1:29 pm

Jeremiah Mburuburu wrote:
Kris wrote:
Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:
southindian wrote:TIP: To Insure Promptness was paid before meals at restaurants in old England to get prompt and good service from waiters. Gratuity need to be earned and is not in lieu of salary. You decide the tip depending on your satisfaction of service you expect.

I was in Sydney in the 90s and when I gave tips at some restaurants including Pizza hut, they gave me a weird look and turned it down. I learnt later that tips were not expected in Ozland and most were salary workers - unlike the hourly wagers in US. But, it has now become another habit there.

What pisses me off is when the restaurants prints that tips be given and adds a mandatory 18% tip for groups of 6 or more is nothing but passing on their expenses to customers. Exactly what Wal-mart does as was stated in that article.

>>>>Same in China and I felt bad since the customer service was very good in some of these places. In the US, one of my pet peeves is places that automatically add like a 20% tip when the party exceeds a certain number of people. This seems rather presumptuous.
in fact, the the restaurateur could reduce the bill when a larger number of customers are served together as a group, because of economies of scale. for example, if a party of two requires the service of one waiter, a party of eight does not require four waiters. i think it would be more reasonable to charge single diners an additional amount.

as for what percent the tip should be, i have been leaving 15% all these years; i take the tip to be part of the cost of eating out in america. rarely have i paid more for superior service, or less for inferior; i don't consider the waiter perfunctorily throwing out an "is everything alright?" superior service.

** flamman, how much do you think i should pay the delivery guy?

by Jeremiah Mburuburu Sun Jun 09, 2013 1:46 pm

pravalika nanda wrote:
Jeremiah Mburuburu wrote:
Kris wrote:
Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:
southindian wrote:TIP: To Insure Promptness was paid before meals at restaurants in old England to get prompt and good service from waiters. Gratuity need to be earned and is not in lieu of salary. You decide the tip depending on your satisfaction of service you expect.

I was in Sydney in the 90s and when I gave tips at some restaurants including Pizza hut, they gave me a weird look and turned it down. I learnt later that tips were not expected in Ozland and most were salary workers - unlike the hourly wagers in US. But, it has now become another habit there.

What pisses me off is when the restaurants prints that tips be given and adds a mandatory 18% tip for groups of 6 or more is nothing but passing on their expenses to customers. Exactly what Wal-mart does as was stated in that article.

>>>>Same in China and I felt bad since the customer service was very good in some of these places. In the US, one of my pet peeves is places that automatically add like a 20% tip when the party exceeds a certain number of people. This seems rather presumptuous.
in fact, the the restaurateur could reduce the bill when a larger number of customers are served together as a group, because of economies of scale. for example, if a party of two requires the service of one waiter, a party of eight does not require four waiters. i think it would be more reasonable to charge single diners an additional amount.

as for what percent the tip should be, i have been leaving 15% all these years; i take the tip to be part of the cost of eating out in america. rarely have i paid more for superior service, or less for inferior; i don't consider the waiter perfunctorily throwing out an "is everything alright?" superior service.
** flamman, how much do you think i should pay the delivery guy?

i would have paid him 2$; but if he gave me lip, i would take away the 2$ and give him back 1$; then i would take away the 1$, give him back 0.50$, and say, "that's for the bad grammar: 'it raining, one dollar no good'."

by pravalika nanda Sun Jun 09, 2013 1:55 pm

Jeremiah Mburuburu wrote:
pravalika nanda wrote:
Jeremiah Mburuburu wrote:
Kris wrote:
Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:

I was in Sydney in the 90s and when I gave tips at some restaurants including Pizza hut, they gave me a weird look and turned it down. I learnt later that tips were not expected in Ozland and most were salary workers - unlike the hourly wagers in US. But, it has now become another habit there.

What pisses me off is when the restaurants prints that tips be given and adds a mandatory 18% tip for groups of 6 or more is nothing but passing on their expenses to customers. Exactly what Wal-mart does as was stated in that article.

>>>>Same in China and I felt bad since the customer service was very good in some of these places. In the US, one of my pet peeves is places that automatically add like a 20% tip when the party exceeds a certain number of people. This seems rather presumptuous.
in fact, the the restaurateur could reduce the bill when a larger number of customers are served together as a group, because of economies of scale. for example, if a party of two requires the service of one waiter, a party of eight does not require four waiters. i think it would be more reasonable to charge single diners an additional amount.

as for what percent the tip should be, i have been leaving 15% all these years; i take the tip to be part of the cost of eating out in america. rarely have i paid more for superior service, or less for inferior; i don't consider the waiter perfunctorily throwing out an "is everything alright?" superior service.
** flamman, how much do you think i should pay the delivery guy?
i would have paid him 2$; but if he gave me lip, i would take away the 2$ and give him back 1$; then i would take away the 1$, give him back 0.50$, and say, "that's for the bad grammar: 'it raining, one dollar no good'."

** ha ha, you're the best, thank you. two bucks it shall be from here on.

by goodcitizn Mon Jun 10, 2013 1:58 am

Kris wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:Btw, have you been to Mainland China restaurant in Bangalore or Chennai? How'd you rate the food in comparison?

>>>>I have been to the one in Chennai a couple of times, I think. The last time I was there was about 5 years ago. I thought the food was good and was more authentic than the Indianized version I have had in other Chinese places in India.

Yes, definitely more authentic. Took our mutual friend and his family there a few times as well.

by goodcitizn Mon Jun 10, 2013 2:30 am

pravalika nanda wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:
pravalika nanda wrote:it's pouring out here and i ordered out, like i do every day. i like to tip a dollar when they bring it up to my apartment. note that i live in a really dense area and everything is very close by. so i gave this guy a dollar and he said, "it raining, one dollar no good." and i said, "you have a job, they pay you." and he said some garbage to me after that.

here's the thing, yes, it's raining, it rained for me too, i still went to work, it took me 40 mins to catch a cab and i got a headache from it. this guy is 100% illegal, yet he has a job, he'll use and abuse the system, fornicate and have a dozen kids, while I have to pay taxes, watch them get Medicaid and Medicare and Affirmative Action and Housing Assistance.

i think he should shut the fuck up. there's no way i'm going to buckle under the pressure and tip these assholes more than i should, and i shouldn't have to in the first place. think about it, when was the last time any of you guys got tipped, "propa, that's some really good code you wrote, here's an extra 20." or uppili, did you ever tip your doc, "doc, thanks for repairing my hydrocele, here's a 500?"

You sound like an arrogant, self-absorbed cheapskate who takes potshots at people totally unprovoked. Given that the guy got only a dollar tip for delivering under pouring rain, he ought to have urinated on your cat on his way out.
## you speak like an irresponsible waiter or some kind of subordinate that no one would want to hire. not exactly a good citizen.

Unless you are a mealy-mouthed, self-absorbed, arrogant female, you wouldn't have brought up Propa's code-writing or Uppili's hydrocele, not to mention the delivery guy's ethnicity, that are totally out of context to your post on tipping. I'd have been more generous tipping a guy who came to my door in pouring rain.

by Kris Mon Jun 10, 2013 2:33 am

goodcitizn wrote:
Kris wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:Btw, have you been to Mainland China restaurant in Bangalore or Chennai? How'd you rate the food in comparison?

>>>>I have been to the one in Chennai a couple of times, I think. The last time I was there was about 5 years ago. I thought the food was good and was more authentic than the Indianized version I have had in other Chinese places in India.

Yes, definitely more authentic. Took our mutual friend and his family there a few times as well.

>>>Hey, funny coincidence- I thought about him today for some reason. There may be a trip coming up to India. Will keep you posted- would like to meet him for lunch or something. I remembered after I posted that my older brother likes Mainland China too. He is a vegetarian and can't remember what he orders there. On other place you may want to pop into next time in Chennai: Radisson Blue in Egmore. Rajasthani food and the service is out of this world.

by goodcitizn Mon Jun 10, 2013 2:55 am

Kris wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:
Kris wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:Btw, have you been to Mainland China restaurant in Bangalore or Chennai? How'd you rate the food in comparison?

>>>>I have been to the one in Chennai a couple of times, I think. The last time I was there was about 5 years ago. I thought the food was good and was more authentic than the Indianized version I have had in other Chinese places in India.

Yes, definitely more authentic. Took our mutual friend and his family there a few times as well.

>>>Hey, funny coincidence- I thought about him today for some reason. There may be a trip coming up to India. Will keep you posted- would like to meet him for lunch or something. I remembered after I posted that my older brother likes Mainland China too. He is a vegetarian and can't remember what he orders there. On other place you may want to pop into next time in Chennai: Radisson Blue in Egmore. Rajasthani food and the service is out of this world.

Didn't get to meet him the last time I was in India since I was primarily in Bangalore taking care of my ailing mom. If you are planning a trip to Chennai in December, perhaps we can all hook up. Apollo put me up at Radisson Blu for a month so I was eating there almost every day! Have you been to Southern Spice at Taj Coromandel? I love the way they serve food, banana leaf inside the plate! Tongue-tingling, lip-smacking vegetarian delights. I am sure you are familiar.

by bw Mon Jun 10, 2013 3:03 am

goodcitizn wrote:
Kris wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:
Kris wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:Btw, have you been to Mainland China restaurant in Bangalore or Chennai? How'd you rate the food in comparison?

>>>>I have been to the one in Chennai a couple of times, I think. The last time I was there was about 5 years ago. I thought the food was good and was more authentic than the Indianized version I have had in other Chinese places in India.

Yes, definitely more authentic. Took our mutual friend and his family there a few times as well.

>>>Hey, funny coincidence- I thought about him today for some reason. There may be a trip coming up to India. Will keep you posted- would like to meet him for lunch or something. I remembered after I posted that my older brother likes Mainland China too. He is a vegetarian and can't remember what he orders there. On other place you may want to pop into next time in Chennai: Radisson Blue in Egmore. Rajasthani food and the service is out of this world.

Didn't get to meet him the last time I was in India since I was primarily in Bangalore taking care of my ailing mom. If you are planning a trip to Chennai in December, perhaps we can all hook up. Apollo put me up at Radisson Blu for a month so I was eating there almost every day! Have you been to Southern Spice at Taj Coromandel? I love the way they serve food, banana leaf inside the plate! Tongue-tingling, lip-smacking vegetarian delights. I am sure you are familiar.

dakshin at adyar gate used to do that too. i wonder if that restaurant still exists!

by Kris Mon Jun 10, 2013 3:04 am

goodcitizn wrote:
Kris wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:
Kris wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:Btw, have you been to Mainland China restaurant in Bangalore or Chennai? How'd you rate the food in comparison?

>>>>I have been to the one in Chennai a couple of times, I think. The last time I was there was about 5 years ago. I thought the food was good and was more authentic than the Indianized version I have had in other Chinese places in India.

Yes, definitely more authentic. Took our mutual friend and his family there a few times as well.

>>>Hey, funny coincidence- I thought about him today for some reason. There may be a trip coming up to India. Will keep you posted- would like to meet him for lunch or something. I remembered after I posted that my older brother likes Mainland China too. He is a vegetarian and can't remember what he orders there. On other place you may want to pop into next time in Chennai: Radisson Blue in Egmore. Rajasthani food and the service is out of this world.

Didn't get to meet him the last time I was in India since I was primarily in Bangalore taking care of my ailing mom. If you are planning a trip to Chennai in December, perhaps we can all hook up. Apollo put me up at Radisson Blu for a month so I was eating there almost every day! Have you been to Southern Spice at Taj Coromandel? I love the way they serve food, banana leaf inside the plate! Tongue-tingling, lip-smacking vegetarian delights. I am sure you are familiar.

>>>>I have eaten at Southern Spice. It so happened that day they had 'nadar' items that I have never eaten before. I used to also like Dakshin at the Park Sheraton. My plans may involve a couple of weeks late summer. Still finalizing it..

by Kris Mon Jun 10, 2013 3:06 am

bw wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:
Kris wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:
Kris wrote:

>>>>I have been to the one in Chennai a couple of times, I think. The last time I was there was about 5 years ago. I thought the food was good and was more authentic than the Indianized version I have had in other Chinese places in India.

Yes, definitely more authentic. Took our mutual friend and his family there a few times as well.

>>>Hey, funny coincidence- I thought about him today for some reason. There may be a trip coming up to India. Will keep you posted- would like to meet him for lunch or something. I remembered after I posted that my older brother likes Mainland China too. He is a vegetarian and can't remember what he orders there. On other place you may want to pop into next time in Chennai: Radisson Blue in Egmore. Rajasthani food and the service is out of this world.

Didn't get to meet him the last time I was in India since I was primarily in Bangalore taking care of my ailing mom. If you are planning a trip to Chennai in December, perhaps we can all hook up. Apollo put me up at Radisson Blu for a month so I was eating there almost every day! Have you been to Southern Spice at Taj Coromandel? I love the way they serve food, banana leaf inside the plate! Tongue-tingling, lip-smacking vegetarian delights. I am sure you are familiar.

dakshin at adyar gate used to do that too. i wonder if that restaurant still exists!

>>>I just posted a response to GC on Dakshin. There used to an iyer chef and the full meals you are probably thinking about were pretty popular. I have taken my parents there a couple of times there I think. I don't think that chef is there now.

by bw Mon Jun 10, 2013 3:11 am

Kris wrote:[
>>>I just posted a response to GC on Dakshin. There used to an iyer chef and the full meals you are probably thinking about were pretty popular. I have taken my parents there a couple of times there I think. I don't think that chef is there now.

yes, the "five star sappadu" was very good. i have not been to any restaurants in madras for over a decade or so except for the mandatory trip to grand sweets and maybe some 'tiffin' at saravana bhavan. i want to check out at least some of these places during my next trip.

by goodcitizn Mon Jun 10, 2013 3:12 am

bw wrote:dakshin at adyar gate used to do that too. i wonder if that restaurant still exists!

It is very much there. Park Sheraton aka Adyar Gate in Alwarpet. How well they have maintained quality over the years is truly amazing.

by goodcitizn Mon Jun 10, 2013 3:17 am

Kris wrote:
bw wrote:dakshin at adyar gate used to do that too. i wonder if that restaurant still exists!
>>>I just posted a response to GC on Dakshin. There used to an iyer chef and the full meals you are probably thinking about were pretty popular. I have taken my parents there a couple of times there I think. I don't think that chef is there now.

Kris, there used to be a head chef called Ramanna. Not sure if it is the same guy. He was a friend of my uncle and did some catering for private parties as well. I think he is retired now.

by Kris Mon Jun 10, 2013 3:21 am

bw wrote:
Kris wrote:[
>>>I just posted a response to GC on Dakshin. There used to an iyer chef and the full meals you are probably thinking about were pretty popular. I have taken my parents there a couple of times there I think. I don't think that chef is there now.

yes, the "five star sappadu" was very good. i have not been to any restaurants in madras for over a decade or so except for the mandatory trip to grand sweets and maybe some 'tiffin' at saravana bhavan. i want to check out at least some of these places during my next trip.

>>>There are several good ones, all across the price range. Let me know before you go next time. I will see if I can come up with some of the popular ones. Since I do quite a bit of work when I go there related to personal business, the restaurants are my escape. The food is also a lot more multicultural these days. I went to Ben Jurong, a Thai place last time and was pleasantly surprised.

by bw Mon Jun 10, 2013 3:25 am

Kris wrote:
bw wrote:
Kris wrote:[
>>>I just posted a response to GC on Dakshin. There used to an iyer chef and the full meals you are probably thinking about were pretty popular. I have taken my parents there a couple of times there I think. I don't think that chef is there now.

yes, the "five star sappadu" was very good. i have not been to any restaurants in madras for over a decade or so except for the mandatory trip to grand sweets and maybe some 'tiffin' at saravana bhavan. i want to check out at least some of these places during my next trip.
>>>There are several good ones, all across the price range. Let me know before you go next time. I will see if I can come up with some of the popular ones. Since I do quite a bit of work when I go there related to personal business, the restaurants are my escape. The food is also a lot more multicultural these days. I went to Ben Jurong, a Thai place last time and was pleasantly surprised.

oh, good. i shall let you know when i travel next to madras (hopefully right after summer).

by Kris Mon Jun 10, 2013 3:27 am

goodcitizn wrote:
Kris wrote:
bw wrote:dakshin at adyar gate used to do that too. i wonder if that restaurant still exists!
>>>I just posted a response to GC on Dakshin. There used to an iyer chef and the full meals you are probably thinking about were pretty popular. I have taken my parents there a couple of times there I think. I don't think that chef is there now.

Kris, there used to be a head chef called Ramanna. Not sure if it is the same guy. He was a friend of my uncle and did some catering for private parties as well. I think he is retired now.

>>>That name sounds somewhat familiar. BTW, I don't know if you know of the one on the ground floor of the residency towers, not far from Holy Angels. I think that is also called Southern Spice. My brother-in-law who is an authentic Tanjore guy really likes that place and it is within a couple of miles of where my sister lives.

by goodcitizn Mon Jun 10, 2013 3:28 am

Kris wrote:
bw wrote:
Kris wrote:[
>>>I just posted a response to GC on Dakshin. There used to an iyer chef and the full meals you are probably thinking about were pretty popular. I have taken my parents there a couple of times there I think. I don't think that chef is there now.

yes, the "five star sappadu" was very good. i have not been to any restaurants in madras for over a decade or so except for the mandatory trip to grand sweets and maybe some 'tiffin' at saravana bhavan. i want to check out at least some of these places during my next trip.
>>>There are several good ones, all across the price range. Let me know before you go next time. I will see if I can come up with some of the popular ones. Since I do quite a bit of work when I go there related to personal business, the restaurants are my escape. The food is also a lot more multicultural these days. I went to Ben Jurong, a Thai place last time and was pleasantly surprised.

Major metros like Bangalore and Chennai are now replete with multi-plex theaters and multi-national cuisines. Plenty to choose from.

by goodcitizn Mon Jun 10, 2013 3:32 am

Kris wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:
Kris wrote:
bw wrote:dakshin at adyar gate used to do that too. i wonder if that restaurant still exists!
>>>I just posted a response to GC on Dakshin. There used to an iyer chef and the full meals you are probably thinking about were pretty popular. I have taken my parents there a couple of times there I think. I don't think that chef is there now.

Kris, there used to be a head chef called Ramanna. Not sure if it is the same guy. He was a friend of my uncle and did some catering for private parties as well. I think he is retired now.
>>>That name sounds somewhat familiar. BTW, I don't know if you know of the one on the ground floor of the residency towers, not far from Holy Angels. I think that is also called Southern Spice. My brother-in-law who is an authentic Tanjore guy really likes that place and it is within a couple of miles of where my sister lives.

I've been to the one in Residency Towers. It is called Southern Aromas. Similar set up.

by bw Mon Jun 10, 2013 3:37 am

goodcitizn wrote:
Kris wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:
Kris wrote:
bw wrote:dakshin at adyar gate used to do that too. i wonder if that restaurant still exists!
>>>I just posted a response to GC on Dakshin. There used to an iyer chef and the full meals you are probably thinking about were pretty popular. I have taken my parents there a couple of times there I think. I don't think that chef is there now.

Kris, there used to be a head chef called Ramanna. Not sure if it is the same guy. He was a friend of my uncle and did some catering for private parties as well. I think he is retired now.
>>>That name sounds somewhat familiar. BTW, I don't know if you know of the one on the ground floor of the residency towers, not far from Holy Angels. I think that is also called Southern Spice. My brother-in-law who is an authentic Tanjore guy really likes that place and it is within a couple of miles of where my sister lives.

I've been to the one in Residency Towers. It is called Southern Aromas. Similar set up.

dakshin, southern spice, southern aroma - what next, southern garnish?

by goodcitizn Mon Jun 10, 2013 3:44 am

bw wrote:dakshin, southern spice, southern aroma - what next, southern garnish?

Halcy, sarcasm aside, both these restaurants are really good to have lunch or dinner. Excellent food albeit on the pricey side.

by bw Mon Jun 10, 2013 3:50 am

goodcitizn wrote:
bw wrote:dakshin, southern spice, southern aroma - what next, southern garnish?

Halcy, sarcasm aside, both these restaurants are really good to have lunch or dinner. Excellent food albeit on the pricey side.

oh, am sure they serve several delectable dishes - i will try to visit at least one of them during my next trip.

by SomeProfile Mon Jun 10, 2013 7:52 pm

pravalika nanda wrote:
## I've always been generous with people who come in direct contact with my food.

Rest assured that there will be some direct and intimate contact with your food next time.

pravalika nanda wrote:
**also, i think that the reason the guy dared ask me for more money is because i'm an indian woman not a white man; he thought he could get money out of me. i don't care to be liked by lazy people and extortionists.

You are allowed to get away with a lesser tip if you are nice/kind and cute. If you are a DUGIO (Dark Ugly Girl of Indian Origin), add an extra buck to the tip. Two bucks extra if you are DUGIO and past 30. Three bucks extra if you are a DUGIO, past 30 and bitchy. Add 50 cents more for dental deformities such as gaps in teeth.

Kind regards,

S P

by Guest Mon Jun 10, 2013 8:04 pm

hi S P. Long time no see.

by Captain Bhankas Tue Jun 11, 2013 4:25 am

does anyone else here think that nandu is a creation of arvind swamy or some such talent? this thread was a good read, nonetheless.

by Merlot Daruwala Tue Jun 11, 2013 6:28 am

Captain Bhankas wrote:does anyone else here think that nandu is a creation of arvind swamy or some such talent?

No, no..it can't be. No fictional character, no matter how talented the creator, can be this consistently entertaining.

by nevada Wed Jun 12, 2013 12:36 pm

My regular hair cutter is out of town so I went to another hair cut place yesterday. She had a first timer special price that was $2 lower than the usual price. I normally tip $2 but yesterday I just walked out without paying a tip. Maybe this thread inspired me to assert my right to not tip.

by Hellsangel Wed Jun 12, 2013 12:37 pm

nevada wrote:My regular hair cutter is out of town so I went to another hair cut place yesterday. She had a first timer special price that was $2 lower than the usual price. I normally tip $2 but yesterday I just walked out without paying a tip. Maybe this thread inspired me to assert my right to not tip.

Very inconsiderate and rude of you!

by Petrichor Wed Jun 12, 2013 1:09 pm

Wanted to see what the waiters think:
>>
INDIANS!!!!!
They are the WORST WORST WORST tippers in the world. And to make matters worse, they’re picky and hard to please. They’ll order an entree and split it, only order waters w/ lemons (so they can mix their own lemonades instead of buying one). “Slum Dog Millionaires” describes them perfectly… in my area many of them are wealthy (buy their BMWs, Benzs, Lexus, etc) yet they can’t even leave 15%. <<
http://waiterrant.net/?p=1597

by nevada Wed Jun 12, 2013 1:11 pm

Hellsangel wrote:
nevada wrote:My regular hair cutter is out of town so I went to another hair cut place yesterday. She had a first timer special price that was $2 lower than the usual price. I normally tip $2 but yesterday I just walked out without paying a tip. Maybe this thread inspired me to assert my right to not tip.

Very inconsiderate and rude of you!

Yeah, I felt bad later. I think I will go there again and tip her well next time.

by goodcitizn Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:48 pm

nevada wrote:
Hellsangel wrote:
nevada wrote:My regular hair cutter is out of town so I went to another hair cut place yesterday. She had a first timer special price that was $2 lower than the usual price. I normally tip $2 but yesterday I just walked out without paying a tip. Maybe this thread inspired me to assert my right to not tip.

Very inconsiderate and rude of you!

Yeah, I felt bad later. I think I will go there again and tip her well next time.

Tip her well in advance. Otherwise she might remember you from your previous visit and carve a bugs bunny cartoon on the middle of your head. j/k

by Guest Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:59 pm

reminds me of an incidence, from maybe 12-13 years ago... i had gone to my regular place for haircut, but a new girl took me, whose ethnicity I shall not disclose, for fear that Rishi will typecast it. It was her first day there.

anyhoos, the moment she took my hair, I knew she was doing it wrong. I was young and aggressive myself. so i said she's doing it wrong, she wasn't supposed to cut off that much length, and so on. she became mighty nervous, and I just simply didn't want her. I was willing to walk out with half a haircut, if she continued cutting my hair. Anyway, another older regular woman took it up, not by cutting it herself, but by guiding her step by step. Somehow the situation was salvaged, but it was still a very bad hair cut. It was a chain store, hair cuts costed maybe 11-12 dollars, and we would give 2 dollar tips. I paid at the register, and was so angry that I walked out w/o tipping.

That girl actually ran after me to the car, and said that I forgot to pay her a single, or i think she said - it's one dollar less. I knew I had paid in full, so it meant she was still asking for tip. The nerve! I took out a dollar from my purse, shoved it in her hand and went away, showing pitless disapproval on my face. Didn't want to argue at this point. Some sorta guilt had also steeped in at being nasty to a new and nervous girl.

Anyway, for my own good, that girl was soon let go, coz i went there again 2-3 weeks later and never saw her again. Good for me, never had to face her. Later, I never had a hair cut at that place unless the owner was free to cut it.

by Nila Wed Jun 12, 2013 5:14 pm

LOl at your aggressiveness.

The best aggressive thing I did is of course - my H, when he was teaching me to drive…he was yelling at me all those curse words; I tolerated for few days. Then after few days, he kept hitting me with his knuckle (Kuttu in tamil) over my head for not getting it right. Since I was keeping mum he took me for granted and he started doing both and I was so pissed off and stopped the car in the middle of the road and demanded an apology. He didn’t want to apologize and since it was not a busy road – we kept arguing till some 4-7 cars started honking. Finally he apologized and I quit learning from him. I spent heck a lot of $$ learning to drive. The funny part was he didn’t give his car for the driving test and I had to rent it for $100. Even today I am little scared to take freeways and avoid them as much as possible. I am planning to take freeway driving classes sooner – yes, they do offer in CA.

Lesson learnt: When you don’t get a good teacher first time around – it takes so much time to learn a skill.

by churi. Wed Jun 12, 2013 5:17 pm

Nila wrote:LOl at your aggressiveness.

The best aggressive thing I did is of course - my H, when he was teaching me to drive…he was yelling at me all those curse words; I tolerated for few days. Then after few days, he kept hitting me with his knuckle (Kuttu in tamil) over my head for not getting it right. Since I was keeping mum he took me for granted and he started doing both and I was so pissed off and stopped the car in the middle of the road and demanded an apology. He didn’t want to apologize and since it was not a busy road – we kept arguing till some 4-7 cars started honking. Finally he apologized and I quit learning from him. I spent heck a lot of $$ learning to drive. The funny part was he didn’t give his car for the driving test and I had to rent it for $100. Even today I am little scared to take freeways and avoid them as much as possible. I am planning to take freeway driving classes sooner – yes, they do offer in CA.

Lesson learnt: When you don’t get a good teacher first time around – it takes so much time to learn a skill.

I hope this man is not still your husband.

by Nila Wed Jun 12, 2013 7:02 pm

churi. wrote:
Nila wrote:LOl at your aggressiveness.

The best aggressive thing I did is of course - my H, when he was teaching me to drive…he was yelling at me all those curse words; I tolerated for few days. Then after few days, he kept hitting me with his knuckle (Kuttu in tamil) over my head for not getting it right. Since I was keeping mum he took me for granted and he started doing both and I was so pissed off and stopped the car in the middle of the road and demanded an apology. He didn’t want to apologize and since it was not a busy road – we kept arguing till some 4-7 cars started honking. Finally he apologized and I quit learning from him. I spent heck a lot of $$ learning to drive. The funny part was he didn’t give his car for the driving test and I had to rent it for $100. Even today I am little scared to take freeways and avoid them as much as possible. I am planning to take freeway driving classes sooner – yes, they do offer in CA.

Lesson learnt: When you don’t get a good teacher first time around – it takes so much time to learn a skill.

I hope this man is not still your husband.

Well, about that...never mind.

by Marathadi-Saamiyaar Wed Jun 12, 2013 7:13 pm

churi. wrote:

I hope this man is not still your husband.

He is now Housebanned.

by Guest Wed Jun 12, 2013 7:48 pm

Oh wow Nila. I usually refrain from commenting on people's marriages. If you guys are still together, there must be a good reason and I will respect that. You also said once that you love him, so that trumps it all. Having said that, if you manage to mini-torture him every once in a while, or if you are planning to do so in the coming decades, you have me silently cheering out here.

by Marathadi-Saamiyaar Wed Jun 12, 2013 8:52 pm

Vidya Bagchi wrote:Oh wow Nila. I usually refrain from commenting on people's marriages. If you guys are still together, there must be a good reason and I will respect that. You also said once that you love him, so that trumps it all. Having said that, if you manage to mini-torture him every once in a while, or if you are planning to do so in the coming decades, you have me silently cheering out here.

I can understand Nilamma's husband. He was magnanimous to teach her driving and that too in his car - which is naturally more valuable for men than wives. And, it is natural that he yelled bcz California is so much traffic you know and she get into accident and kill someone and even kill the car.

Nilamma should have thanked him and ever grateful. It is NOT - repeat NOT easy to teach women driving. If you have any doubt just ask P711 or Bittu.

by Nila Wed Jun 12, 2013 9:21 pm

Vidya Bagchi wrote:Oh wow Nila. I usually refrain from commenting on people's marriages. If you guys are still together, there must be a good reason and I will respect that. You also said once that you love him, so that trumps it all. Having said that, if you manage to mini-torture him every once in a while, or if you are planning to do so in the coming decades, you have me silently cheering out here.

LOl Vb, thanks for the encouragement.

by Nila Wed Jun 12, 2013 9:31 pm

Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:
Vidya Bagchi wrote:Oh wow Nila. I usually refrain from commenting on people's marriages. If you guys are still together, there must be a good reason and I will respect that. You also said once that you love him, so that trumps it all. Having said that, if you manage to mini-torture him every once in a while, or if you are planning to do so in the coming decades, you have me silently cheering out here.

I can understand Nilamma's husband. He was magnanimous to teach her driving and that too in his car - which is naturally more valuable for men than wives. And, it is natural that he yelled bcz California is so much traffic you know and she get into accident and kill someone and even kill the car.

Nilamma should have thanked him and ever grateful. It is NOT - repeat NOT easy to teach women driving. If you have any doubt just ask P711 or Bittu.

I learnt to drive while in TX and we had no clue about CA traffic. You know nothing Swami-yare.

Marriage is a gamble and between the partners one always loses - Soodhu Kavvum Swami! But, when the loser starts winning - the all time winner cannot accept it but with time they will learn that losing is all about trying to win. Logically it is not a win-win. I used to keep scores but vital stuff kept me occupied and eventually lost track of it. Still I can assure that at the end of my life time when I run our win-loss report - I will be the ultimate winner! LOL Ennala Thangala.

by churi. Wed Jun 12, 2013 9:38 pm

Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:
Vidya Bagchi wrote:Oh wow Nila. I usually refrain from commenting on people's marriages. If you guys are still together, there must be a good reason and I will respect that. You also said once that you love him, so that trumps it all. Having said that, if you manage to mini-torture him every once in a while, or if you are planning to do so in the coming decades, you have me silently cheering out here.

I can understand Nilamma's husband. He was magnanimous to teach her driving and that too in his car - which is naturally more valuable for men than wives. And, it is natural that he yelled bcz California is so much traffic you know and she get into accident and kill someone and even kill the car.

Nilamma should have thanked him and ever grateful. It is NOT - repeat NOT easy to teach women driving. If you have any doubt just ask P711 or Bittu.

I don't understand why woman have to get married, and only then learn how to drive, then too - their husbands teach them. I found that to be the case with all the women I know from India, and I don't get it. It's as if single women don't drive cars there.

by Nila Wed Jun 12, 2013 9:51 pm

churi. wrote:

I don't understand why woman have to get married, and only then learn how to drive, then too - their husbands teach them. I found that to be the case with all the women I know from India, and I don't get it. It's as if single women don't drive cars there.

These days they know. I belong to the old gen...where we had a driver for our ambassador car. Still we have the same car and the same driver. Well, most of the time we used public transport or walk to schools and stayed in relatives house with grandma near walkable distance to college; there wasn't a need to learn to drive. I never imagined that I will be in America - given that I hated NRIs and wanted to improve the political system in India. Sad story, but that is fine.

by confuzzled dude Wed Jun 12, 2013 9:56 pm

churi. wrote:

I don't understand why woman have to get married, and only then learn how to drive, then too - their husbands teach them. I found that to be the case with all the women I know from India, and I don't get it. It's as if single women don't drive cars there.

The same applies to most men from India, car was luxury until recently, actually, it still is for majority of India.

by Marathadi-Saamiyaar Wed Jun 12, 2013 10:47 pm

churi. wrote:
Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:
Vidya Bagchi wrote:Oh wow Nila. I usually refrain from commenting on people's marriages. If you guys are still together, there must be a good reason and I will respect that. You also said once that you love him, so that trumps it all. Having said that, if you manage to mini-torture him every once in a while, or if you are planning to do so in the coming decades, you have me silently cheering out here.

I can understand Nilamma's husband. He was magnanimous to teach her driving and that too in his car - which is naturally more valuable for men than wives. And, it is natural that he yelled bcz California is so much traffic you know and she get into accident and kill someone and even kill the car.

Nilamma should have thanked him and ever grateful. It is NOT - repeat NOT easy to teach women driving. If you have any doubt just ask P711 or Bittu.

I don't understand why woman have to get married, and only then learn how to drive, then too - their husbands teach them. I found that to be the case with all the women I know from India, and I don't get it. It's as if single women don't drive cars there.

Come to think of it... I taught everyone in my family how ot drive. I was taught driving by Mr. Reddy in College Park, MD. rented a used car for 1 day and mr Reddy sat next to me reading a book and said " drive" drobe in the parking lot for 15 min and he said...ok go on the road and I was like WTF. He said " I am sure you are as much worried about your life as I am...so I know you will be ok". Tha tis it was on the belt way after 1 hour with 6 guys in that big used dodge Dart. next day I got license doing reverse, 3-point turn, parking etc..

Followed the same method with all my family members.. and they all turned out ok, and made them highway worthy the first weekend forcing them to drive 500 miles. At week 2 they got fed up with driving and never became car crazy.

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