India’s Gone Crackers
Hi guys 😀 How’s your morning going?? Mine is bueno.. it’s a dreary morning in Valdizzy so puppy walking going to wait until this afternoon.
Last night, the pilot and I went on a Wednesday night Indian Food date when we got off work.
He got the buffet and I thought I’d try something new, since I got beloved Baigan Bhartha last week. I ordered the Gobi Manchurian as an appetizer for us and the Dal Makni as my meal.
Since the restaurant has new owners, the menu is pretty much the same but the food is very different. Before ordering, I asked the server if the Gobi was baked or fried and she told me it was baked with no sauce, just like plain veggies. It sounded lovely.
Under the old ownership, the Gobi Manchurian was a crunchy cauliflower in a spicy sauce.
Under the new ownership, it was a dish full of brown deep-fried, heavily breaded spheres, covered in gravy. I wish I would have taken a pic for you guys. She looked at me and said, “Oh. This is different than I thought it was. Do you still want it??” and I said no thanks and just waited for my meal. They still charged us for it.
While I was waiting, the pilot made me a little plate from the buffet with the veg dishes, channa masala and a GLORIOUS carrot concoction.
The channa was ok, but I need to find out what that carrot dish is. Anyone??
I had to take a pic of the pilot’s seond plate…
I was like, “Look, it’s India’s Gone Crackers”. He didn’t find it as amusing I did 🙂
My meal came, and it was spicy, but just ok.
I loved the little fresh salad they served it with:
Honestly, I don’t know when we’ll be going back. The food just isn’t nearly as good as it used to be, it’s much greasier, and the new owners don’t speak English hardly at all. This wouldn’t be a problem but when you have questions about the food or want to talk to them, they don’t understand. The old owner was so friendly and always wanted to make us something we would love. For example, some nights the pilot would just say, “Hey Sam, would you please do some kind of salmon?” and he would make something incredible. The new guys wouldn’t understand us if we asked for something fun or different…and they also don’t seem to care, which is also a bummer.
Maybe next week I’ll cook Indian food instead???
We shall see 🙂
This morning, all I wanted was Kristen’s Chocolate Cherry Bomb shake.
This is the shake dreams are made of.
Today’s mix:
-1/2 frozen banana
-2 C fresh almond milk
-1 scoop vanilla Sun Warrior
-2 T raw cacao powder
-1 C organic frozen cherries
-vanilla
-1 T hempseeds
-1 T goji berries (for an energy boost)
-1/2 T maca
Ahhhhhmazing.
Well I’m off to train a client and then do some pilates and ab work. Even though I’m banned from cardio, I’ve still managed to get in some awesome workouts this week.
Have a wonderful day!
Gina
Something to talk about: What was your last epic fail of a restaurant experience like?? I’ll never forget the blackened hairy shrimp *shudders*
92 Comments
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hello, spabettie again! 🙂
I keep meaning to comment a few things: I am a very new reader of Fitnessista, and I LOVE it. I check in several times a day (love your frequent posts) and even as my diet is much like yours, I have still learned many things from you! (I am waiting for my order of mesquite to arrive!!) 🙂
I also wanted to comment on your recent post about opensky… I had recently asked you which dehydrator you use, as I am currently researching to buy one, so I was thrilled a few days later to see your opensky page!! 🙂
I love seeing product reviews EXACTLY how you do it, only if you actually use the product, and especially that it is something you have purchased and not received just for that purpose. 🙂
thanks for everything you do, I look forward to each new post! 🙂
thank YOU so much for reading 🙂
xoxoxo
I’m sorry your indian experience was so unpleasant. Why did the old owners sell it?? I’ve had some bad restaurant experiences but nothing is really at the forefront of my mind (I try to block out yucky food memories!)
i have no idea!!!
SUCH a bummer about that place… i know you were looking forward to it!!
What an awful restaurant experience! The last bad experience I had was at a restaurant whose food I really loved but the service was just AWFUL. Everything was delicious but it came out an hour later and then brought my Husband the wrong dish.
Hey Gina,
Sorry to hear about the Indian fiasco. Even before I started reading your post, I could tell that the food didn’t look appetizing at all. Gobi manchurian is quite a popular item…but this one didn’t look anything like the real one. If the carrot was sweet…then like how others mentioned, it is ‘gajar ka halwa’. It’s mainly a dessert thingi…or some places in india eat it with their breakfast puri/parathas/ bread.
Cooking Indian may seem daunting….it’s not bad at all. If u need recipes/ spices, do let me know. I can have some sent to you.
That was not nice of them to charge you for something that u sent back. I hope u didn’t have to pay for it.
Let me know what recipes u need, I will email them to ya.
My worst restaurant experience is similar to yours…Indian…esp when ownership changes…my husband can’t understand why we go out to eat indian when i can cook such good food at home 🙂
hey geetha! i would LOVE some recipes.. thank you! channa masala, baigan bhartha, dal bukara, and roti would be amazing. maybe also the mint chutney?? thank you <3
hahah i wouldn't go out to eat if i were your husband either. i'd just beg you to cook all the time 🙂
i hate it when you love a place and then it flops 🙁
yes make indian at home next week i am sure it will be better 🙂
Super lame about the Indian restaurant!! I have waited tables for almost ten years and I would NEVER charge a customer for something they didn’t like…especially if I had misinformed them of the ingredients!! That’s rediculous! If I were you, I wouldn’t go back to that restaurant. I know you have a limited selection of restaurants in your town, but supporting a poor establishment only encourages their bad behavior. In this economy, a crappy restaurant like this won’t last long. Hopefully they will shut down and be replaced with something much better!! And besides…cooking Indian food is super fun and really easy to modify with healthier ingredients.
ugh, what a disappointment! there is no way I would go back. For the waitress to misinform you is an honest mistake but to charge you for it!?!?!?!! I don’t think I could have made myself pay it and probably would have put up a stink.
Hi! That carrot dish (was it sweet?!) looks like gajar halwa. It’s basically shredded carrots, ghee, cardamon, raisins, and some other spices. My mom makes it with milk, I think!
Sorry you had such a bad experience at the Indian place. I hate when stuff like that happens- esp when you get charged for something you didn’t eat! I would have started a ruckus lol.
I was wondering if you ever wanted a guest post or something…I cook A LOT of Indian food at home and would love to share my baingan bharta recipe with you!
So annoying that your go-to Indian restaurant changed for the worse! Are there any other Indian places in your area you could try out? I remember when my fav health food/juice bar cafe closed I ended up finding an even better one close to my apartment that I didn’t know about because I had never needed to look before.
Ugh….that’s terrible. I agree that you need to start cooking Indian food yourself. That way you’ll get what you want. Do some research and get a good Indian cookbook…I think there’s a popular vegetarian one out there but I can’t remember the author…I think it’s a woman. I love cooking Indian food at home and I think you will too!
I had a similar sad experience when a fave restaurant changed hands. It was a great french-inspired cafe, and the menu stayed the same with the new owners. I knew one of the waiters, who told me that the new owners were cheap and didn’t spend on the same quality of ingredients.
It really showed, despite the same cook being there and everything. I wasn’t the only one that noticed. They went from having a sidewalk full of diners waiting to get a seat, to never having more than half the tables full. I just don’t feel like going there any more either.
Of their many delicious items, they used to have this awesome tuna and avocado sandwich- an ahi tuna half-steak, and fresh ripe avocado. A small amount of their signature spread. With a side of farmer’s greens. SO DELICIOUS. Not worth the 10 bucks anymore… So, I feel your pain!
Aw, my heart aches for you not to have a good indian joint nearby. 🙁 Such tragedy! Honestly, though, you’ll be able to cook some great things yourself after checking out some recipes you like the sound of. My roommate is Indian and everything she makes takes less than a half hour, is light and healthy and tastes deliiiicious. Hang in there!
i used to have an indian roommate too… and i never let her cook for me! crazy, i know
Ugh so LAME about the crappy Indian food! I’ve been craving Indian like mad and I fear nothing is going to sate the desire except making my boyfriend take me out for Indian!
Aww, too bad it wasn’t good! I haven’t been anywhere that wasn’t good lately- guess I’m lucky!!
xo
K
I know you don’t do the cow’s dairy, but when I want to whip up a quick and delicious Indian-esque dinner, I LOVE the Seeds of Change organic Tikka Masala simmer sauce added to chick peas. I’m generally not a fan of cans and jars, but this stuff is seriously yummy and reasonably healthy.
My worst restaurant experience was when my in-laws took us to the always lovely Cracker Barrel for breakfast. There wasn’t really anything I could eat, so I played it safe with a couple of scrambled eggs. I bit into something crunchy and realized it was…a fingernail!!!! I have never been so skeeved out in my life. Ick.
a FINGERNAIL?!?!? i think you win 🙂
i love seeds of change stuff so i’ll be on the lookout for that sauce 🙂
Oh my goodness that crispy cauliflower looks like something from a Chinese restaurant! Good idea with the question; it’s fun reading the responses. I guess with a network of picky eaters, you’re bound to get good stories!
Katherine
whataboutsummer.wordpress.com
Since you’re on cardio Hiatus, does that mean that you are doing abs every single day? I’m currently taking some time off cardio as well and have been doing ab/strength training every other day since that’s what I’m used to. What do you recommend?
Thanks!
Jocelyn
every other day is perfect. i’m only doing abs twice a week 🙂
Sorry to hear about your dinner last night. BF and I had a fave sushi restaurant in the city we used to frequent when I was still in school. A coupleof years ago they moved a few doors down and renovated. The menu stayed the same but the prices increased and the quality of food went down. BF and I couldn’t justify paying for lackluster sushi when there were so many other options. After one other try we never went back.
I really have to make that smoothie someday except that I somehow overused the Magic Bullet and it broke and I haven’t gotten a new blender since. I want to save up for the extravagant Vita Mix.
That’s awful about the restaurant. I can’t believe they charged you for something you said you didn’t want, AFTER it arrived different than described.
I laughed out loud with the “India’s Gone Crackers” line….my boyfriend wouldn’t get the humor, though 🙂
It would be fun to create your own dishes, that way you get what you want and you know what is in it, and its done the right way. Thats kind of a bummer though
Oh that is so too bad about the Indian place, especially when they used to be so good. Plus indifferent service:( Yes, with your cooking/uncooking skills make some! aloo gobi and saag paneer are my favorites yum!
thats SUCH a bummer…i hate when something ive been waiting for disappoints me…what happened to the old owners? maybe theyll open another place?
the carrot dish is called Gajar ka halwa, according to one of my friends that makes it for me sometimes 🙂 Sorry about your bad experience! Indian food is sooo yummy!
I will definitely try your carrot recipe.
Many years ago, I had just gotten my meal at a restaurant when a spider lowered itself down from the ceiling and landed right on top of my sandwich. I can still see the large, brown spider sitting on my whole wheat bread. I was with a guy and therefore tried to show how calm I was. I took the slice of bread off and shook the spider onto the floor. I did eat the rest of the now-open-faced sandwich, but my appetite was completely gone.