My Insights

Background: Naveed challenged me on food. Now those who know better DON’T challenge me on food. So we decide to go to Chipotle and eat a burrito with 3 Times the hot sauce to set us up for the grand finale - whoever finishes a whole cup of hot salsa first. Here is the video for the brave hearted-

Chipotle Hot Sauce (Salsa) Eating Contest (HI).wmv - High Resolution (6MB)

Chipotle Hot Sauce (Salsa) Eating Contest (LO).wmv - Low Resolution (2MB)

I went to Indique - an upscale Indian restaurant.

3512 -14 Connecticut Avenue.,N.W.,
Washington D.C 20008
202 244 6600

Review - The food is definitely very carefully prepared and tastes wonderful. There is a big focus on presentation which they do a very good job of. The dishes were served in bowls that had walls which were high on one side and low on the other - sort of like a chair. This is very ingenious as it makes it very easy to pour some into your plate. Also the plates were rectangular with curved borders. Very unique as the name suggests.

The food portions were small and enough for one person and one person only. So don’t plan on ordering any dishes ‘to share’ because you will find yourself ordering another one as soon as the ‘to share’ dish comes to the table. Even the appetizers were small in portion but enough to arouse that apetite so that you can’t wait for your meal to come in.

Looking through the menu, Indique had a lot of drinks to offer. Verieties of margaritas and wines filled the menu. I recommend you try their ‘Masala Chai’ as it is one of the best you will ever have. Their ‘Mango Lassi’ is what I had and it was a tad bit on the sour side but it had a very nice consistency to it.

The amibience was very quiet and formal. I believe we were the only loud group there and the rest of the crowd was barely a murmur. Not everybody was dressed up as much but maybe that was because it was lunch and not dinner. The ligting was soft and there are windows to allow outside light to dominate the insides during the day.

Overall, it was a good experience and cost us about $25 per person including one drink few appetizers (3 for 6 people) and a main course each.

Here’s something that Vidya forwarded to me and I think it deserved a read by everybody. Please please please, get a designated driver. It is NOT COOL to drive drunk. Get a cab if need be - it is much cheaper than the price of a life.

PROM NIGHT

Prom night I went to a party, Mom,
I remembered what you said.
You told me not to drink, Mom,
So I drank soda instead.

I really felt proud inside, Mom,
The way you said I would.
I didn’t drink and drive, Mom
Even though the others said I should.

I know I did the right thing, Mom,
I know you are always right.
Now the party is finally ending, Mom,
As everyone is driving out of sight.

As I got into my car, Mom,
I knew I’d get home in one piece
Because of the way you raised me,
So reasonable and sweet.

I started to drive away, Mom,
But as I pulled out into the road,
The other car didn’t see, Mom,
And hit me like a load.

As I lay there on the pavement, Mom,
I hear the policeman say,
The other guy is drunk, Mom,
And now I’m the one who will pay.

I’m lying here dying, Mom,
I wish you’d get here soon.
How could this happen to me, Mom?
My life just burst like a balloon.

There is blood all around me, Mom,
And most of it is mine.
I hear the medic say, Mom,
I’ll die in a short time.

I just wanted to tell you, Mom,
I swear I didn’t drink.
It was the others, Mom,
The others didn’t think.

He was probably at the same party as I.
The only difference is, he drank and I will die.
Why do people drink, Mom?
It can ruin your whole life.

I’m feeling sharp pains now.
Pains just like a knife.
The guy who hit me is walking, Mom,
And I don’t think it’s fair.
I’m lying here dying and all he can do is stare.

Tell my brother not to cry, Mom,
Tell Daddy to be brave.
And when I go to Heaven, Mom,
Put “Daddy’s Girl” on my grave.

Someone should have told him, Mom,
Not to drink and drive.
If only they had told him, Mom,
I would still be alive.

My breath is getting shorter, Mom,
I’m becoming very scared.
Please don’t cry for me, Mom,
When I needed you, you were always there.

I have one last question, Mom,
Before I say good bye
I didn’t drink and drive,
So why am I the one to die?

-UNKNOWN AUTHOR

I have a feeling that this will spark quite a few people. Well the question is … To Be or Not To Be Vegetarian? As of now, I’ll eat anything that is edible (in any country). Well here’s how it all started. I was on the metro and I took a seat. Somebody had left a flyer (pamphlet) on the seat that I picked up just because I was so eternally bored. I started looking through the pamphlet and the pamphlet was apparantly advocating the advantages of being a vegetarian. It had pictures of animals in closed confined places, it depicted chickens in cages all crammed up and some convincing facts. Did you know that some of these animals don’t even have enough room to move … most of their lives. The fact that just really got to me was the picture of a pregnant chicken in a cage with no room to turn. That’s just inhuman! The pamphlet also mentioned some stupid stuff like how much of our produced food these animals eat up and crap like that but that didn’t get to me at all because the meat industry in conjuntion with the agriculture industry is virtually driving our economy! Its how millions of people feed their hungry children every night and bring home enough money to keep themselves warm in the winter. So anyways, the confinement of these animals got to me because I am mildly claustrophobic (scared of closed places). That made me consider trying to be vegetarian. However, there ARE some companies that treat their animals humanely before they are slaughtered for their meat. I do not see myself giving up meat immediately just because my diet is dependent on meat products. However, I was thinking … Isn’t there a middle way? Ok, maybe I won’t eat actual meat but can I eat meat flavored products like say chicken noodles or something. Another option could be to restrict the number of days in a week on which I would eat meat. It is a hard decision and needs a big commitment. I don’t know … To Be or Not To Be vegetarian?