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| For the field trip I chose to visit an Indian vegetarian restaurant. I find that you can learn quite a bit about a culture by trying their traditional foods. A regional dish can give you an idea about what types of goods are available to a population. It can tell you about the socio-economic status of a people, as well as what other cultures have influenced them. You can also learn their philosophies by the way people handle their food. Religious traditions can influence how and what foods are prepared. I selected the establishment by searching reviews of the internet. There seems to be a very complex community surrounding vegetarian restaurants. I never thought that there was much interest in such establishments, or that their interest was isolated to a niche population. To my surprise, I found multiple sites with hundreds of listings and reviews. Several pages focused on �Little India� in particular. It wasn�t long ago that I first discovered Little India. I was returning from a trip to get some guitar strings when I decided to take a shortcut down Pioneer Blvd. I was shocked to find myself in another world. Just a few miles away from my house was a center of Indian culture. People looked different, they spoke differently, they dressed differently. It�s not often that you find yourself totally immersed in a culture from halfway around the world in your own backyard. I was always curious about the lifestyles and culture of these people. Since I have an appreciation for exotic foods, I considered this a perfect opportunity to branch out and try something new. I have never sampled any Indian cuisine and I am not particularly familiar with anything relating to India or its people. To say the least I was a bit apprehensive at the proposition of jumping in to something so different. I enlisted the help of my long time girlfriend to share the anxiety with me. I searched pages and pages of listings and reviews until I found something that was, if not familiar, close to my house. Receiving a four out of five rating, the Woodlands Restaurant seemed as good as any. I printed out the directions and headed out. The fact that the print-out coupon from their website expired in 2006 did not do much to raise my expectations. I gave the directions to my girlfriend and soon we were pulling into the center. The fact that there was a big blue letter A in the window was a great comfort. No matter what may lie inside, it means that I probably won�t get food poisoning. I opened the etched glass door and the first thing that hit me was the smell. It was not an unpleasant smell, just strange and unfamiliar. The establishment was completely empty except for two Indian families in the back. The server nervously seated us at a nice table in the front of the restaurant. I don�t know if they get a lot of non-Indian people or if it was my imagination, but it seemed that the server was more nervous than we were. The next thing I noticed was that the water didn�t have ice. He placed a pitcher of water on the table and it too was conspicuously lacking ice. I don�t know if it was part of the cultural experience, but I never was in a restaurant were I was server iceless, lukewarm water. I browsed the menu for an appetizer. I saw something that contained fried cheese (Paneer Pakora) and decided that it would be pretty unlikely for a dish featuring fried cheese not to be tasty. When it arrived, I was treated to several ravioli-shaped, crispy, breaded cheese treats. We were provided a neon green dip which was reminiscent of avocado and cilantro, and a brown dip which was tangy and a bit savory. They were fantastic. For the main course I chose spicy tofu curry. Falling back on my familiarity with Japanese food I opted to take the easy way out and pick something I was already acquainted with. My girlfriend pointed to the list of house specialties and asked the server what he suggested. He pointed out the channa batura. When it arrived we were treated to a GIANT puffy pita that made us laugh at its ungainly size. It was served with a side of masala. I regretted my timidity because her meal was by far the best thing I�ve tried in a long time. It was just a little sweet and it melded with the grayish chunky mass perfectly. I found myself trying to place the mix of flavors and realized that it reminded me of a bread bowl full of chili. If only it had some shredded cheddar cheese on top it would have been almost a perfect match. I found myself finishing my own dish and then swapping plates to polish off what my date left on hers. The inside of the restaurant had a lovely atmosphere. They were playing Indian music and the interior architecture featured many Indian motifs. There where some statues and paintings that I�m sure had some religious significance, but nothing that I was familiar with. I had intended on ordering a desert, but my date and I were so stuffed that we decided to pass. The server brought me the bill and said something that I didn�t understand, but we both smiled and he took my credit card. Despite having several conversations with out server during our meal, I do not think I understood one word that was said to me the whole evening. Aside from being a little apprehensive, I had a very enjoyable evening. I could definitely see going again or to another such establishment. A few days later I found myself thinking, �I could sure go for one of those big puffy bread things right now�� . With that as evidence, I must conclude that I had a very positive experience. It felt like an introductory experience that leads me to want to learn more about the Indian people and their culture. | ||