Curry Recipes Online
Curry Chat => Lets Talk Curry => Topic started by: mike travis on January 01, 2008, 10:25 PM
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Christmas Eve, a group of us went on a local pub crawl. We ended up in the local BIR. We were the last ones in as the restaurant closed at 11 o.clock. I never really noticed the music or surroundings until after the meal, when one of our party asked the waiter if he had any "Christmas" music (as we were listening to Robbie Williams). Then it all came flooding back! I remember a time in the mid 70`s, when we had nights out and called in at the local BIR. A traditional Indian restaurant, with all the trimmings. With Indian music playing in the background, candlelit tables and red flock wallpaper. To me, all this made the evening special, "a taste of India" if you like.
Is it me, or is it more than just a good curry? Anyone else prefer the days when BIR`s had atmosphere rather than the "contemporary" style we have now?...mike.
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Is it me, or is it more than just a good curry? Anyone else prefer the days when BIR`s had atmosphere rather than the "contemporary" style we have now?...mike
Mike
I agree with you - indian music is almost essential. I have a Robbie Williams CD but if I ever heard that music played in a BIR, I would either walk out, or not go back. In a sort of positive racial discrimination approach, I wouldn't like non Indian looking staff, either.
Regards
George
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...I wouldn't like non Indian looking staff, either.
Isn't that weird. I actually object to the fact that there are so few non-indian/bangladeshi/pakistani employees in curry houses, and yet I agree with you that it would just seem somehow unauthentic if there were white faces serving me.
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It is a tough one indeed! Firstly, I go to Indian Restaurants to purchase British Indian food, if you could call it that. If they presented me with authentic Indian food, I would be disappointed and annoyed.
Then, I expect to hear genuine Indian music and see genuine Indian interior decoration. To put the icing on the cake, I prefer to be surrounded by an all Indian staff. It seems ridiculous! :-\
That said, would anyone want to come to "Bobby Bhuna's BIR", genuine British Indian cuisine served by pasty Scots with Artex on the walls and Sidney Divine playing in the background?
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......... and dont forget those authentic elephant paintings on every wall! ;D
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I assume that most Indian Restaurant owners are likely to be Hindu? I ask because I'm genuinely curious.
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I assume that most Indian Restaurant owners are likely to be Hindu? I ask because I'm genuinely curious.
Hi Bobby
Most that I know are of the Muslim religion. I think the majority of Indian/Pakistani restaurants and takeaways in UK are Muslim (rather than Hindu).
However, another favourite of mine is a Karalean restaurant and the manager and chefs are Roman Catholics (I believe Karala has a high percentage of RC).
Regards
SnS
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That's odd. I always thought that India was mostly Hindu and Pakistan was mostly Muslim... Why then isn't this proportionately represented by the Indian restaurant owners?
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That's odd. I always thought that India was mostly Hindu and Pakistan was mostly Muslim... Why then isn't this proportionately represented by the Indian restaurant owners?
Because the Pakistanis tend to be in the majority of immigrants to this country from the Indian Subcontinent, therefore make up the majority of 'Indian Restaurants'.
As a national trait they also seem to be more entrepreneurial than the Hindus.
There are also a lot of Sikhs in this country, anyone seen a Sikh restaurant? or even a Parsi one?. Personally, I think it's just a matter of numbers and the law of averages ...Discuss.
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I talked to the Muslim shop keeper near my house and he said that Pakistanis tend to buy shops and Indians tend to open restaurants... :-\
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If that were true Bobby, wouldn't there be pork on the menu. This is a popular meat in Goa and some southern areas of India. A Muslim will not touch pork.
The cow (beef) is also a sacred animal to the Hindu??? In India they eat buffalo rather than cow. It is unlikely that a Hindu restaurant would offer beef on a menu.
I also know that there a lot of restaurants that advertise using halal meat, which also suggests Muslim owned.
According to the Guardian 2002, there are 8,500 Indian restaurants in UK, of which roughly 7,200 are Bengali.
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I talked to the Muslim shop keeper near my house and he said that Pakistanis tend to buy shops and Indians tend to open restaurants... :-\
Bobby, the vast majority (> 80%) of British Indian Restaurants are Bangladeshi owned and run.
The vast majority of Bangladeshis (about 98%) are Bengalis.
The vast majority of Bangladeshis (about 90%) practice Islam and are Muslim
Hence no pork vindaloo on your local menu I'm afraid (pigs are sacred)!
Whereas the vast majority of Indians (about 80%) are Hindu.
No beef vindaloo on your (significant minority) local menu then I'm afraid (cows are sacred)!
Now what was this thread about again? :-\
Oh yes! Atmosphere! BIRs don't REALLY play Robbie Williams music nowadays do they! :o
Surely it HAS to be Indian music or nothing? :-\
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I am very curious as to how you know all :o this and as always, thank you for the comprehensive answer! Another question put to rest!
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I am very curious as to how you know all :o
Well, the simple and sad fact is, Bobby, that many people here have been eating and cooking BIR curries for longer than you have been alive! (I see you're 23?) ;D
Oh, and that the likes of the internet, Google, Wikipedia (and what an amazing reference source THAT is!? :o) ) make fact-finding somewhat simpler ;)
..and NOW onto that atmosphere question!..... :P
...hmmm, but maybe you were refering to the piped Robbie Williams music... ;)
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The vast majority of Bangladeshis (about 90%) practice Islam and are Muslim
Hence no pork vindaloo on your local menu I'm afraid (pigs are sacred)!
I don't think you meant to say that. Muslims consider pigs to be dirty scavengers. They certainly don't consider them sacred.
Probably a freudian slip CA !! ;)
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Yes, thanks for correcting me.
Muslims are forbidden from eating pork by the Quran (Allah), I believe, maybe for the reasons you suggest.
And the Bible says the same thing, too, I believe! :o
Anyway! OFF-TOPIC! I'm out of here! ::)
...off to listen to my Robbie Williams CD! ;)
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Well, the simple and sad fact is, Bobby, that many people here have been eating and cooking BIR curries for longer than you have been alive! (I see you're 23?) ;D
I had a look to see just how long you have been eating and cooking BIR for but it seems like it's been so long that your age is not applicable!!! ;D Lol, I'm just kidding, we've all seen your youthful (are dare I say slightly hairy :P) hands in your very helpful recipe walk throughs! 8)
Boy am I glad this isn't RCR because from what I hear I would have been banned weeks ago!
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Boy am I glad this isn't RCR because from what I hear I would have been banned weeks ago!
Yes Bobby, we're trying to get you introduced to the crew over there! Only kidding of course! ;) ;D
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I am beginning to wish I hadn`t mentioned the Robbie Williams thing :-[ . There are two BIR`s local to me. The one that had RW music playing is sited next door to a pub, but is not licenced to sell drinks. So everyone stumbles out of the pub {cans and bottles in toe}and into the Indian. Nice clean place, very good food, friendly {all Indian} staff. I think they put the music on they think we want to here, after all it was one of our party that asked for some Xmas music :-[ . The other one however, featured in the local newspaper on its grand opening. A large converted pub nice clean place, excellent food, friendly {all Indian} staff. No music. If you looked through the window when the place was empty, you wouldn't`t know it was a BIR. That was the point I was trying to get across. I preferred the old style restaurant with the Indian music with red flock wallpaper and candlelit tables. It was a taste of India.......mike. ;D
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Hi
"It was a taste of India"
do they or have they
ever had red flock wallpaper
and candlelit tables in india ?
to the normal peeps anyway.
I dont like the uni-forms that some posh bir's
make the staff wear, so OTT and way back to the wars.
Some things should be left behind, some of the young
waiters have never been to india and are more
local than me
The younger staff may wish to move forward too.
sorry for being a party pooper (Sorry Mike)
respect.
:-X
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I try not to look at it too seriously. It's just selling an image, no different to any other industry really. It only becomes a problem if it's read into too much. I just appreciate the atomsphere and think little more of it!
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Hi Graeme, ;). The sort of places I refer to had names like, The Royal India. The Taj Mahal. The Royal Bengal. The windows were shaped like the Taj Mahal. A small wooden, glass fronted box displaying the menu on the wall outside. As you entered you were met by a friendly Indian chap, who would show you to a table and light a candle. From what I remember, it was either red or gold flock wallpaper. A picture or two of India hung on the walls. Indian music playing in the background. It was the mid 1970`s, and I was about 18, on the town, with the lads, and looking for something to soak up the beer. I realise it`s not what you would expect to find on a visit to India, but at the time it was an experience. That`s why we call them BIR`s, because they just cater for us Brits. I worked with some Indian/Pakistani guys, and during Ramadan the food they bought in {and shared with the English guys} was nothing like you would find in a restaurant. BIR`s by me now have the names, The Cinnamon and The Tammarind... I rest my case....