On my last visit to Bangkok in June, after a very busy day, I went to my favorite "Coco's Cafe" at the Novotel Lotus (now Bangkok Lotus). From my previous visits, I knew this place used to serve a very nice Indian buffet with live singers churning out old popular Ghazals. But because of the Thai Elections, the tourist traffic was virtually non-existent (except some brash new-money Indian types, who suddenly want to become globe trotters but need some basic training in etiquette, more on this later) and hence the restaurant had stopped the buffet service. Also, I was told the musicians had gone back to India and the restaurant was finding it difficult to hire new ones.
Since I am a vegetarian (yes, the proper vegetarian, No meat, No fish and No Eggs type), the options can be very limited in Bangkok. One can choose from either an Italian restaurant (thankfully, Italians have a good veg menu), order a Pizza or go to a 'Regular' Thai or Chinese restaurant and break your head trying to get some vegetarian food from them.
The Basilca Pizzeria is the best option just across from the Lotus but I decide to be a little more adventurous and explore a bit. Just as I started walking, I spotted an Indian restaurant called Himali Cha Cha in one very quiet bylane of Sukhumvit.
I went inside and found the restaurant had a very good ambiance (hmm, must be pricey...). I ordered a drink and asked the waiter for a recommendation for curry. He seemed a bit lost and sent the owner of the restaurant to take my order. I asked him which was the signature dish of the hotel and was told that this place did not have a signature dish but rather the food was like home food ("Ghar ka khana"). Since the portions were too big for one person, he suggested to give me only one bowl of dhal, half a curry, Garlic bread and some complimentary rice. He said this will give me satisfaction of having tried different things but also not spend too much money or waste the excess food. I was quite impressed as this attitude is usually lacking with most restaurant owners.
I leafed through the menu to learn that the owner-chef Mr. Himali (now deceased) was once the cook for Lord Mountbatten (the last Viceroy of India). I was intrigued and wanted to know more. Mr. Himali's son Kovit was only too glad to share the history with me. I must warn you that the story is quite filmy and may have been exaggerated a little by Kovit (we Indians love masala and hence a little exaggeration is quite acceptable in our culture).
The First Course: Garlic Naan and Vegetable Kurma Curry with Sliced Onions
Himali was a young lad from North India wanting to make it big in Bombay like all the other young men of his age. Most were enamored by Hindi films and came to Mumbai to become filmstars (so little has changed in the last 60 years, I wonder!!). So, he took the train to Mumbai and landed in the back streets of Colaba. He would stand alongside others outside all the famous studios and try to talk to the film personalities so that they could SPOT him (the next superstar). He soon realized that it would be impossible to get a break in movies. So, he settled for a job in a restaurant as an assistant to the chef. One day, Nehru (yes, The Jawaharlal Nehru) went to the restaurant and was very happy with the meal and requested the restaurant owner if he could take the chef to his home as his personal cook. The restaurant owner did not want to let go of his chef and instead offered to send the chef’s assistant Himali with Nehru. Nehru was told that Himali was talented and with a little training, he could be a very good chef.
Himali was with the Nehru household during the freedom struggle. Mahatma Gandhi used to be frequently jailed during this time. To avoid any sort of poisoning, all the meals for Gandhi in jail were prepared in the Nehru household and sent through the boy courier (who else but the trusted Himali). Kovit also mentions that you can see a small boy carrying a tiffin to Gandhi in the movie on Gandhi (I have seen the movie umpteen times but frankly don’t remember this part).
Second Course: Dal Fry and Jeera Rice
The Mountbatten family was very close to Nehru (oh, we all know that old story of Edwina and Nehru). Once, after a very good meal (cooked by who else), Lord Mountbatten asked Nehru that he wanted Himali as a Birthday present from Nehru. Our dear PM could not refuse and thus Himali started working for the Mountbattens from that day on.
After Independence, the Mountbattens offered to take Himali with him to England but Himali did not want to migrate to London. So, he started working for the various Indian embassies abroad (because of his friendship with the many diplomats and politicians). He worked in many different places around the world serving the Indian ambassadors. Finally, he decided to open his own restaurant in Laos. There, he also fell in love and married a Thai lady and started his family. When communism came to Laos, the family sold all its assets in Laos and moved to Bangkok, Thailand.
They now own 2 restaurants in Bangkok.
Dessert: No room for dessert now, I am full
Kovit Sarkar is Mr. Himali's son. So, he is half-Thai and half-Indian and married to a Filipino woman (a truly international family, no maybe a truly Asian family is more apt). He looks after this restaurant while his wife manages the other one (personal attention ensures the food is always the same taste and quality, I am told). The wall had some of his family photos. He looks Thai but can speak good Hindi. He says he loves Hindi movies and thinks that his father’s story has all the ingredients to be made into a Bollywood movie.
I must confess the restaurant food was not spicy and simple (literally like Ghar ka Khana). But the combination of the food, ambience and the story made my otherwise dull and lonely evening in Bangkok interesting.
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