Tag Archive for 'review'

Chai Pani Restaurant Review

Published on March 22, 2008 in Freelance Writing, London and food. 0 Comments

Chai Pani

64 Seymour Street
London, W1H 5BW
020 7258 2000
http://www.chaipani.co.uk/

Category: Indian

Travel: Marble Arch
Open Daily 6pm-10.30pm; Mon-Fri 12pm-2.30pm; Sat-Sun 1pm-10.30pm

Devotees of chicken tikka masala will be disappointed by Chai Pani’s menu, which proves that India brings more to the table than fried samosas and korma curries. Chai Pani is the only restaurant in London to serve the vegetarian cuisine of Marwar, a desert region in west India. With dishes like Bhindi Subzi Vg (okra in “a sauce”) and Ker Saangri (a “concoction of desert berries and desert beans”), the vast menu leaves everything to the imagination.

Times like these, it’s usually best to let the kitchen decide, so I ordered a vegan thaali (another tough choice as Chai Pani offers a staggering 16 thaalis, including wheat-free, low GI and ayurvedic). Everything arrived hot and on time, and the waiter was only too happy to decipher the mysterious array of dishes before me. I now know that “dessert berries” look and taste more like shriveled twigs than actual food, and “sauce” is Chai Pani’s code word for “oil”. Fortunately, other dishes were more inspiring. The veganized raita was good enough to eat with a spoon thanks to a liberal dose of salt and chili. The daal was the best I’ve had in London - simple, fresh and very spicy, just begging to be sopped up with Bajra roti, a traditional Rathasthan millet bread. The chilled Ghugri salad of wheat berries, tomatoes and tangy lemon dressing was a refreshing accompaniment. When it came to endings, however, Chai Pani pushed the envelope of simple cooking a little too far, with bowls of jaggery (sugar) passing for dessert. This was a poor lead-in to the bill, which came to nearly £40 a head (including drinks).

Adventurous diners will go giddy over the eclectic offerings of Chai Pani, and the dietarily-challenged will find comfort in their meatless and wheatless offerings. But others will be confused. Chai Pani means well, but they need to come to terms with the palate (and pocketbook) of its western audience.

Dinner for two with drinks and dessert: £66

Bob Mondollo on “Away from Her”

Published on February 23, 2008 in Freelance Writing, Personal and movies. 0 Comments

3E6461A8-0D78-4A91-B44F-F2741D91ECED.jpg My writing teacher asked us to bring in a piece of journalism we like to discuss with the class. I’m sure she meant print journalism, but the first thing I thought of was an NPR film review of “Away from Her” by Bob Mondello.

“Away From Her” is about a husband who watches his wife slowly slip away to Alzheimer’s disease. I’ve not seen the movie, and I probably never will (I seem to suffer an endless attention span for film reviews but little patience for films themselves). However, Bob’s review was so powerful that I don’t need to see the film to feel its effect.

As Fiona withdraws over months and months of visits, Christie’s eyes tell you less and less, until the moment when Grant sees her in a garish sweater he knows she’d never wear. And confronts her: Fiona, I’m your husband, Fiona it’s grant we’ve been married for 45 years. Look at me, Fiona. We had a good life together. Those are your words, Fiona, Not mine. (pause) That is not your sweater.

Fearful and confused, she pulls him into a corridor and looks pleadingly into his eyes: Please, don’t. Please please don’t. You’re very persistent arent’ you. We’ll see you again tomorrow I suppose? And she’s gone again Still there, but gone.

I’m not inclined to write for TV or radio, or watch movies it seems. But the reviews entertain me, and might even teach me a thing or two. In this case, Bob’s commentary adds emotional weight to what is already a powerful clip. I’d like to be able to do that with quotes.

If only I paid as much attention to the rest of the world as I do to film reviews. This is something I need to practice. My writing teacher gave us some tips on how to pay attention to a piece as a writer, but these ideas could just as well be applied to radio, tv, meals, concerts, any life experience:

Ask questions

  • Am I interested?
  • Does the this leave me wanting more?
  • Does the story stimulate my approval? Confirm my opinion? Antagonise me? Why?
  • Does the story ring true?
  • Have I learned anything?
  • Does it make me wonder what’s been left out?
  • Who is this aimed at?
  • Does it achieve its goals?
  • Is the language suitable?
  • Is there an assumption of knowledge?

Try and notice style devices

  • Rhythms
  • Words
  • Phrases
  • Similes and metaphors
  • Puns
  • Repetitions
  • Images

Listen to Bob Mondello’s review of “Away from Her”
Read an interview with Bob Mondello in Seven Days