Three Hundred People Attend Event at Indian Restaurant in Rancho Cucamonga
Three hundred people attend event at Haandi Indian Cuisine in Rancho Cucamonga. Food critic, Jonathan W Smythe investigates.
(PRWEB) December 23, 2006 -- When 300 people attend a restaurant it is always interesting, especially if it is not a private event but a public one. It is even more intriguing when the event is held at an Indian restaurant that only seats about 120.
In a recent joint promotion with Mercedes Benz, Haandi Indian Cuisine in Rancho Cucamonga attracted twice as many people than anticipated.
"We never expected a turnout this big, we though maybe 100 would show up," states Sartaj Singh, who with his brother Hartaj is owner of Haandi.
"Mercedes parked a couple of the new models and we sent out a few invitations to customers and friends. At first the people trickled in, and then in the early evening there was a tidal wave of people."
"There was a cross section of American and Indian people, the parking lot was packed. It was great!" continues Singh.
Did these people pour in to see the cars, or for the Indian food? Or both?
One of the biggest problems for Indian restaurant owners is overcoming the impression that all of the food is hot and spicy. This is just not true.
Most diners that have never tried Indian food automatically say "Oh no! Those curries are too hot." That's similar to avoiding Starbucks because you don't like hot coffee. They serve iced coffee too, and a lot more.
As a big fan of Indian food, dining at Haandi was not a problem. But anybody in the "oh no!" contingent should give it a try.
Anybody that has never tried Indian food, the Haandi lunch buffet is the way to get started and acclimated to the taste. Future visits can be a little more adventurous by ordering off the menu, but don't be afraid to ask the waiter about each dish.
The Haandi chef cooks authentic recipes in the tandoor -a clay oven heated up to 1000 degrees. The inside of the tandoor is coated with a mix of spices, and then as the food is cooked, the aromas of the spices are absorbed in the food.
Meals begin with a complimentary order of papadam, a crispy bread that is served with mint sauce and tamarind chutney.
One of the traditional beverages is Kingfisher Beer and makes a great compliment to spicy Indian food. For wine lovers, Gewurztraminer also works very well with Indian food. Rotate your wine glass to release the wine's aromas then put your nose into the glass and smell apricot, peach, rose petals or honeysuckle emanating from the Gewurztraminer.
The Haandi buffet changes daily but always consists of three appetizers, three meat dishes, salad and two desserts items.
If available the tikka masala, tender chicken in a tasty gravy, and dahl makhni, a side dish made from lentils is a good choice from the buffet.
Ordering off the menu the Chicken Malai is very tasty. This is an all white meat dish marinated in yoghurt and herbs then cooked with coconut and creamy spices in the tandoor.
Both meals come with Indian bread called naan. Naans come in several varieties, including plain, and the aloo paratha which is stuffed with potatoes.
Desert, yes Indian restaurants have desserts! The lunch buffet included kheer, a pudding made by boiling rice with milk and sugar then flavoring with cardamom and pistachios. Kheer is served chilled making it very refreshing.
An all time favorite is Gulab jamun, which are fried milk balls served in sweet syrup flavoured with cardamom and rosewater or saffron.
Any first time diner at an Indian restaurant will be a convert after tasting the Haandi buffet.
Despite the unassuming location, Haandi Indian Restaurant is on a par with the award winning Bengal Clipper Restaurant situated in London's trendy Shad Thames District.
It is easy now to understand why 300 attended the event and that the food at Haandi Indian Cuisine was a major contributing factor to the overall success of the event.
"The event was a success for Mercedes too because they sold 7 cars that day. We are planning a similar event in the near future," concludes Singh.
Haandi Indian Restaurant is located at 7890 Haven Avenue Ste. 15 & 16 Rancho Cucamonga
They are open 7 days a week for lunch 11:00am - 3:00pm and at 5:00pm- 10:00pm for dinner.
For more information please call (909) 581-1951 or go to http://www.haandiindiancuisine.com
Jonathan W Smythe travels extensively looking for the finer things in life, such good food and wine. When he finds them Smythe likes to point them out so others can share in his passions too.
###
|
