Reading On The Job

We grabbed a Tuk Tuk in Bangalore and experienced two interesting sights.

The first was a flat out miracle:

Sarah smiling in a death mobile Tuk Tuk? No (although a rare occurrence). The miracle is the meter, as in on, working, ticking, abided by. No one ever uses the meter. No wonder:  the total fare was a third of what we would have paid had we settled for haggling/estimating.

The second sight was our driver multi-tasking. Here he is, stuck in traffic, boning up on the day's news. It wasn't a quick glance.  He had oodles of time before we would move again and he came prepared. There's probably an Apple-like new category invention somewhere in this paradigm. iTuk reader?

The Carnegie Deli Of Bangalore

It might be a stretch of a comparison, but Bangalore's Mavaili Tiffin Room certainly carries similar gravitas as a traditional, longstanding establishment in its own city. Housed in a nice Art Deco building, the Tiffin Room is a simple affair featuring an open kitchen, waiting area and a couple of rooms of tables.

Families pack the place for the multi-course veg meal that's served and consists of a variety of small dishes. A sort of old tapas bar where they bring you tons of plates. The food isn't unique or extravagant. But in a rapidly changing society, full of street stalls that come and go, the tradition of the Mavalli Tiffin Room is known and the locals seek it out.

The Deco front entrance. The master of ceremonies, the lungi leader, the powerful name taker. Tell him you're there and then take a seat. He reminded us of the famous Maitre d's at Joe's Stone Crab back in Miami Beach.

Families patiently waiting for the next 15-top to become available. The little "Waiting Hall" sign on the wall is a nice touch in the room. The kitchen, filled with plenty of steel containers, a sure sign you're experiencing a tiffin meal.