Dubai's Bombay Brasserie accommodates requests for less spicy dishes by using milder seasonings such as cumin and mustard seeds. Rob Garrat / The National
Dubai's Bombay Brasserie accommodates requests for less spicy dishes by using milder seasonings such as cumin and mustard seeds. Rob Garrat / The National
Dubai's Bombay Brasserie accommodates requests for less spicy dishes by using milder seasonings such as cumin and mustard seeds. Rob Garrat / The National
Indian food has a reputation for its rich, strong and spicy flavour profile — which doesn't make it an easy cuisine to explore for those with delicate palates — but an Indian restaurant in the US is trying to bridge the gap.
The menu of Biryani City in Bethesda, Maryland went viral on Twitter after Aditi Shekar posted a screenshot of her ordering a paneer butter masala from the restaurant on Sunday.
Shekar was asked to choose a spice level from an extensive list, starting from “zero spice” to “Indian very spicy.” In the caption, she said: “I just tried to order Indian food in Bethesda and this is hilarious.”
The tweet, so far viewed 2.3 million times, evoked both appreciative and tongue-in-cheek responses from other Twitter users, most of whom agreed that a granular distinction of spice level was a necessity.
“This is perfect. I always get confused which restaurant has what kind of spice level. Everyone has different mild, medium spicy. This is a very good distinction,” said user Madhur Shrimal.
Another said “most people are not prepared for the actual heat in most recipes from south and South-east Asian cuisines”.
Biryani City further describes its spice levels as:
American mild: Really really really mild. You can taste the proteins (or the veggies).
American medium: Really really mild. Literally only half a chilli (or the equivalent) being used. You are almost there. No, we are not daring you.
American spicy / Indian mild: Now we are in business. You are on the line waiting to cross over into utopia.
Indian medium: This is it. The way it is supposed to be … just like the menu has been telling you all along.
Indian spicy: Do a little dance, break a little sweat, get spicy tonight.
Indian very spicy: Woah! You are on your own now buddy, sign a waiver and you are good to go.
Many Twitter users said other restaurants also have their own spice charts, especially those serving Thai and Korean cuisines.
The spice chart describes the mildest spice levels as “American mild”, “American medium” and “American spicy”, before it goes to “Indian mild” and up to “Indian very spicy.”
“Indian spice level is definitely different from American spicy,” Ajay Singh, the head chef of Bombay Brasserie in Dubai, tells The National. “Most people with lower spice tolerance would prefer their food to be more flavoursome rather than feeling the heat from the influx of chillies.”
Singh says at his restaurant chefs can reach for milder spices such as cumin and mustard seeds to accommodate requests from diners who, in a country like the UAE, come from various nationalities and have different gastronomic preferences.
Referring to the US eatery's spice chart, he adds: “We often get the question about the spice level and this is quite a fun way of addressing it.”
A detailed spice chart, another Twitter user said, removes the stress of guessing at the spice level of certain dishes. “I like things spicy, but not hubris-level spicy,” she adds.
Other Twitter users recalled experiences of ordering food without clear spice levels, which didn't quite work out. One said he ordered a mild chicken korma, and “it was basically a dessert.”
Glossary of a stock market revolution
Reddit
A discussion website
Redditor
The users of Reddit
Robinhood
A smartphone app for buying and selling shares
Short seller
Selling a stock today in the belief its price will fall in the future
Saturday
Atletico Madrid v Sevilla (3pm)
Alaves v Real Madrid (6.15pm)
Malaga v Athletic Bilbao (8.30pm)
Girona v Barcelona (10.45pm)
Sunday
Espanyol v Deportivo la Coruna (2pm)
Getafe v Villarreal (6.15pm)
Eibar v Celta Vigo (8.30pm)
Las Palmas v Leganes (8.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Valencia (10.45pm)
Monday
Real Betis v Levante (11.pm)
Isle of Dogs
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Liev Schreiber, Ed Norton, Greta Gerwig, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson
Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.
The trek
Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.
How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Director: Ron Howard
2/5
Warlight,
Michael Ondaatje, Knopf
OTHER IPL BOWLING RECORDS
Best bowling figures: 6-14 – Sohail Tanvir (for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in 2008)
Best average: 16.36 – Andrew Tye
Best economy rate: 6.53 – Sunil Narine
Best strike-rate: 12.83 – Andrew Tye
Best strike-rate in an innings: 1.50 – Suresh Raina (for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2011)
Most runs conceded in an innings: 70 – Basil Thampi (for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018)
Most hat-tricks: 3 – Amit Mishra
Most dot-balls: 1,128 – Harbhajan Singh
Most maiden overs bowled: 14 – Praveen Kumar
Most four-wicket hauls: 6 – Sunil Narine
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
