Richard Howells' Blog

The Lunch Queue!

We are in a massive office complex with loads of international (ok American) businesses.  Our building is on a business park, some of it beautiful and finished and some a building site.

Lunch is in the basement.  The lifts don't go to the basement so everyone is funnelled up/down a single staircase.  In the basement most stuff happens via a cashless card system.  One of those systems designed to reduce queuing (sic!)  So you queue to recharge your card with money (and get given a paper receipt).  Once charged you join another Q because there are only three automated menu machines where you can record your order. 

I say record because going to the machine does not order anything.  It deducts the money off your card and gives you TWO paper receipts.  One receipt is for you - the other tells you which food counter to go to.  You Q to hand it to the team at the food counter, they make up your tray and off you go.  If your order was imaginative enough you may have to Q at several counters to get everything you wanted!

There are loads of interesting things to eat - I have no idea what most of them are, but what I've had so far has been great.  There are lots of vegetarian dishes.  I've been eating a few of those.  I'm not vegetarian; I just enjoy them.  I had a nice vegetarian biryani.  Today a veg Thali. Generally they all rank as spicy enough to be interesting but not scary.

Everything is served a bit like school dinners.  There is a tray divided into compartments.  The food goes in the compartments and you get a spoon.  I'm not sure I have seen any other cutlery down there.

Pizza and Chinese are an exception.  Pizza is Dominos - it looks weird written in Hindi - Chinese isn't!  Both of them take actual cash straight over the counter.

You can get a great lunch for under 100Rp's - about £1 UK

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