George Orwell while working as a waiter, at a Parisian café used to spit in the food before serving it; he will later write that this is how he dissented and resisted capitalism and took pleasure – giving him a sense of superiority over whom he served. He considered them “intellectually inefficient”, cursed and defied them for being rich.Later in his book “Down and out in Paris and London” he will delineate the absurd idea of restaurant and outline the problems associated with it.
Motivated by Orwell, I thought of joining a restaurant to understand it; understand its mechanics,understand the ground reality of it. All the decorum and finesse maintained in the restaurant,the vast gourmet and lengthy menu, the ever smiling serveuse, and readily manager coming to rescue for any possible faux pas. These reasons sidelined, I was also fascinated by a guy who lived downstairs and worked at Hyatt, who shared with me his time at hotel and made revelation about his alluring job;all the tips which he got from affluent clients who dined and stayed there and his possession of gifted German stuffs. All these had a considerable influence; profound impact or possibly a significant role,forcing me to make a move in the hotel industry, although I had recently left my college without completing my degree in Business economics in my final year of graduation.
I applied to various restaurants before getting a job at a newly opened restaurant at a very posh market place in South Delhi and the sole reason they availed me the job was because I had good communication skill(as they later told me, and I realised that I had good communication skill in comparison to other employees),I will also realise that all other employees were poorly educated and none of them possessed relevant degrees,nor any of them had intermediate schooling. I felt great about the job because the restaurant was in close proximity and I had to walk through a beautiful park to reach the place. The very idea fascinated me to be a part of the restaurant ,learn the etiquettes,enhance culinary knowledge,learn about European dishes. Very soon,I was introduced to the salary which I found utterly disappointing; I failed to understand the reason behind such farcical salary; However i will be informed that it’s more than what they paid to the freshers. Some senior serveur were astonished by the salary, for they found it against the norm,they i believe found it unethical and attack on the established order, tampering of hierarchical Order;which was that freshers were paid least in restaurants but I was paid a little more than many other workers who I found were working for years in the restaurants. I recalled a Delhi government Ad which had recently announced minimum basic pay and working hour rule in wake of labour law, and how these restaurants completely defied these government farmans.
I was instructed to wear black shirt and black jeans with black shoes. I informed them about my inability to follow their desired dress code and after bargaining they allowed me to wear my blue Levi’s jeans which I liked the most and assured me that they will avail me the official merchandise in a week.I despised the idea of wearing their official merchandise which was truly abominable, and adding insult to the injury, le serveur has to wear an apron which made them appear like an ice cream seller from a distance.
The next day I reached the restaurant at the scheduled time which was at 02:00 PM. Employees were not allowed to enter the premises from the front door, which was reserved for customers only,the employees and delivery guys were only allowed the back door entry. When I approached the floor, the manager greeted me with a smiling face and I for a while didn’t doubt its genuinity ;for I thought he liked my presence. He asked me to observe the other serveur who served the guests. I being a fresher,new to the industry and over enthusiastic about the job looked around trying to make some observation ;well If I don’t want to do injustice to the audience,i was in fact merely pretending that I was observing them all with a close eye but my eyes were stuck at a painting by an unnamed artist hanging on the left side with “a jackal dressed like a man’’ and only thing distinguishing him from a human was his canine like head with two sharp teeth stretching outside even though his mouth closed.I reverted my gaze fearing the manager’s presence and soon will shift my gaze to the in-house kitchen. I looked at the guys employed in the Kitchen; fresh faces from Uttarakhand, a serious looking guy busy preparing something recently ordered by an Italian customer. I will be later taught that the serious guy was the only married guy among all those kitchen boys.
I was standing at the bar observing the movement in the kitchen. There were a total of 6 people working there, including a girl who from a look appeared to me a punjabi,with a celestial nose,reddish white face and stout body;maybe the result of overeating. The kitchen had big cooking machines,which were absolutely foreign to me. All the people who worked in the kitchen had to wear a cap on their head,preventing possibility of hair in food. I witnessed hierarchy there as well with senior chefs scolding the fresh ones,while eating the rejected pizza which manager for some reason had not liked and asked them for a fresh one. Senior chefs made junior ones to do all the work and gave instructions and if they witnessed any wrong they threw abuses and presented with remarks which for a while made them feel unworthy of existence.
Amid all this a Mongoloid face entered the restaurant hastily and everyone greeted him with great vigour, I ill acquainted with these protocol blabbered good morning instead of good noon. Later I came to know that the man was no other than the owner himself, and was a Kazakh. With his “small eyes and a Big white face’’ he appeared different from the chink population which resides in India and China. His face almost looked to me like a big bread ,reminding of a big white bread,most favourite of dogs. He comforted himself at an empty sofa in the corner of the restaurant and ordered a green tea and a tenderloin burger. Now that he has well established himself on the sofa,everyone in the restaurant appeared to me at unease, the indolent serveur who were flirting with la serveuse came into act and rushed outside with the menu, for they were aware that the owner didn’t like the restaurant empty; after all the vast investment he has made in a foreign country and things completely alien to him.His earlier profession,as a serveur would inform me was some senior secretary at Kazakhstan embassy and in hope of enhancing his savings and lured with the prospect of accumulating wealth ;he invested an amount which was absolutely incredible.
I didn’t know if he was aware of a foreign presence in the restaurant,but soon he was informed by the manager about the new recruit and that lead to a full glance over my appearance and ended with a summon. He asked me to sit next to his sofa on a very comfortable chair and proceeded with his questions.In an instant he was handed over some details about me by the manager which also included a resumé. He after having a look of it didn’t feel good and came up with questions which had nothing to do with restaurants. He attacked me with questions from my resume about my renunciation of college degree amid,then he went on to enquire me about Russia since I had made a mention about my interest in Russian literature, in my resumè; he struck me with questions about Nikolai Gogol’s work,I answered his questions causing him a great disbelief and at once his eyes glittered when I correctly answered the capital of His country. He impressed with all that, struck me with a final and usual question, why do you want to work in restaurant industry? Now that I couldn’t be very honest with him at the moment and the question made me muse a little,i presented him with the answer which was not very new to him or let’s say didn’t excite him much. He summoned the manager, and asked me to leave.
Soon the manager was asked to introduce me with my job.Ah well It will be injustice if I don’t describe the appearance of our manager,for I found him quite interesting;he was a small man with a small body and has his neck emerging from a peculiar body giving him an appearance like a turkey, his clothing distinct from the rest of employees giving him a special status and confirming his superiority over other employees in restaurant’s hierarchy,with glasses on and neatly trimmed face he quite looked young of his age. He talked in a very suave manner with his poor English, and scolded his employees for any wrongs in good Hindi making it more vivid for the purpose of understanding to his illiterate employees ;mostly he hurled abuses; when someone made mistake when the customers left he called the person responsible for the mistake,and taught a lesson which included of some abuses. He asked me to stay until he has finished his business,which was checking order of things. He looked at things very meticulously with his big owl like eyes peeping through glasses,and it was very likely that he found some mistakes,like crockeries not washed properly or even a stain and that further lead to some more abuses and convict presented to him whom he presented with some gross exhibition of words.
He after a thorough checkup of tables and daily dose of abuses, came to me and did a firm hand shake.I was surprised by the formality of his behavior,it was hard for me to believe of such occurrence, quite a rare phenomenon; a while ago a man who in his full capacity hurling abuses standing against me with such a laughing greeting face. I was dumbstruck at first but considering his presence made myself believe of the event and prepared for his speech or more precisely guidance. He patted my shoulders and started –his restaurant is newly opened and he told me the meanings associated with the name,he also made me beware of any mistakes; with that he asked me to observe things today and assured me that within a month I will start getting tip like other waiters. I shifted my gaze to the other side of restaurants where customers where sitting and waiters entertaining them ;all the waiter appear to me malnourished with chicken like neck and long faces,they were strictly following the managers order ;which was to keep themselves tidy and clean, with exception of one small physically built guy who was allowed trimmed beard.Manager’s eyes caught my attention and he asked me to get my hair done and shave the beard which was the norm of hotel industry and make myself look presentable to the customers. I was standing to a side of the restaurant and started my job of the day which was to observe.I glanced over customers who were chattering happily.The restaurant had a total of 50 sittings and only 10 were occupied with remaining empty. I sticked my gaze at a table with 10 customers trying to read them, two waiters along with a waitress stood beside for orders and taking the empty plates out. The customers were diplomats and didn’t hesitate to spend and when they asked for l’adition it was enormous, I realized that the bill could have availed food for a family of 10 for a month.
The experience is never the same for the customers who came there infrequently, for anyone who didn’t work at restaurant would probably never understand it;it was a world of contrast,behind all the glossy,glittering and gleamy atmosphere ;there was grey, an unparalleled gloomy atmosphere; religiously despised by those who frequented the place and worked 16 hours a day. Behind the veil of finesse, jocund faces and extremely musical environment,there were few things taking place which were beyond the imagination of outsiders.
The diplomats had left, leaving behind them a mound of unconsumed foods and cocktails.
Very soon,two beautiful long faces started to emerge from downstairs leading to floor near sitting area ,coalescing into two female bodies followed by a nub kid with a turban on head confirming his religious identity.I must confess that, I failed to figure out the relationship the kid and the other two lady had with each other but the two ladies appeared very fond of the kid,with kid gesticulating his petit fingers to various direction and they fondled him with great care.The two women ,one in spring of her youth and the other an elderly lady with heavy powder planted on her face,defying her old age ,appeared very elegant in their branded clothes and beautiful shoes. The manger(I forgot to mention), greeted every customers first and then one learned waiter followed him ,Such was the etiquette! while the manager talked about well being of the customer, a waiter standing nearby had to produce laughs to make a customers unhesitating and familiar.Only in the restaurant,I will be familiar with various allergies, allergies of such wide and vast varieties related to food.For never I had known of existence of phenomena as such,it was quite peculiar and possibly new invention of upper middle class people; some customers mentioned not to use papaya seed, some complained of truffle oil, some of onion,some of colours and some of things which a poor man in his complete senses desired. Though the most funny customers to be observed were vegetarians ,who thoroughly checked their food and checked it unknown times before placing it inside them.
I fixed my gaze and lost my senses,at the beautiful lady ;what an unearthly appearance she had,“a creature of temptation,a true work of almighty,so well sculpted, a magnificent work”.I now had firm faith in Oscar Wilde saying that,“Woman and rain are most beautiful creation of god.”She was talking to the manager very nicely and her sound didn’t move more than few yards; all I can hear was some hissing which fusing and fading into the environment dominated by a pop track,making her absolutely inaudible to my ears but still I derived pleasure watching the movement of her lips and to be frank her whole face,her oval eyes and silver coloured eyebrows,the lower brows pitch dark coloured and teeth in stunning fantastic shape she was so godly,Oh god!she was all so beautiful.
The manager after a brief discussion to the clientele,took the hand of the kid who amused by the movement by an unknown face and planted his Frog like lips on his petit hand!in the Russian style.I was astounded by his act! How graceful it was, “almost had changed my opinion about his character”. The waiter took the order, some Italian dish and left them for themselves. I realised the manager coming towards the side where I was standing and in an instant,i attained my conscience which was lost by an unearthly pleasing sight; shifting my gaze to the other side, where two customers were sitting -a masculine and other a feminine. They were already judged as “love bird” by the manager and a senior serveur, and so were left on their own, for it was no good to ask them for order.It was a well established fact among les serveurs,“ that love birds didn’t tip” ,nor they spend enormous amount on food who was appreciated by everyone in the restaurant,but instead enquired for discounts at times and privacy is what they always asked for.
I was taken aback by memory of a friend, who was once in love.He came from the Northeastern part of the country and to everyone’s amusement he found himself loving a girl from the northern part,“as the generalisation had it that one had to spend a considerable fortune luring these fair skinned,marshal race, pretty girls.” He came from a middle class family and always found himself in dire economic crisis long before month end,because of his budget constraints;and was found requesting credits from people around. A gathering took place to delve into the matter pertaining his economical problem;it was discovered and unveiled that,he was in love with a fair skinned aryan girl ,an inhabitant of Delhi;The very reason,Causing budget deficit and his premature bankruptcy.Following the etiquette’s ,he took her to high priced restaurants around the city;they swallowed expensive wine together,dined together at expensive restaurant in the beginning of a month.Later the economic calamity followed and at various occasions during months end,he was seen appeasing a road side Momowala for more chutney.
In the restaurant,the lovers always demanded for corner sits for the sake of private times and only after some gruesome kissing sounds,one reconstructed of their existence.For they disliked le serveur; their incessant desire for privacy barricaded the idea of hunger and overshadowed their gourmandism;They only ordered food because of compulsion and not in the wake of hunger,almost coerced for their consent. I also made an immaculate observation that female creatures, took a little interest in ordering the foods while their Male counterparts submitted and submerged themselves into their temporal and transient sensory pleasures.
I will also witness peculiarity of “nature of love” ;Man in their 60s and woman in their 20’s. A phenomenon I only had read and watched on screen. “May-December romance” as its termed caused a great sensation in the restaurant environment,for everyone wanted to serve the old man’s table as it was an established fact that they tipped amazingly. I absolutely dreaded those old man who possessed money and mimi.
Restaurant as it appears from the conscience of a customer;a quiet,calm place with beautiful musical environment and maybe some time when it’s crowded some tattering and collision of spoken words from different tables making this place a little alive;But dark realities stray miles away from the imagination of the people who infrequent l’eglise du fiesta.A very thin line between chaos and tranquility in restaurant and the contradictions only divided by a door which creaked and produced great annoying sound,whenever opened and closed.
The restaurant hadn’t many visitor,the day I commenced my job,parce que the restaurant was new and the market place had lesser footfall compared to the established and reputed markets like Khan Market and Connaught Place, but still it withdrew considerable customer who were of great interest of me. Interesting character frequented the place on the first day,a woman,probably a diplomat entered the restaurant at 8PM all alone and stayed there until the closing,ordering foods and beverages intermittently and made instruction not to be interrupted. I was asked to leave that day early. It all seemed perfectly fine on the very first day I reached my place and had a perfect sleep.
The next day I reached at the restaurant and was greeted warmly by managers gracious smile and a firm handshake at the gates. He proposed me to observe again.I obsequiously nodded my affirmation, and went forward deep into the aisle.Weekend days are always awaited by restaurant managers and serveurs,for they presupposed enhancement in sale. It was Saturday and all the tables are full and cooks were in their full might, one could hear the splashing,cutting and hitting of knives on the floor and what lies underneath,tattering of pots.
