UDUPI HOTELS: Save our FOOD CULTURE...

• THE UDUPI HOTELS OF MUMBAI IS ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION...
• OUR FOOD CULTURE IS IN DANGER...
• TAKE OVER OF AMERICAN MNC FOOD GIANTS IS ELIMINATING UDUPI RESTAURANTS
• MANY UDUPI FOOD JOINTS ARE GETTING CLOSED AT A RAPID PACE IN MUMBAI
• OUR CHILDREN ARE AT RISK GETTING ADDICTED TO JUNK PLASTIC FOODS.
• OBESITY, KIDNEY, LUNG DISEASE ON RISE DUE TO JUNK FOODS

    Mumbai, earlier known as Bombay during the days of British, the city that never sleeps, was home to people from different states of India belonged to different culture, religion and region resided here and made their home wit3+h hope for survival, with hope to have a quality life and with hope that they could help their family back home. Mumbai gave them every thing they asked for, Mumbai the City that made our nation, take out Mumbai and our nation is nowhere, i made many millionaires and billionaires, its the city that never sleeps, home to around 13 million people, which could be more than the population of many European Nations.

   Known as the City that never sleeps, the city only gave many peoples ambitions, faith, hope were accomplished, i a Mumbaikar born and brought in the city of dreams have seen the city for the past 3 decades, it was a city with a good quality of life, the city had space, gardens, good sight seeing, grace and character, but now for the pat decade and a half it has lost its sheen with mindless planning and high rise apartments and commercial building in rise THE CITY LOST IT'S CHARM, at times i search for a once lost glory that was Bombay, 

  The city after Independence has gone under a lot of change and after every decade it's becoming more and more busy as if the people have no time for anything but work, with the day to day life the city has many unique features of which one is that it's known for quality hotels and restaurants across  city and it's suburbs.

  And when it comes to Hotels and Restaurants its the Udupi food joint and chain of restaurants in Mumbai, has its own legacy and identity whose history in Mumbai is older than our independence. This chain of Food Restaurant were established by the Bunt Samaj of Karnataka, these people bear the Surname Shetty, Kamat, Rai Naik etc. own and operate many hotels and restaurants across the suburbs of Mumbai and other cities in India that hardly there shall be any from Mumbai or those who have come to Mumbai and not been to the Udupi Food Joints, rather its impossible for any Mumbai resident to confess that he or she has never had food from a Udupi hotel or a restaurant.

   The good factor about such Udupi Food Joints is that unlike any ordinary hotels they set themselves apart from others in terms of Hygiene, the hotels will be clean and tidy, with proper lighting and seating arrangement and a perfect set of ambiance, you shall feel relaxed and at peace to enjoy food with your family or colleagues. The food on Menu Card will be flooded with a variety of items especially from South India from where they belong and along with it food from other regions from west, north and east are seeved too so that their customers can have choice as per their likings. 

   As majority of Udupi food joints serve pure vegetarian food extreme care is taken for the quality of food, so if you are doubtful about eating outside food in a Udupi food joint you are safe. The food is not only hygenic but delicious and what's more its economical least chances that can create a dent in your pockets.

  Strange as it may sound but unknowingly, Udupi food joint has been the place where people from different region, culture, religion, sects and different classes come to this joint and have food that belong to various region and cultures of our nation, this is where the feel of Indian food can be felt at one spot as foods from different regions be it The Pav Bhaji of Maharashtra or Alu Paratha and Paneer Tikka from Punjab, Gujarati Thali or Masala Dosa, Uttapams and Idli Sambhar from South India, for many decades Udupi food joints have given us the food identity through its food as food is one of the point focal identity of our culture, Udipi Food Joints is one place where we get an opportunity to know foods of other regions. These hotels is like a mini India in one place

History of Udupi Hotels

   Before independence Mumbai was known not only as the city of harbor but was famous for textile industries a lot of industries related to textile and garment were setup in the suburbs of Mumbai that employed thousands of workers, middle and top level management employees as a result when during lunch time there was a huge demand for food it is Mr. Rama Naik who established a small hotel near Matunga which is still in existence that prepared an simple but elegant South Indian Meals to the textile employees who used to come and eat at his joint from then on the saga of Udupi hotel began, very soon his foods touched the hearts of the people of India sooner adopted to and enjoyed having South Indian food. 

   The hotel is not only famous in Mumbai as many great personalities of India have eaten food from this small hotel, it became very famous when India's ex President Dr. Abdul Kalam ate food from this joint that gave this hotel a National Identity.

  Very soon the demand for south indian foods increased in Mumbai and hence many Udupi hotels came up in Mumbai and the suburbs set by the Bunt Samaj, that for a long time the Udupi food joints have been an integral part of our life. Its a place where where people have celebrated anniversary functions or birthday celebration's, college students celebrated send off parties or the young had date with their beloved over a sip of coffee, in every young old and the middle aged have a part of Nostalgia with the Udupi Food Joints.

Super Star Sunil Shetty Owns a Udupi Hotel

   The people who manage Udupi food joints are efficient and could judge the likes and dislikes of the people and according to their tastes included new variety of food on the table menu, as time passed by the Udupi Hotels which started from Breakfasts had food for lunch and dinner from having a Vada Sambar etc. for breakfast or simple Dal Rice or a Thali for lunch to a Roti Paneer Kadai for dinner everything was available at one place. 

   For many decades it had a mass appeal and when food is mentioned its Udupi that people could ever think of, It provided employment for many from waiters, delivery boy to cooks and managers, the Udupi Food joints and restaurants has been a cultural food identity of our nation.

Eclipse over Udupi food joints and take over of MNC Food Giants:

 In some of my previous blogs i have mentioned in detail about Multi National Corporations, when a MNC is coming to a third world or developing nation like India, it comes with a larger and a long term pland with a focus, these American or any MNC companies will only invest their money if they are capable of trapping the big fish for which they will invest a lot of money on research analysis trying to look out for potentials of business they can make in India, they all know that India has a far large size if Middle class income people in the world and that the youth population is far better than any nations in the world hence the business potentials is very high, India is a gold mine for these evil and greedy MNC.

  Even if our government tries to kick these MNC's out of India they will never go back hence they have many government officials and politicians in their pay roll who will dance to their tune these politicians and government officials will make inroads for these MNC to set up their business in India in such a manner that to kill competition they will make life difficult for the Indian companies and these MNC will have a better penetration and market reach that  within a year or two these MNC will kill all competition in the Market and Dominate the market with their Brand value which comes at a very big premium they charge from we consumer which can be roughly about a minimum of 1000% margin on their products this huge amount of loot they take away from India is nether discussed by the government or Media.

  In 1998 McDonald was the first MNC food giant to set up their restaurant in Mumbai, at that time i was in my college doing my graduation that we came to know it serves American Foods, those days like anyone even i was curious to know how those Burgers tasted, we had seen it in quite a few Hollywood movies where they eat this stuff. If i am not wring those days it costed some Rs. 55/- which was a huge amount as we could get around three Masala Dosa at the same rate. 

  This potato fried pattice like stuff with some Chiken piece and a Myonise sauce with two buns only reminded me of Vada Pav that costed somewhere around Rs. 3 to 5/- those days which means for one American Burger i could get about 8 to 10 Vada Pav. 

  At that time it was really foolish to buy these Burgers, oh yes the ambiance was really different from any hotels in Mumbai and why not they gave a American Feel (you know how much we desire for American culture aint it) nevertheless going to such a place was suicidal for me as my pocket money never had the capacity to go there on a frequent basis, me and me then girl friend were happy with Udupi and Chinese Food Joints.

   As Mcdonald's food joints met with success in mumbai very soon they began to set shops in the suburbs and soon the demand for american fast food increased and as they made huge profits they ventured outside mumbai to the surrounding cities where people from the middle class and upper middle class could afford to have burgers.

  If not the middle age and old people were not prefering. american food joints as they were stuck to their cultural roots abd prefered Indian food, but the youth and the children where preferring mcdonald foods  only as it could be taste or vogue they considere American fast food as a part of their the life, and this is exactly what American food giants wanted, their target were our children's teen's and Youth.

  They know well that the middle age and the old people will never accept their junk plastic fast food when children's mind can be molded and by the time they become young will become well addicted to these junk foods which is not only bad for our health but with a lot of preservatives and additives used in such foods will make your like a living hell.

   Its been well over 15 years that Macdonald had its presence in India sooner with it many pizza joints from Dominos, Pizza Hit, Smoking Joes set their food joints in India and latest being KFC, if we look at the total set up of food joints of these American MNC then these figures will be staggering. It will easily cross the sum total of all A B And C grade hotels we have in India.

  If we roam around Mumbai all these American food joints mentioned above have at least one shop in ever corner of the suburbs and this is far more penetrating than any Indian food chains. The way these MNC food joints are capturing market is so horrifying. 

  With a lot of money and Minister's in their pocket they can easily mold law into their hands and make life difficult they will not leave any room for Indian Hotel big or small to survive, as a majority of Five Star Hotels in India have been taken over by America, the fast food chain is another take over where middle class income people can have an opportunity to make business, the MNC is getting in this fold too. 

  To capture market they would never mind to lower the price so that people can keep flocking to their food joints, the Mangers of such Food giant MNC food joints are not interested about the volume of business they make but he rather keeps track of the frequency of visit a customer can make to his joints for which he will give you questionnaire to fill your suggestions and ask you for ways of improving their service etc, they will provide lucrative offers like providing Discounts for Birthday Parties for your children where in they will get an opportunity to attract more children, Teenagers in  college will be lured with Christmas Day or Valentines Day Special offers, their plan is not to make business but a way of creating a psyche that children and teenagers will never go any where but only McDonald, these food joints are basically a mental trap, once you get in your child gets attracted to the ambiance of the food joints unlike Udupi food joints that attract the youth middle aged and the old. 

   Even parents have to be held responsible as out of love they give such useless Junk foods to their children even after knowing the facts, would you give poison to your children, if the answer is NO then WHY ON EARTH ARE YOUR FEEDING THEM POISON.

   The Burgers which is plain plastic food with nil nutrition is filled with preservatives that a research was conducted on McDonald Burgers it was found that if he burgers are kept at a specific temperature then it will stay fresh for about 6 months and such is the amount of preservatives they add t the food that will 

   Click on the link to know more about the evil of Burgers you eat with relish: The Burger Lab: Revisiting the Myth of The 12-Year Old McDonald's Burger That Just Won't Rot (Testing Results!)

  

   If this is the amount of preservatives they use on burgers then imagine the way it shall have an impact on our health, by consuming this your child and you will surely suffer from Obesity, it will invite constipation followed by Diabetes, Low and High Blood pressure, and later to fatal heart stroke or cancer, consuming such harmful foods will only end up in hospitals, pharma sector and evil greedy doctors will laugh all the way to banks.

   Even Pizza Food Joints are not behind as Indians prefer o have this pathetic food full of cheese and refined flour (Maida) these two ingredients are the best source to congest your bowel movements you will surely suffer from constipation, what more it costs as lot more compared to Satvic Vedic Indian foods you get from Udupi food joints, the generation of now used to luxurious lie style considers it a status quo to have Pizza during Lunch and Dinner.

   Long time back, had a Pizza at Domino's and it was very confusing about the billing system they had as it is the worst kind of loot i ever seen by and MNC, here is what had happened:

   I just give up and pay the amount shown on the bottom line. Perhaps we shouldn't.

Incidentally, I also resent the inclusion of Service Charges in restaurant bills, because it assumes that I was satisfied with the service. Just a matter of principle. Service Charge should be something I leave behind at my personal discretion.

  I recently demanded that the service charge be removed as the service was non-existent. After a short - very short! - Discussion, it was removed. 

About Service Tax..... Be aware

Let me explain.

I observed that "service tax" was being misused in the way it was being charged to customers.

Let me give an example.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Food and Beverage = Rs. 1000.00

Service Charges @ 10% = Rs. 100.00

Service Tax @ 4.94% = Rs. 54.34 (on F&B + Service Charges)

VAT @14.5% = Rs. 145.00

Total = Rs. 1299.34

As per the definition - "Service Tax can be charged ONLY for the

Services provided to the customer".

Now, see what is happening here in the above example.

Service Tax should be charged only on the Service Charge amount i.e Rs.100 ONLY, and NOT on the entire amount (1000+100).

In this example, the customer should be charged only Rs 4.94, whereas he has been charged Rs. 49.00 extra.

Where does this money go? Only the restaurant owner and the chartered accountants who work for them know.

So, I have started asking them the questions - and am surprised to see the reaction. Either they say: "Sir we cannot change the format of the bill - so , we will recalculate and tell you the revised amount. You may pay only that."

OR

 "Sir, you do not need to pay the Service Tax amount itself"!!

   I now have 3 to 4 restaurant bills, but for which I have paid only the service tax on the service charge and NOT on the total amount.

   Every bill MUST carry the TIN number and Service Tax Number, if they charge it. 

  So. . . , I ask for the Service Tax Number if it is not available in the receipt that they provide.

  As we cannot go to any government official and ask them to get this right - because of our system.

   Please remember - we cannot change any political leader - but we can change ourselves.

If we change ourselves - things will change.

   And that was goodbye Dominoes for ever, they lost a valuable customer, but wait... why would they worry after all i am just one of the many crores who have food from these food joints to show their Status Quo and in the Bargain get their intestines jammed these people would never mind giving extra amount of loot these pizza companies loot from you, but will never mind to bargain from a poor vegetable vendor who asks for a five rupees more for his vegetables.

   If Dominoes is following it then so is Pizza Hut, Smoking Joe, McDonald etc. which is why if your care for your hard earned money then first ask for their Tax calculations and go for a eat else get cheated like me, you know over this instance i still remember i felt like a fool i could see the manager confronting me as if i am a looser and no way i gonna get out of there without paying the Duped money.

   As all the American Food Joints are making enormous profits, they are looting India Wholesale and all this is happening when our Indian Hotel business is making losses or low business when people of our nation are ignorantly flocking like migratory birds to American Junk foods, waving good bye to our food which is our cultural identity 

Save the Udupi Hotels

   As India is dominated by a few American Food Giant Outlets which is selling noting but some buns and potato pattice and call it burger, Udupi Hotels have to procure a lot of vegetables of different variety followed by food grains and pulses which you all are probably aware of which i do not have to detail, but recent Inflation that has been observed in that had kept increasing @ 20% every year with followed by rise in Electricity and LPG gas, as well in price rise of vegetables which is as same as a Kilo of Broiler chicken when these Vegetables are grown chemically.

   It has become very difficult for not only Udupi Hotel Owners but other hotels all over the nation, so much that they have to increase price of the food every three months by 5 to 10% so much that when a Burger costed about Rs 55 in 1998 a Vada Sambahr use to cost around Rs 7/- in a Normal Udupi restaurant to Rs 12/- in a premium restaurant, now the phenomena  is such that McDonald with many outlets across the nation has Burgers  that range from as little as Rs. 25/- to Rs. 75/- for premium burgers when the Vada Sambhar now is costing about Rs 30/- in a medium to Rs/- 50 in a premium restaurant. 

   Its a fact that Vegetarian foods which were once cheaper and safe have become fairly expensive much to the price of Non Veg foods but if we take a menu from Udupi food joints see the variety of foods you get and compare it with American Food Joints that can be counted on your finger tips. What sense will it make to save money you eat these junk food and then waste a fortune over Hospital Bills, dont you think that simple safe and healthy foods that you and your father had from Udupi Hotels were the best periods of your life.

    The magnitude at which these hotels is getting closed down in Mumbai is quite alarming in 2011 only in Proper Mumbai around 80 such shops have got closed down due to inflation, less customer, they hotel owners think its better to lease their hotels to some other business ventures. More so in line to get closed down as as it closes down more these American Food giants will laugh and set shops in their place, and more the children will get exposed to dangerous foods that will affect your children's life in a big way.

   I had to write this a one very old and famous Udupi restaurant in the Suburbs of Mulund had to close shop and gave the place on lease to McDonald, it pains to see the way these American Parasites have invaded our Culture and Tradition that now they have invaded our Food too. Remember

IF CULTURE HAVE TO BE DESTROYED, IT CAN HAPPEN EASILY THROUGH FOOD.

   I came to know after seeing our children showing a lot of preference to Chinese and American junk food, our culture is our immune system by which we show our identity to the world, if culture goes the whole civilization gets destroyed with a fraction of time,  there are many such examples, like Philippines,Brazil, Africa, Australia etc, where many civilization have been destroyed by injecting American thoughts and Beliefs in the name of MODERNIZATION.  

  About 3 years back i had a small discussion over bear with a man from England, he said how quickly McDonald took over their food culture that the young only prefer o have food from McDonald. It then i said with confidence that no matter what these Junk foods will never replace our variety of foods which is very healthy and tastes far better than Burgers, his immediate reply was "Jayan, it's not you they are targeting, it's your Son" . That sent shivers down my spine, hoping the horror should never happen to our nation, we are through the horror....

May Maa Bharti Shower her Grace on You,

Jayan Divakaran.