Like to indulge your tongue in spice? When my three friends choose to have chicken tikka masala, chicken saag and shrimp curry, I dare to go for chicken vindaloo at the Chote Nawab restaurant. It is a Goan special chicken curry with red chilies and vinegar that makes the curry really spicy and juicy. While I order the chicken vindaloo ($9.00) from the lunch menu, the host alarms me about the dangerous level of spice. As a Bengali, raised on spicy food, I think that I will be able to handle the spice. After the first bite of the creamy chicken vindaloo, my tongue and eyes are burning with saliva and tears. However, I could not resist eating the scrumptious chicken vindaloo because of its authentic Indian flavor and piquant aroma.

The main course, chicken vindaloo, is served with small pots of snowy basmati rice, thick brown dal, and freshly made hot garlic naan. When the waiters serve the vindaloo curry in a pot, I know it is going to be a spicy rock star from its red color. Light steam from the dish is flying all over the table and the smell takes me away to Kolkata, India where I visited last summer. Curios to explore the Indian culture, I went to Kolkata, and had the opportunity to taste a spicy chicken dish similar to the vindaloo. The small chicken pieces of vindaloo are so softly hugged by the red chili pastes that the pieces blush. It is the perfect curry during the cold to make you feel warm much like a hot cup of coffee on a gloomy rainy day.
Besides the vindaloo, the four month old Chote Nawab is a great place for lunch. When all the Indian restaurants in the Curry Hill area on Lexington Avenue are packed during lunch hour, mostly Nepali waitresses are ready to open the door with big smiles on their faces for the guests at Chote Nawab. They are ready to serve its delectable food within 15 minutes after the order is placed. After sitting at the corner table and feeling thirsty, I notice that glasses full of water are already on the table.
While you are waiting for your food to come, you will not be bored by looking at the decor and paintings in the restaurants. Traditional Indian touches in the paintings make the atmosphere of the Chote Nawab really connected to its root. Chote meaning young child and Nawab meaning prince, the name of the restaurant represents a young or last prince of a kingdom. The large and multi-colored wall paintings introduce the ancient Indian king’s rule. Eventually, I explained the theme of the paintings to my friends and this is what I love about Indian restaurants. They like to create a traditional touch in their décor to reflect the culture. I feel even more special when the owner of the restaurant comes to me and talks in Bengali, because he is from Kolkata, where people speak in Bengali as well. He approaches me in a friendly way to find out how we like the food.
Although ninety percent of American customers may not understand the Bollywood music that is playing in the background, however, you will not feel disturbed by its soft melody. If you would like to enjoy the traditional Indian Tempe experience, Chote Nawab will be a perfect place to visit, with reasonable prices.
Tags: Restaurant Review
Growing up in South Florida, I have seen many a hurricane. Some bad, some not so much, and a lot of time spent indoors waiting out the storm. Hurricane Sandy, however, interrupted life in a more irritating and destructive manner.
Coming in on my birthday, which of course is a petty complaint, and then sticking around for a few day, I was fortunate enough to be in a location where power blipped off for a few seconds only to resume and stay on for the remainder of my forced hurrication. A crane precariously dangled above 57th street just half an avenue away forcing most of nearby blocks to evacuate. Imagine, not being forced to evacuate by the actual storm, but because a building where apartments are selling for $90 million dollars neglected to secure their equipment.
I would love to say I see redeeming qualities about the storm; maybe that it is now bringing people together to help those who lost everything, but, it should not take disaster to do this. So with just these few things, I sufficiently loathe Hurricane Sandy.
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It was not eight oclock yet, my roommates were asleep while I went to the kitchen to get some hot tea with honey and lemon on a day like that. I looked outside of my window to see what was happening. It was superwindy, it rained hard, when I saw a huge flash coming from far away, like something went on fire and exploded. Later I found out it was a ConEd explosion, which caused a tremendous power outage. Giving the fact that I live in Harrison, NJ, and could see the explosion from there, it was pretty bad. I looked around and saw the water one house away from mine. It felt like some idiot built all the houses steps away from the pond, and some houses inside the pond. I saw a couple passing by my house wearing flip-flops and winter jackets. They walked into the water towards their house, struggling with the water current all their way through before they got in. I rushed to wake up my roommates. By the time we came back to the window, we saw our house immersed into the water. Loud banging on the door. Our neighbor with a flashlight on his head, blinding us, asked us if we wanted to be evacuated. All three of us started panicking and running around collecting the most important stuff: documents, cash and some jewelry (that was mine). I also took a blanket and a book to read (how could I know we would spend a night in the library?). We had to put every precious item from the floor to the shelves in case of flooding. Two big firemen met us on our way to the bus, asking if there was anyone else in the house. They were evacuating people, but we found out about it from our neighbor. Chaos. There were only six people on the bus (including us). They brought us to the senior house which looked very neat and cozy.

Drying my soaked shoes and socks after walking through the water
There were a lot of people with big traveling bags,and it looked like they were on the way to the airport, and then got stuck there. They reminded me of the people who were forced into Nazi camps, who were allowed to take one bag per person and put there the most precious things. Many of them cried. A woman, a community worker, went over each and everyone with a cart full of sandwiches. There even was a choice: a white or a wheat bread with either turkey or ham and condiments on the side. When somebody wanted a juice or something she ran out of, she would go back and look for it and then bring it to that person. The whole senior center was divided into two parts: one was with the animals, another without. There were not only cats and dogs, but also rabbits and some types of big home rats in cages. It looked like the Noahs ark.

The shelters workers were apologizing for the warm water.
Some time later we were asked to move to the secondary school, which library kept me from going insane. The people who were in charge of taking care of the refugees gave us food and dusty cots. I had to take the last one that was broken and no one wanted to sleep on it. I felt this would be better than sleeping on the floor or on wooden chairs. The big TV in the cafeteria streamed the news about the Sandy.

The donated food we ate with pleasure

Children had the privilege in getting the food
I was not able to sleep well that night: babies who mostly slept on the floor with their parents were taking turns in crying, it was very cold, there was no ventilation, and the smell of diapers came together with the smell of sweat and food.

The library of the secondary school converted into a refugee center
On the good side, the government takes care of their citizens, and does all that is possible for better accommodation in emergency situations. After we came back to our house, we found out that the first floor got completely flooded and our floor was one step away from the water. Thanks god the grandmother who lived on the first floor was evacuated beforehand. Another plus was that I got to know all my neighbors after I lived in this place for three months. They are very nice and helpful people and I feel very sorry for their flooded basements and garages, but happy that we are all safe. God Bless America!
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