Posted on October 21st, 2008 by adam.
Categories: Uncategorized.

试验

0 comments.

Bangalore Food Review (Spring 2008)

Posted on June 5th, 2008 by adam.
Categories: Uncategorized.

One of my favorite dishes was invented in Bangalore, allegedly at least:

Along with my fond memories of Gobi Manchurian, here come the reviews:

Indian Food:

  • Mast kalander 10/10- (80 Ft Rd. Koramangala) While others can continue raving about Gramin, Mast Kalander remains my top veg restaurant in the entire nation of India by far. The special Methi Matter at the Koramangala branch is creamy, spicy, and refreshing at the same time. It goes perfect with the rotis included. The Paneer n Paneer combo reclaimed the honor of parathas for me and almost made me cry when I first tasted it. Finely chopped ginger is mixed with crumbled panneer and wrapped together in a freshly prepared paratha. Oh, Heaven. This place also has a magic touch on Dal Tadka and Dal Makhani. I just couldn’t get enough of the dals. The paneer tikka has a very generous portion with a rich milky aftertaste. Rajima Chawal is also pretty delicious if you like beans on top of white rice. Palak Mushroom Corn is healthy and surprisingly good for a low-cal dish. Smoked Baigan Bharta disguises the eggplant in a smoked taste and the cold dish makes a pleasant summer dinner. The mango lassi is a must have despite of its slightly expensive tag (Rs. 36). I thought the gulab jamun and the chats were just so so, but hey, who needs desserts and appetizers when the main meals are soooooo delicious.
  • Chandni Chowk 9/10- (80 Ft Rd. Koramangala) This place probably has the best Murg Tikka in the entire Bangalore (even beats many Delhi ones). The chicken is marinated to the exact right amount of time and the flavor just explodes into the mouth. If and only if all of their chicken meat are uniformly tender, then whoof… heaven. Rara Murg is palatable and Murg Tikka masala is also worth a shot. Their garlic butter naans are very fresh as well. A bit on the expensive side for an indian restaurant but the food does come out superb. The bollywood/dhaba setting is also interesting.
  • Nagarjuna 9/10- (Infantry Rd, MG Road) One of the spiciest restaurant in town serving some authentic Andhra dish on banana leaves. Mini and full thalis (veg) are both delicious. However, they do use child labor for busing dishes and clean up etc. So those who are more ethically minded may find it uncomfortable.
  • Sri Krishna Sagar 8.5/10- (Across from Forum Mall) Here are my favorite Masala dosa and Idli w. Sambar. This is a street side restaurant right across from the Forum. It’s all-standing but the hygiene is pretty good. You will see lots of people and rickshaw drivers gathering here all day nibbling on something. The dough for the dosa is about the right thickness but they manage to make it crispy and not oily at the same time. The sambar is not as diluted in flavor as how it is prepared at many other places. Very good breakfast food.
  • MTR 8/10- (Lal Bagh) Well, it’s MTR, one of the most famous and well-established restaurants in town. Dosa and Rava Idli are the must haves here. I find their masala dosa a bit too greasy though their rava idli is just perfect (well, since they invented it). The lunch thali is pretty decent and the included grape juice is the best after a long walk through lal bagh.
  • Bheema’s Andhra 8/10-(Church St. MG Road) Bheema’s is insanely busy during lunch time. I’ve seen people driving from everywhere around the city to their church street location to join the feast. Their food is not quite as spicy as Nagarjuna’s while the thali includes jalebi. Food is served on banana leaves as well but the leaves are placed inside a stainless steel plate.
  • Dal Roti 8/10- (80 Ft Rd, Koramangala) Although their murg tikka is not as flavorful as Chandni Chowk’s, their chicken often comes out much more tender. The Sarson Ka Saag and Maki Ki Roti combo brings out the best of the vegetarian side of the Punjabi cuisine. Murg Makhanwala is rather sweet though.
  • Hyderabad Biryani House 7.5/10- (Near Hosur Rd. Koramangala) Their house special biryani is rather tasty. It’s mixed with beaten egg, chicken, cardamon, and other spices. They also have a very long list of other varieties of biryanis if you are into it.
  • Hotel Empire 7.5/10- (Multiple Locations) Their meat thalis are very reasonably priced and the kerala parotas are rather tasty. I had the nerve to try the whole Raan but was rather disappointed. Also pretty good fresh lime soda and iddiyappams. They open till very late in the night and thus are a bless to those who stay up all night.
  • Hotel Paramont 7/10-(Multiple Locations) My friend was amazed by the Gobi Manchurian included in the thali. It’s fairly similar to Empire while the price is slightly lower.
  • KC Das 7/10- (Church St. MG Road) Indian sweets are too sweet. We all know that but since I do find Gulab Jamuns rather tasty, I decided to give KC Das a try. They are famous for Rasgolla, a close cousin to Gulab Jamun. The one I went to is on the corner of St. Mark’s and Church st. The rasgolla is very soft and spongy. It soaks up the syrups well and releases them gently when you bite into it. It also serves other bengali sweets but one rasgolla is already good enough for my teeth.
  • Transit (Forum Mall) 6.5/10- (Forum Mall) Honestly, there’s only one good food stall in transit and that’s the one to the furthermost right. They are special for their varieties. They have a long list of dosas (including passable paper dosa and neer dosa etc) and a long list of idlis . Even their fruit juice offerings are pretty impressive.
  • Coconut Grove 5/10- (Church St. MG Road) This may simply have been my biggest disappointment in Bangalore. The Fish curry is rather average and the appams were way too sour. The coconut honey mix (Eclair?) was mediocre as well. Very expensive for this quality of food.
Non Indian Food:

  • Sunny’s 9/10-(Vittal Mallya, MG Road) Authentic Italian food with a superb dessert menu. The chicken breast fettuccine with sun dried tomatos has a well blended herbal and creamy flavor. Baked Brie with toasted almond slices is also worth a try especially being in Bangalore. While you might skip on desserts at other restaurants, Barbara’s Ganache at Sunny’s is to die for. It’s a bit heavy but the smooth texture and the richness of chocolate makes an orgasmic experience to say the least. They also give olive oil upon request for dipping with freely served bread. The location is a bit hard to find esp if you are struggling with an auto driver but the interior is sublime.
  • The Only place 8.5/10 -(Museum Rd MG Road) If you want a burger for under Rs. 100, you gotta come here. And if you want a beef burger for any price, you definitely gotta come here. Weekend lunches are big time for them but I spot regulars on weekdays as well in the pretty garden setting. The steak burger here fulfills the dream of those who are deprived of beef for too long. A large slab of meat being stuffed between the buns is a scene by itself. The steak patty is juicy and has a slightly burnt taste which is perfect to me. They also have pretty good fish fillet steak burger but I swore not to have fish in inland India so….
  • Soo Ra Sang 8.5/10-(HAL) They moved from their old Koramangala club location to the current roof top dwelling in HAL. The walk up the stairs was very sketchy but you do get to watch the planes taking off and landing at a shockingly close distance (old hal defunct now?) once you manage to make the multiple floors (elevator+stairs). Surprisingly authentic korean food and serving free brown rice tea. The beef barbeque teleports one to Seoul and the Bimbimbap is rightly prepared with the egg poached and mixed in front of the diner. Banchans are extensive and freely refillable. I would say this is as close to Korean food as you can get outside of Korea.
  • Mainland China 8/10-(Church St MG Road) This is one interesting restaurants in many ways. They serve dim sums but those are actually very mediocre. However, the black dipping sauce for the dim sums made out of fermented green leave vegetables was extremely delicious and we couldn’t get enough of it. All of their dishes are visual feasts of some sort. We had a “flaming chicken” in a clay pot simmering on top of fire and it was lit right in front of us. The most breathtaking dish has to be the ice-cream brownie on top of a sizzling iron plate. They put the brownie on the sizzler and then poured down the chocolate syrup. With all the steam coming up and a huge ball of ice cream on top, it was heck a lot of fun to watch and experience.They are very expensive but hey, they even claim to serve Peking Duck if u order in advance. I wouldn’t come here expecting anything close to authentic chinese dish. But you bet that I love the fun things they are doing with the Chinese cuisine.
  • Koshy’s 8/10-(St Mark’s MG Road) good ole koshy’s is surely facing a lot of challenges from the burgeoning restaurant scene in Bangalore. Despite being situated right next to Hard Rock’s on St. Mark’s St, I prefer their burgers to the next door American chain’s. Most people come here for the ambiance though. Slightly smoky, slightly dark, but full of the bohemian air.
  • Ebony’s 8/10- (MG Road) Located on the 13th floor of the barton center. The view is simply impeccable. The fettuccine with mushroom and saffrons is well done and my friend also seems to enjoy their green curry quite a bit. The wait for the balcony can be quite long and reservations are recommended. The soups, both my indian one and my friend’s french onion variety, are rather disappointing.
  • Magnolia 7.5/10- (1st Main Rd Koramangala) Lovely and surreal ambiance with pretty decent pan-asian food given it’s in Bangalore. The green curry and chilli fried prawns were both satisfying. It’s not the hallmark of thai food but it does a decent job of mimicking it in Bangalore. The owners reportedly came from very humble backgrounds and expanded the now ultra-chic restaurant from a few rooms in an apartment building.
  • Chung Wah 7.5/10- (Multiple Locations) They have many branches and the quality seems to differ drastically. The Chung-Wah fried rice with shrimp and mushroom actually is my favorite because it very closely resembles the real fried rice in China, unlike the greasy or soy-sauce-filled American version. Their steamed wonton is also just okay but other dishes bear no similarities to their names unfortunately. They even failed General Tso’s Chicken…
  • Hard Rock Cafe Bangalore 7.5/10- (St. Mark’s MG Road) Very American in the decoration and serving decent bacon cheeseburger. Nothing too special other than being an upscale American chain. The bill doesn’t come cheap though. But those who miss home may find it convenient. (Wait, I never had hard rock cafe in America… )
  • China Pearl 6.5/10- (5th Crossing, Koramangala)More or less a mediocre chinese restaurant with a traditional decoration. The drunken chicken is supposed to be good but other dishes did not leave a dent in my starved brain.

0 comments.

Links about Tibet, March 2008

Posted on April 14th, 2008 by adam.
Categories: Uncategorized.

*General

Photos from Iran

Posted on January 15th, 2008 by adam.
Categories: Uncategorized.

A bazaar

A palace

A metro

A Bridge

A Church

A Santa

A Lottery

A Tomb

A Cliff

An Empire

0 comments.

Strategic and Operational Lessons and Discourses for the U.S. (2007)

Posted on December 18th, 2007 by adam.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Strategic and Operational Lessons and Discourses for the U.S.

With defense budget souring and the Iraq War costing more than 450 billion dollars, it is clear that the U.S. needs a more thorough examination about where and how it is going to engage the future enemies. Through the difficulties in Iraq and our success in the cold war, we have learned valuable strategic and operational lessons. However, forces potentially hostile to America are also morphing, as Islamic extremism transcends into transnational organizations and emerging nuclear states. This limits the role of deterrence and blurs the locale of the center of gravity. Therefore, more than ever before, America needs to shift away from a unipolar mode of tactical military thinking and focus on a more comprehensive strategy that emphasizes more on case specific political and diplomatic possibilities.

Lessons from past wars and military operations

Failure

Iraq continues to serve as a prime example in terms of the importance of strategy. Due to the lack of a coherent overall strategy at the onset of the war, struggles among the various bureaucratic and political objectives pushed the war heavily towards the tactical consideration of the battle itself. As a result, the U.S. sent in a very limited force that may be adequate against conventional army but insufficient and unprepared for counterinsurgency.

The lack of a coherent strategy allowed the diversion of the attention from strategic planning to bureaucratic struggles for various objectives. Wolfowitz was strongly advocating the removal of Saddam Hussein and the democratization of the nation. On the other hand, Mr. Tenet was pointing to the threats of the WMDs and potential ties to Al Qaeda. Cheney saw the war as a necessity to secure the strategic energy interest of America. The bureaucratic struggles thus led the U.S to try to achieve too many things that may not be compatible with each other all at once. The lack of a coherent strategy then caused the nation to drift away from the post-battle phase IV planning, as that would have highlighted the incompatibilities among the different objectives. For example, after the battle concluded, Wilsonian democratization campaigns launched by Ambassador Paul Bremer III quickly ran into odds with the security and stabilization efforts.

This emphasis on tactical aspect and the omission of phase IV planning directly led to the operational failure manifested in the insufficient troop number and the unpreparedness against insurgency. Rumsfeld, for example, vehemently rejected the callings for more troops, as his transformation project of the military allows the high tech weapons to substitute manpower on the battlefield. What he failed to see was the importance of phase IV in the overall strategic planning. Due to this very omission, brigades often had to rotate throughout Iraq and there were not enough soldiers to protect the border, stop the looting, or train the local Iraqi force. Similarly, military was not prepared for counterinsurgency and overlooked the importance of winning the

0 comments.

Strategy for the Iraq War (2007)

Posted on November 11th, 2007 by adam.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Mock Presidential Briefing: Strategic Lessons and Discourses on Iraq War

Mr. President-

It

0 comments.

Shanghai Story I : Expats

Posted on June 20th, 2007 by adam.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Among my many years abroad, Shanghai Expat and Peking Duck both have been great sources of joy to me. The Duck blog exposes stories that are usually not covered in the mainstream Chinese media while the ensuing discussions are heated and quite inspiring for the most part. The expat forum points out great spots of interest in shanghai. I directed my parents to city shop and element fresh owing to it. The discussions about love stories with local girls also offered plenty of chuckles and grins.

Now many years have passed and I am finally back in this country and this city. I roam through the streets and often see foreigners with kids in the strollers. I admire many expats’ courage to live in an entirely new environment from scratch. However, as I dig deeper into the scene, I also find myself having a more mixed reaction to the expat community.

Firstly, while expats do have to overcome a lot of challenges living away from home, the majority tends to stay in an expat bubble. Many dine exclusively in western restaurants and buy groceries solely from City Shop and Carrefour Gubei. Many also avoid interactions with the locals and demand lifestyles similar to the ones at home. The social gatherings are more often than not at some pricy western establishments. The activities are mainly composed of the ones from home or sipping spirits on Heng Shan Rd. Of course, these are legitimate choices that one may prefer over the others. However, the degree of homogeneity among the expats reflects a social scene far far away from the local society around.

Now this reminds me of the Chinese immigrants who can speak very limited english and who stay only in the chinatowns in America. These immigrants also go to a foreign country for material objectives. They dine exclusively at Chinese restaurants and buy exclusively from Chinese supermarkets. They mix very little with the local Americans, as they also have their own social circles. Their activities mostly involve Tai Chi, Chinese chess, and Mah Jong. Alas, as many may think these Chinese immigrants in chinatown are social outcasts unsuccessful in terms of integration into the larger society, how are the expats in shanghai any different?

What if the expats come here solely for business purpose and don’t care about mixing in to the local society? afterall, that’s just a personal choice?

hmmmm…. As if the silence in the cultural exchange is not yet surprising enough, expats often do not make any efforts to change the social and political injustice occuring right before their eyes either. I have deep respect to expats like Richard from the Duck blog. Richard et al can often point out critical and insightful issues that are urgent to China. However, also to my greatest amazement, the expats all seem to stop right along the line between blogging and action. While the expats are presumed to have better access to information and higher education than the mass of the locals, the expats’ insights rarely help change the society for better. When many are forwarding articles about Chinese abuse of human rights, it would be so much better if the expats can actually act to stop these humanitarian crises by calling out the local officials. Surely the expats are not the citizens of this country, but who else are in better positions considering that expats are the only ones in China that the government dares not to imprison for political dissents.

It is not the expats’ responsibility to change a foreign country’s political landscape, but it is every human’s duty to stop humanitarian tragedies occuring right before one’s eyes. Yet so far, expats remain silent off the Internet. The powerless people continue to suffer.

Lastly, just as a side observation from ShanghaiExpat’s love subforum and Nanjing Rd, people often presume their point of contact with the local society fairly represents the entire scope of such a society –which is certainly not the case when these people do not mix in with the locals.

For example, it is true that some Shanghainese girls sleep with the expat hookers for the sole purpose of immigration or family “face”, as they are naive enough to believe a sexual relationship would guarantee a marriage. However, to say this is how most Shanghainese girls are would be a vastly askewed image since most normal girls would have no contacts with the expats whatsoever. Only locals who have sufficient reasons to interact with the foreigners would be seen by the expats. These people tend to be the girls aforementioned, the street merchants who try to sell something, or in general, who desire something out of the expats. It is then no news that these people tend to be more pecuniary and short-sighted. But assuming that’s how the society is as a whole, huh?

In additon, the point of contact can be unrepresentative given how locals may interact differently with the locals than with the foreigners. There are posts saying that Chinese people are, in general, humorless. While I certainly cannot excuse myself from this accusation, I can manifest how most locals are damned funny when joking with each others. But when it comes to interaction with the foreigners, the locals may be completely different due to language, cultural, or other reasons.

Therefore, I remain doubtful about how expats can ever obtain a fair point of contact of the Shanghainese society without mixing in and understanding the language/culture. This is like, excuse me for using a previous example, asking a Chinese immigrant in chinatown about how he/she feels about America. Damn I can expect it when he/she says most Americans love buying fake Asian artifacts and eating Dim Sum.

Do not take me wrong for I am also an expat under the cloak. This is more or less just a personal reflction on what judgment should I not make when I go to make crepes in India next year. :-)

0 comments.