Breakfast at Candies… the n’th sequel

Link to my earlier post with a similar name 

There is a reason why I so love the place.

Why Candies (@ McRonnels) is my spot. Why I head there for lazy breakfasts. Or at end of a bemusing day at work. Or to spend quality time with folks. Or for a pick me up moment when I am feeling low or in pain.

Last night I felt like having crisp toast with butter after seeing Bourdain’s breakfast from somewhere in the deserts in the US with his rock brand friends on No Reservations.

I knew that the only chance of getting crisp toast for me is at home with the toaster on the dining table. At most other places, including 5 stars, the toasts gets cold by the time they get it to your table. It’s physics. You can’t blame folks.

We went to Candies for breakfast this morning. Visions of Bourdain’s breakfast still in my head I called for omelettes, baked beans and toast with cappuccino (the standards have been consistent since my coffee refresher evening here).

I specified that I wanted white, and not brown, bread to the new boy in the Candies staff. He has now taken my order for the last 3 visits in two days. Yes, I go there so often that some of the waiters recognise me and welcome me back with big smiles…yes…I rarely have to wait for my order there and I normally get a table by the time I get my food.

I know I am treading into dangerous territory with this. I know of the chaos at Candies and of the folks who turn away hungry and disgusted. I know of the elderly Parsi gentleman who once lifted a baguette in frustration and started hitting folks serving at the counter. Of Rahul who gnashes his teeth every time I tweet about having a relaxed time at Candies. But as Soumik said you can’t be a ‘bhaalo chhele (good boy)’ and hope to get your order at Candies. You have to ditch your polite ‘excuse me please ’ and give a Mithunda ‘aabe ei shala’ instead to be heard as Soumik puts it. I know of Sue and Nathan’s angst at their never-ending wait for fried eggs at Candies. But then to order eggs at Candies you need to possess great inner calm and equilibrium…the eggs are cooked in the kitchen in the first floor and then travel across the stairs through the crowd to reach you…don’t expect Cordon Bleau stuff… food from a harried mom’s kitchen would be more like it. Then there’s Madhumita who said ‘it’s because of folks like you that the chicken sandwich I was eying from the queue was snatched away and given to one of the regulars…humph”. Or Kurush who looked so frazzled, flummoxed & furious trying to order amidst the crowds when Kurush, Rhea, Ari & Kaniska met for an adda there recently. I had to rescue the big man and get our khaana.

Yes, Candies is that sort of place.

You love it. Or you hate it.

We didn’t have to wait for my order long today. We sipped our cappuccinos by the bar stools when the young boy who took my order came to call me.

I followed him to the food counter. He took out the tray and turned to pick something…there was a toaster there with two slices of white bread in them..he pressed the button…the toast popped out…he put them into the plate and gave them to me.

Surreal…my Bourdain inspired dream of fresh toast for breakfast was in front of me.

And, as if that wasn’t enough, the omelettes were cooked the way I like them to be from my growing up days in Kolkata…firm outside, tad runny inside, seasoned just right, with the odd bite of chilli…and no, for once I didn’t ask for an egg white omelette…I needed the all TLC

Talking of food memories from Kolkata do read Seema Goswami’s article in the HT today which is on her blog too