Birthday Party at Passage Thru' India on 5 August 2013

Recently Hubby and I have re-discovered a great place for Northern Indian food that is conveniently located at Hillside - very near to home which is a big plus when it comes to good food. 

It used to be called the Karaikudi Restaurant. My late mother-in-law used to frequent the place but somehow we didn't quite like the food then. Then lately, the name changed to Passage Thru' India. 

One night, quite by chance, we decided to give it another try. We ended up there because our original venue for dinner, Ingolf Kneipe, was full. Much to our delight we found the menu to be much improved and we loved the food there.

So the decision for a nice as well as a fresh, new place to hold my birthday dinner this year was an easy one. Where else but Passage Thru' India!

I don't know how people can be so mistaken as to think that we have invited them for banana leaf rice. I mean, come on, seriously, banana leaf rice? Anyway, I bet there was at least one sigh of relief that we weren't having banana leaf rice that night.

By the time dinner was served there were only praises all round for the food. And when dinner came to a close, there were numerous requests for their business cards. 

Clockwise from top left corner: Papadom and Mint Sauce, Tandoori Chicken;
Main picture showing Briyani Rice, Bendi Masala, Aloo Ghobi,
Butter Chicken Masala, Roghan Josh (Mutton), with Andhra Fish Curry
in the middle; and Kulfi. Hmmm, I seem to have missed out the drinks,
the Steamed Rice and the Naan. 

Oh, and let me also tell you about a terribly embarrassing episode for us. You see, I had already asked for a discount when we ordered the food which they said they cannot give us. So I suggested a free birthday cake instead or free kulfi (Indian ice cream). 

When we arrived the waiter told me that the management had agreed to complimentary kulfi. I was ecstatic with joy thinking that he meant complimentary kulfi for everyone but he actually meant that the complimentary kulfi was for me only! What kind of freebie is that! This is such poor PR and customer relationship skills. 

So after dinner the waiter (generously???) brought 3 kulfis. Baby Sis, Jewel and I dug in before they started to melt while the rest of the party waited for the rest of the kulfi...that never arrived. So paiseh man. I really think the management should have given us a good discount instead of the 3 miserable helpings of kulfi we got instead. 

Thank God, we came prepared with some sweet endings after dinner...expensive Belgian chocolates and a fruit-ilicious birthday cake. I hope that made up for the kulfi fiasco. 

We served the super-indulgent chocolates
that we received for our 30th wedding anniversary

The only picture of me cutting my second birthday cake this year. 
What a grainy picture! :(

So happy with my gift. Thank you Ken Rayians!
You made my wish come true.

That's all of us having fun inside...

...and, again, outside. Betul kau siao.

And since we are in a Northern Indian environment, Hubby and I couldn't resist indulging in some Bollywood romance. 

Do you like this? 

Or do you prefer this?

Or this?

I cannot decide so all three are here.