Eight of us head to the Trident Hilton for a splendid dinner buffet. Quite a change from our daily fare at the Hotel Priya.
I have the fondest memories of the Trident Hilton. Six years ago, during our first trip to India when Sarvani and I were traveling to pick Meena up, I wanted to bring Sarvani here to Bhubaneswar, to the heart of her dance. We flew from Seattle to Taiwan, where we were delayed by a typhoon(!), then to Bangkok, where we had to stay over as a result of those weather delays, and then to Kolkata (Calcutta). Originally, we had planned to spend a day in Kolkata so Sarvani could see the orphanage in which she was born, but the delays kept us from arriving in Kolkata until dusk of the evening before we were to head out on the train for Bhubaneswar at 4:30 in the morning. Sarvani did manage to catch a glimpse of the orphanage gates in the dark, and we did have a few luxurious hours at the Taj Bengal – a glorious gift from friends, Jim and Dana. But, once on the train, the challenges continued. We didn’t have the proper tickets since we had arrived so late in Kolkata and the conductor threatened to throw mother and child off the train in the middle of nowhere! Needless to say, I quickly bought a second pair of tickets. Then, when we arrived in Bhubaneswar seven hours later, the driver Ratnadi had arranged to pick us up was nowhere to be found. Since only he had the details of the hotel in which we were staying (Hotel Priya, I now know), I had no idea what to do. (Sounds like I have a tendency to omit certain critical pieces of information needed for arrivals! I will definitely make a point of changing that pattern!) I had made sure that Sarvani and I were completely independent in carrying our luggage but, still, we were swarmed by taxi and rickshaw drivers trying to take us somewhere, anywhere. It was frightening. Eventually, I went through the binder I had brought and found a piece of forgotten information. Rajaram, Ramya’s husband, worked for Unilever at the time. He had a connection that enabled him to secure rooms at the Trident Hilton for a very reasonable rate. Still, that rate was more than I felt we could afford, so had intended to cancel the reservation. But I had forgotten to do so! There it was, the room reservation, in my binder. The relief was palpable. I called the Trident. A driver came. Shortly we entered the lobby of a stunningly beautiful and spacious hotel and, soon after, we fell onto the bed in an exquisite room. I slept for hours and hours while Sarvani alternately dozed and watched TV.
As a result of this experience, I hold the greatest of affection for the Trident Hilton. So nothing seems more fitting than to give ourselves the gift of savoring their delightful buffet for Christmas dinner.
We arrive just as the buffet is opening. We are, for the first half hour or so, the only guests in the dining room. During this time, it feels as if the dinner has been prepared just for us. We start with soups. Sarvani adores the lamb and mushroom soup with its clear broth. She eats four bowls. Others prefer the spicy vegetarian coconut curry soup. I like them both.
But my excitement mounts as I select from the array of chilled vegetables. Asparagus and beets, tomatoes and olives, bok choy, lettuce, red onion rings… all of the things that we have avoided eating because of the water in which they are washed. Here, because of the filtered water used to accommodate the many international guests, we do not need to worry about these things. What an absolute culinary delight. We compliment it with a bottle of dry Indian red wine, and Ratnadi toasts to a successful series of performances.
From here, the choices mount: tandoori and curried chicken, fish curry, lamb curry, and a variety of Indian vegetarian staple dishes including rice, flat breads, chutneys, and pickles. Finally, the meal reaches its crescendo with desserts! Chocolate cake, caramel custard, rich dark truffles, fruit cake, and merengues…on my!
The pressure is now off because the performances have been completed. After so many months of such hard work, everyone seems lighter and more relaxed. In addition to a delicious meal and good company, success is a most welcomed Christmas gift.
sarvanidance 