Monday, August 21, 2006

IF YOU IGNORE THE NAZI IMAGERY, THE MENU'S RATHER INTERESTING

Or so I can imagine certain bloggers responding to news of Mumbai's newest eatery - "Hitler's Cross":
A new restaurant in India's financial hub, named after Adolf Hitler and promoted with posters showing the German leader and Nazi swastikas, has infuriated the country's small Jewish community.

'Hitler's Cross', which opened last week, serves up a wide range of continental fare [Potato Waffens anyone?] and a big helping of controversy, thanks to a name the owners say they chose to stand out among hundreds of Mumbai eateries.

"We wanted to be different. This is one name that will stay in people's minds," owner Punit Shablok told Reuters.

"We are not promoting Hitler. But we want to tell people we are different in the way he was different."
Aha. We're different. So different that the best person to represent our differentness from everyone else is, um, Adolf Hitler. Not because we like him you understand, just because he was different, y'know?

Perhaps Punit Shablok ought to come up with a better explanation as to what "the way he was different" really means. Because I for one am having trouble.
"This place is not about wars or crimes, but where people come to relax and enjoy a meal," said restaurant manager Fatima Kabani, adding that they were planning to turn the eatery's name into a brand with more branches in Mumbai.
Opening more branches means hiring more waiters. When it comes to further recruitment, this chap hasn't done much in a while and would be ideal for the job:


There can't be many places where he'd get away with his "Two egg mayonnaise, a prawn Goebbels, a Hermann Goering, and four Colditz salads" line these days.

posted by Dan @ 2:22 pm