Media Credit: Mike Anderson, The Spartan Daily — Pavan Kumar Yalamanchili, a general engineering masters student, writes a message on a poster in remembrance of victims of the attacks in Mumbai, India, during a gathering near the Event Center on Tuesday.

SJSU’s student newspaper The Spartan Daily had amazing coverage this morning of some students whose lives were personally affected by the attacks in Mumbai, including a student whose parents worked two blocks from the attacks. Though they survived, some of his friends’ friends didn’t.

The article cites a handful of students who knew people who died. Hearing what these students have to say makes it all the more real to me, because I don’t have any personal connection to India or Mumbai in particular. That’s why I’m looking forward to hearing the “podcast open mic” that Steve Sloan is coordinating on campus in Clark Hall room 116 at 4:30 p.m. today. If you can make it and have something to say, please do.

Also check out Mumbai’s Metblog for some news updates and moving first-hand accounts.

Mumbai Residents walk with candles in the street near The Oberoi Hotel during a demonstration against the recent terror attacks in the city on November 30, 2008 in Mumbai, India. (Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)

Count me as one San Jose resident who is saddened and outraged at the recent attacks in Mumbai. And if you count yourself as one too, there is a memorial going on as I type at El Paseo near the Event Center on the SJSU campus (see the campus map). It began at 11 a.m. and will go to 12:30 p.m. and is open to anyone in the community who needs an outlet for their grief.

Organizers are asking community members to wear white — the Indian color of mourning — and to pause for a 10-minute moment of silence today.

Also, Steve Sloan, a journalism instructor and campus tech support specialist, writes on his blog that he will be producing a podcast tomorrow (Dec. 3) at 4:30 p.m. in Clark Hall room 116 and wants to include campus and community reactions. He is inviting SJSU students and other members of the public who want to share their perspectives.

One more thing: Boston Globe’s The Big Picture blog uses few words, but still ranks as probably the most chilling reporting I have seen on the attacks on the city formerly known as Bombay. Many of the more graphic images are put behind a black box, but I do encourage you to click on them to reveal the gruesome reality of the attacks, if you have the sensibilities to view them. They also did an excellent series on the aftermath, where the photo on this blog post comes from.

EDITED TO ADD: Mumbai’s Metblog site has some terrific updates from bloggers on the ground there.

Saturday night at Cinequest was busy as expected. I went along with my wife to California Theater. After some trouble navigating our way through Downtown, we reached the end of a long line waiting outside.

We made our entry just 10 minutes before the screening and were blown away by the grandeur of California Theater. It was reminiscent of a different age.

The surprises for the day were still not over. There was a small change introduced to the program — 2 ‘Bollywood’ dance items preceding the movie. The audience heartily cheered the amateurish performances.

Coming to the movie finally, it was a wonderful drama with a dose of philosophy and some suspense too thrown in. Wonderfully acted and directed, it featured some leading arthouse names in key supporting roles. Amal also opens the 26th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, March 21-23 in San Jose. So, catch it there if you missed it at Cinequest.

The screening was followed by a nice Q&A session with the young filmmaker, Richie Mehta.

[Picture Courtesy: Cinequest]

On the day we went, we had no option but to go for their special meal. So, our experience is limited in that sense.

The soups started it off satisfactorily, while the salads and appetizers were interesting. Tandoori Game Hen with Naan / Roti was a weird combination. The vegetarian dish went well with the bread though. The pulao was light, with a tasty raita on the side. But by the time we reached the Goat Biryani, we were too full. The delicious desserts rounded it off very nicely. Champagne / soda was part of the deal.

We enjoyed the food thoroughly. Sadly though, there seemed to be a case of food-poisoning for my wife. She threw up the entire dinner that night, back at home.

The ambience was adequate. It was probably a little busy that day. While the regular prices aren’t steep, the Valentine’s Day special was priced at $55 for non-vegetarian and $45 for vegetarian.

Feels like something you want to check out? Head to one end of San Jose, near Campbell and Cupertino — to be more specific: 5210 Prospect Road, San Jose, CA 95129.

Take a look at their basic Web-site. Their Sunday Brunch seems to be a very good deal. We might get there again soon.

Series: Part I | Amber

It would be difficult to dispute its position as the best Indian restaurant out here. I should say that it’s almost on par with the top restaurants back in India.

There are actually 3 different ‘Ambers’ — the original and a new ‘Cafe’ version in Mountain View with another in San Jose. Amber India Restaurant was originally started in Mountain View about 12 years ago. My guess is that it has remained in the same place throughout — a nondescript strip mall on El Camino Real. But once you’re inside, you realise the class of the place. The ambience is good except that it’s a bit cramped, reflective of the location.

There’s a branch at the upmarket Santana Row. This one too is small but less cramped. Again, mirroring the environment, it’s a bit more classy and expensive.

I have been to each of these just once; so, my comments have to be considered in that light. Also, coincidentally, I went for a buffet at both locations. Food is good on the whole but the variety is possibly better on weekends.

The Amber Cafe near downtown Mountain View is for people who don’t want to go to a fast food joint or a high-class restaurant, crave good food and don’t mind spending a bit more. The dishes are limited but include some interesting combos and fusion stuff. They also feature weekend specials like biryani. The setting is nicely garnished with funny creations of a top Indian cartoonist.

At all three locations, I have always felt that the service could be better. In any case, if you want to try out Indian food, Amber is certainly a better bet. Without Americanizing the food too much, they still manage to keep it attractive for all.

One last point — Amber serves primarily North Indian fare. (Refer to my previous post for the broad definition.)

Though basically a triangular love story, the setting is mostly in the USA. It covers aspects like the life of Indian immigrants and the job scene. What more, most of it is in San Jose and the surrounding areas.

Sample these:

• One guy lands in San Francisco airport and calls up his friend. The friend gives him directions to get home in a cab. He asks him to come on I-280 South and take the Saratoga Avenue exit and reach his house on Moorpark Avenue. He adds that the cab ride would cost about $25!
• Though the protagonists visit the mandatory New York and Las Vegas, they are rooted in our region. The windmills (near Livermore?) make many an appearance and so does the Golden Gate bridge.
• One of the protagonists works in the Silicon Valley and is laid off a little after being appreciated by his boss.

Why am I blogging about a possibly obscure movie, which might have been a hit but not really a great one? Just to share the thrill of life in the Bay Area covered in a not-so-recent movie. I wouldn’t have related to the movie so much if I hadn’t moved in here.

Firstly, one basic aspect needs to be clarified about Indian food, especially for those who haven’t yet dug in deep. There are many cuisines within India, not just one. Though one can broadly classify them as North Indian and South Indian, it doesn’t really do justice. Anyway, for practical purposes, we’ll keep it that way. North Indian food is more commonly found across the world — naan, roti, chicken tikka masala, lassi and the like. South Indian food is predominantly rice-based, with sambhar, rasam and so on.

I am South Indian and I’m hugely relieved to find that North Indian food is not so dominating in South Bay. In fact, I’m wondering if it’s the other way round out here. Overall though, Bay Area seems to be blessed with pretty good Indian food when compared to other parts of the US.

The ones I like the best are Saravana Bhavan and Tirupathi Bhimas (both coincidentally South Indian). Detailed reviews of various restaurants can wait. For now, here’s a quick round-up of the various restaurants / joints I’ve been to.

Saravana Bhavan is a franchisee of a famous chain based out of Chennai in India. The Sunnyvale restaurant hardly has anything North Indian on the menu. The food is quite close to what you get back in India. Avoid crowded weekends.

Tirupathi Bhimas in Milpitas seems to be famous for the meals they serve. The food was delicious, almost like traditional home-made stuff.

Bay Leaf in San Jose too seemed good. Only North Indian food was served in the buffet at a dinner party that I had been to.

Udupi Palace too has a buffet, with a mix of North and South Indian. The food was of just about ‘okay’.

Dasaprakash in Santa Clara is yet another South Indian restaurant. It has good ambience and food.

Bombay Garden is newly opened in Santa Clara. For the price and setting, the food seemed a bit below the mark.

Shagun in San Jose is good enough for a quick buffet lunch.

Annapoorna serves non-vegetarian too on their buffet. They offer a free masala dosa for joining their mailing list.

Muniyandy Vilas, in Sunnyvale again, is too regional for general liking. They specialize in non-vegetarian food popular in the Madurai area of India.

Komala Vilas in Sunnyvale is not to be confused with the famous Singapore restaurant. The only things in common are that they serve South Indian food, in a setting that is more Indian than American.

Chaat House in Sunnyvale is really good on the price-quality ratio. 10 rotis for $3, anyone? The nearby Rajjot is similar, but the food isn’t as good.

Lucky Dhaba in Sunnyvale is a small joint attached to India Cash & Carry. The North Indian food (mostly Punjabi) tastes delicious. The eatery attached to Bharat Bazaar (is that Sunnyvale or Santa Clara?) is quite inexpensive and more than just edible. Jewel of India in San Jose is similar.

Sangam in San Jose is probably one that you’d want to stay away from. I’m not sure if I’ve eaten food from there; but I was asked not to by many.

Whew, that was quite a list! You folks must be thinking that I’m crazy of Indian food! Anyway, there’s still Amber and Spice Hut to visit. So, this post is probably the first of a series.

Comments, questions? I’ll be happy to continue the discussion.