IF one is bored with London, he is bored with life. Cause London has everything that life has to offer said one famous novelist (I can't remember the name but what can you expect, so many blondes have captivated my heart in such a manner that sometimes 1 tend to forget my own name) however needless to say that London stands out for everything that is grand, nerve crackling and exquisite.

Here life never ceases to stop for even a single moment . "London" is phenomena) and only one of its kind. It offers everything that your heart may crave for. (UMM... at this moment my heart is craving for ... sorry guys can't elaborate if my girlfriend in Dhaka finds out I am dead meat).

Life here is multifaceted. There are millions of redeeming aspects of this cosmopoli-tant hub and I would like to let you guys back in Dhaka get an idea about each and evety one of them. Today 1 shall focus my article one the Indian restaurants of London.

London is infested with bistros, restaurants both posh and ordinary. A person with an adventurous palate can indulge in exquisite dishes from Lebanon. Libya. Malaysia etc (restaurants here are an integral part of London night life) I know guys the mention of night life is getting you licking your lips but as the French say "Fait patience." 1 will definitely write a saucy, spicy article on London night life in the next issue).

The restaurants are doing

(with deceiving names like Balti Villa. Bombay palace. The Delhi Brasserie. Maharani. star of Bombay) belong to the Syl-hetis I E the Bangladeshis. The restaurant business is predominantly run by the Sylheti peo pie. I had a rare opportunity to go to one of these places and believe me 1 was flabbergasted by the scene hundreds of Europeans stuffing polao and ko-rma like gluttons.

This sight was enough to get my stomach rolling and. 1 ordered some for myself . Well, what can 1 say (even our bua could cook better polao and ko-rma). Bengalees would never even tolerate such substandard food. But amazing the English were eating it with great relish. They seemed to he quite content with what they were eating. Here let me clear one thing " I am not denouncing the Sylheti restaurants, what I am trying to establish is that if they served birivani to the standard of tfiat in Dhaka then the English possibly would discard their own menu and definitely the English restaurants would go bankrupt. 1 wonder what would the English say after having a plate of haji"s biriyani of old Dhaka. But there are a few great chefs here who cook Indian food near to perfection . One of them is Tony Mian .. (Yet another Bangladeshi). Here if you want to sell any food just label it "Indian" and it will sell like hell.

In the eating business the Sylhetis have already left an indelible mark. With their restaurants and food the Syl-

brisk business and the "full" sign on weekends account for the Londoner's taste for foreign food. But. like in politics one chain of restaurants enjoy a monopoly of customers over the others. And presto these are the Indian restaurants selling for claiming to sell authentic Indian cuisine. The English lately have developed a taste.

For hot. spicy Indian dishes (not to mention hot and curvaceous Indian Girls ...Indian actresses are absolute hit). So. to cater the developing taste bud of the English. Indian restaurants have sprung up like mushrooms. Eating Indian food is the fashion now. But wait till you hear the true identity of all these Indian restaurants as a matter of fact

anart from a few most of these

hetis haije^given a.ppsitive image of Bangladesh (. a rare thing won't you say). These restaurants nave established the culinary supremacy of the sub continent. In this modern age when we are so far behind in many aspects it gives one a sort of pride and pleasure when he sees Europeans hunger for po-lao. korma. chicken do-piaza. At least we can complete with them in one respect.

Richard the Lion heart has had enough chicken and tart,

he wants something hot

that would make him spring from his cot

so. he goes to East End to Tony Miah's den Polao and korma that's what I want

and that's what I chant.