Lovely cotton hangings with elephants embroidered in black, red, and brown. Simple cloth lanterns with tie-dyed patterns offering a soft glow; tables covered with beautiful Asian prints; an assortment of exotic decorations; a friendly clutter of Indian culture makes this beautiful restaurant very homey. Welcome to Sayapatri!
Sumptuous dining lines the menu. Dip your doughy garlic naan in a sweet-spicy prawn curry that is creamy as it is spicy; or try the red-curry mutton that just melts with each mouthful; the rich seasonings linger delectably and all you can do is kiss your fingertips with a flourish; this Indian shrine tucked away in a quaint side-street of Urawa is my culinary Mecca. I go on pilgrimage every week.
It is not just the fine dining which draws me again and again. There’s also the flat screen entertainment - music videos from India’s popular movies. The swirling saris and intricate choreography are absolutely captivating. Refreshing shades of rosy pink, tangerine orange, sunny yellow, and sky blue spin and move across the screen in classical elegance, as exotic rhythms fill every sense which may have missed the delightful invitations of the delectable dishes. When the music and dance carry you to India, the main course suddenly becomes a mere side savoury.
Last night, celebrating Chiara’s birthday was a great excuse to make that sacred trip once again. You might remember Chiara from the New Year’s journal about the three guests who spent the evening at my apartment. Well, we enjoyed many moments of mirth and humour as we took in the music videos. I also enjoyed chatting with the owner with whom I have fast become friends over the past year. Thanks to my Trini heritage, my Nepalese friend (whose husband is from India) and I have found that Indian culture has formed a bridge of friendship between us. I’m ashamed to admit that I don’t know her name, but I’m pleased to say that we share a very warm sense of friendship.
I had bought two slices of ‘birthday cake’ at a bakery before heading for Sayapatri. I invited my Nepalese friend to share in our dessert. She was quite taken by surprise but clearly very pleased. She suddenly disappeared into the kitchen and then, to our delight, suddenly re-emerged with Indian mango yogurt topped with mango sauce and peaches … on the house. The flavour was quite unusual since it was liberally flavoured with distinctly Indian spices, but we ate it all up. Chiara loved it; I will acquire the taste gradually.
Memorable moments …
While viewing a muscular Indian dancer energetically shifting his shoulders and doing some fancy footwork, Chiara was quick to exclaim, “Hammer time!”
I told my Nepalese friend that one day I would go to India. To Chiara’s amusement, she misunderstood, shocked that I would go to India for only one day.
Chiara was not too impressed that I offered to share her slice of birthday cake with my Nepalese friend – whose cake you talkin’ about? Yours, right? …’Cause it couldn’t be mine! It was pretty tickling.
Finally, my Nepalese friend introduced me to her baby son, Vijay – a real cutey-pie; all during the evening we chatted and laughed, and she pointed out different Indian stars to us, telling us who works with the mafia, and who was this and who was that.
It was a special evening in that dimly-lit restaurant. It was practically empty, us being the only customers, but it was filled with the warmth of hearty laughter, cultural curiosity, and genuine friendship – beautiful moments woven into a beautiful evening.
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