Musée du Ben

It was a breezy October evening; the clouds had just stopped showering their tears. I was in a beautiful city called Bangalore, rich in weather and nature, people hate traffic. But one thing that we can see common in all streets of Bangalore is a start-up and an inspiring set of entrepreneurs. I have heard people saying that the epitome of rich cultural experiences happens in Church Street with beautiful bookstores, street music, stylish murals, popular for couples to have their dates, especially in fancy restaurants. Each dining fort is unique and has its musings. I was walking across this street avoiding the puddles, inhaling the petrichor and admiring the tranquil sound of rain drops under my umbrella.

Out of the blue, my stomach started grumbling, looks like it requires some delicious guests. I was looking around to find a place that can satisfy my hunger as well as provide a rich dining experience. The sky was still grey, but I found its vibrant colour sucked into a building. I was invited with blood-red roses and blush pink flowers. The place has a board which says ‘Blini Bistro’. It was around 3.00 pm and no one was there, just a blissful 80’s pop music and orange chairs. I sat across the chair facing the window cherishing the drop of rain that slides over the glass pane. I pulled out my novel from my bag and started reading.

“Do you have an idea what a Blini is?”, I was questioned by this person in the mask who had a venom t-shirt with a thick-rimmed spectacle. I was intrigued by the question as I have come across restaurants that asks “What do you wish to have?” or nothing. This question has piqued my interest and replied that I was not aware of what this Blee-ne is! His eyes closed and widened as he was smiling behind the mask.  He explained to me what Blini is. It is a traditional Russian pancake made from combination of flour. It was quite a popular Russian dish. This place serves Indo-Russian fusion of Blini. I had asked for a panner Blini and chocolate strawberry Blini for dessert. Thus, the conversation has commenced between me and this person. He introduced himself as Harsh and started knitting the story of Blini while my dish was being prepared.

Harsh was living with a Russian guy from a foreign exchange programme and he introduced him to this dish called Blini. Like every moment for an entrepreneur, taking the first bite of this food had cast a magic spell by creating a ratatouille spark on Harsh leading him to start his bistro. Being a foodie himself, he roamed from place to place. He hit different restaurants to explore the flavour like an artist looking for inspiration. Whenever people living in Bangalore have an enriching experience, their thoughts lead to building a start-up. Is it a blessing or curse? I see it as a blessing and so did Harsh. He wished to start a place for foodies by a foodie. Food does have a curse like the divine apple which God gave. Despite the flavours, it leaves us fat. Harsh told me he was once 140 kgs and he wanted to fight against this. Not by eating less food! The passion for exploring food still laid dormant within him while he was reducing his weight through a rigid workout and he evolved to 90 kgs. He was working in a corporate job and had this burning desire to build a restaurant.  On one fine day, he decided to quit his corporate career and started pursuing his passion. The fire that lay dormant in him has become ferocious and blew up like a volcano.  The result was the place I was sitting and listening to his story. He pushed himself hard to complete his dream castle which serves delicious Blini. Like every other entrepreneur, he also had his obstacles. Pandemic hit when he commenced his Bistro and every restaurant had to be shut down during the lockdown, which was a major test to his endurance. He was resilient to bounce back and start the bistro again. He is still spreading the taste of Indo-Russian cuisine to all the foodies.

This might have been a cliché line that you might have heard in motivational talks. But, doing what you love takes you places! The world is filled with chaos and people are still blessed with serenity as they do what they love. Harsh was a ball of energy and was saying ‘yes!’ with his palms clenched whenever I gave positive feedback.  Building a bistro in a niche market is difficult. There are 1000 plus foodpreneurs out there who builds a café, bars everywhere and serves fab experience to their customers.  The only way to survive in the market is by doing what you love. Only then, you have the strength to push through anything thrown at you. You grab the opportunities and you evade the rocks. Appreciate art and rejoice by working on your passion.

The Blini arrived at my table and I didn’t waste a second to taste the soft pancakes with magic inside. I was filled, both my stomach and heart. I bow my humble thanks to Harsh for providing me with a delicacy and sharing his story of Blini with me.

I have always cherished the experience of talking with random strangers. There is a story with everyone you come across in your life. My pursuit for finding the story that is treasured within the humans, who share their space on earth will continue. Let’s celebrate stories and search where humans are!