Blah Dining Society/Forkers Dining Club at Saapad Raman

October 05, 2022

Blah Dining Society/Forkers Dining Club at Saapad Raman

Mutton sukka

After my Dining Society meal with Chef Tam at Rim Naam, Amit who is the founder of Saapad Raman reached out asking if these meals were meant just for fine dining or five star establishments.

Blood podimas

I explained that it was for any restaurant or chef that wanted to cook something meaningful, special and memorable but were unable to do so because they weren’t sure if there would be an audience for something that is out of the ordinary. It’s my role (with the help of the Big Forkers) to make sure that people show up and pay, and that restaurants in Bangalore are supported and encouraged in their quest to push themselves so that this city can finally escape the tyranny of mediocrity.

Brain pepper fry

If anything, my focus is on the smaller and independent establishments because they don’t have any marketing or PR support, they operate on thin margins, they can’t afford freebies and influencers and they are rarely known outside their localities.

Thalai (goat head) curry

Amit shared that he had been wanting to do a Madurai style nose-to-tail goat meal for a while and hadn’t had the opportunity to do so. I asked him to let me know how many people he needed and how much it would cost and I would make sure it happened.

Liver fry

I’m glad I did because this was a truly special, memorable meal, with dishes that I didn’t even know existed. This was a meal that was intense, that was hardcore, that pushed the boundaries. But it was also a meal that was rooted in culture, tradition and heritage, that was respectful and meaningful, that felt much more important that just a plate of food.

Brain egg podimas

Food is a gateway through which I experience the world. People and communities and soil and weather and produce and nature and history and everything that makes us who we are. This is a meal that epitomised that and I am grateful for the privilege of having been able to organise this meal and to have eaten it.

Kidney roast

Saapad Raman may not have the buzziness of chefs from CIA or fancy interiors or staff that speaks great English or the things that restaurants need to win awards in India. But this is one of Bangalore’s most special restaurants and I am glad I got the opportunity to showcase it to a wider audience.