Tag: Anne Noyes Saini

Front: hot green peppers (called mirch in Hindi and Urdu). Back: ground red pepper.

Welcome to the third installment of C+M’s ongoing series of audio guides on how to order authentically spicy food in ethnic restaurants.

As a service to C+M readers I’m compiling a series of audio guides demonstrating phrases in several relevant languages, which can be used to navigate ordering situations fraught with tricky cultural and language barriers.

If (like me) you’ve ever tried to order a spicy dish in a restaurant and been refused (or served a clearly less spicy version), this series of audio features is for you. (more…)

Javanese bubur ayam with a dollop of fiery sambal.

Welcome to the second installment of C+M’s ongoing series of audio guides on how to order authentically spicy food when dining in ethnic restaurants. As I mentioned in last week’s Korean primer, getting grub prepared to adequate spice levels isn’t much an issue for me. That’s not the case for my good friend and Desify columnist Anne Noyes Saini who often finds herself having to convince the waitstaff that she actually wants her food spicy. So as a service to C+M readers she’s compiled a series of audio guides demonstrating phrases in several relevant languages, which can be used to navigate ordering situations fraught with tricky cultural and language barriers. Today’s lesson: Indonesian. (more…)