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Rancho Cucamonga, CA (PRWEB) December 23, 2006

When 300 people attend a restaurant it is always interesting, especially if it is not a private event but a public one. It is even more intriguing when the event is held at an Indian restaurant that only seats about 120.

In a recent joint promotion with Mercedes Benz, Haandi Indian Cuisine in Rancho Cucamonga attracted twice as many people than anticipated.

“We never expected a turnout this big, we though maybe 100 would show up,” states Sartaj Singh, who with his brother Hartaj is owner of Haandi.

“Mercedes parked a couple of the new models and we sent out a few invitations to customers and friends. At first the people trickled in, and then in the early evening there was a tidal wave of people.”

“There was a cross section of American and Indian people, the parking lot was packed. It was great!” continues Singh.

Did these people pour in to see the cars, or for the Indian food? Or both?

One of the biggest problems for Indian restaurant owners is overcoming the impression that all of the food is hot and spicy. This is just not true.

Most diners that have never tried Indian food automatically say “Oh no! Those curries are too hot.” That’s similar to avoiding Starbucks because you don’t like hot coffee. They serve iced coffee too, and a lot more.

As a big fan of Indian food, dining at Haandi was not a problem. But anybody in the “oh no!” contingent should give it a try.

Anybody that has never tried Indian food, the Haandi lunch buffet is the way to get started and acclimated to the taste. Future visits can be a little more adventurous by ordering off the menu, but don’t be afraid to ask the waiter about each dish.

The Haandi chef cooks authentic recipes in the tandoor -a clay oven heated up to 1000 degrees. The inside of the tandoor is coated with a mix of spices, and then as the food is cooked, the aromas of the spices are absorbed in the food.

Meals begin with a complimentary order of papadam, a crispy bread that is served with mint sauce and tamarind chutney.

One of the traditional beverages is Kingfisher Beer and makes a great compliment to spicy Indian food. For wine lovers, Gewurztraminer also works very well with Indian food. Rotate your wine glass to release the wine’s aromas then put your nose into the glass and smell apricot, peach, rose petals or honeysuckle emanating from the Gewurztraminer.

The Haandi buffet changes daily but always consists of three appetizers, three meat dishes, salad and two desserts items.

If available the tikka masala, tender chicken in a tasty gravy, and dahl makhni, a side dish made from lentils is a good choice from the buffet.

Ordering off the menu the Chicken Malai is very tasty. This is an all white meat dish marinated in yoghurt and herbs then cooked with coconut and creamy spices in the tandoor.

Both meals come with Indian bread called naan. Naans come in several varieties, including plain, and the aloo paratha which is stuffed with potatoes.

Desert, yes Indian restaurants have desserts! The lunch buffet included kheer, a pudding made by boiling rice with milk and sugar then flavoring with cardamom and pistachios. Kheer is served chilled making it very refreshing.

An all time favorite is Gulab jamun, which are fried milk balls served in sweet syrup flavoured with cardamom and rosewater or saffron.

Any first time diner at an Indian restaurant will be a convert after tasting the Haandi buffet.

Despite the unassuming location, Haandi Indian Restaurant is on a par with the award winning Bengal Clipper Restaurant situated in London’s trendy Shad Thames District.

It is easy now to understand why 300 attended the event and that the food at Haandi Indian Cuisine was a major contributing factor to the overall success of the event.

“The event was a success for Mercedes too because they sold 7 cars that day. We are planning a similar event in the near future,” concludes Singh.

Haandi Indian Restaurant is located at 7890 Haven Avenue Ste. 15 & 16 Rancho Cucamonga

They are open 7 days a week for lunch 11:00am – 3:00pm and at 5:00pm- 10:00pm for dinner.

For more information please call (909) 581-1951 or go to http://www.haandiindiancuisine.com

Jonathan W Smythe travels extensively looking for the finer things in life, such good food and wine. When he finds them Smythe likes to point them out so others can share in his passions too.

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(PRWEB) February 17, 2005

A striped-bass rebuilding project by N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries biologists, the U.S. Army Corps of engineers, and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is being undermined by commercial fishermen, according to some recreational fishermen in the lower portion of the Cape Fear River near Wilmington.

Biologists have been stocking fish into the river for years; lockmasters have operated the three locks at dams on the river at an increased frequency to move fish to upstream spawning habitat; hybrid stocking into upstream lakes has been curtailed to prevent dilution of the striped bass spawning effort; and a state-funded tagging program is studying migratory patterns of a fish prized by commercial and recreational fishermen.

The increasing profile and perhaps an increased number of striped bass in the Cape Fear River have led to more fish being caught by recreational anglers and fishing guides, who have no other winter gamefish to catch from inshore waters during January and February. However, commercial fishermen apparently also have increased their efforts to catch stripers.

Â?It makes me want to kill every limit I catch,Â? said Fisher Culbreth, a Carolina Beach guide. Â?There are commercial gill nets blocking access to all of my fishing areas at the Exxon Dock, the Brunswick River and across the mouth of Town Creek. We release all the fish we catch because I have to depend upon them being there day after day. But once the commercial fishermen set their nets in those places, the fish are gone.Â?

According to Rich Carpenter, DMF Southern District manager, more commercial fishermen are setting more gill nets for stripers in the Cape Fear River.

Â?The commercial striper limit is five striped bass per day with a minimum size of 18 inches, but they must be landed in proportion to other fish,Â? he said. Â?Commercial fishermen also may land seven red drum per day with a slot limit of 18 to 27 inches in a proportion to other fish. The other fish caught by commercial anglers from that area of the Cape Fear are mainly catfish.Â?

The commercial quota for striped bass is 25,000 pounds for the Pamlico, Neuse and Cape Fear rivers. The average commercial landing during the striped bass season during the period from 1994 to 2000 was 1,500 pounds. The commercial season runs Jan. 3-April 30, unless the quota is reached earlier.

Â?The Cape Fear River commercial striped-bass landings through Jan. 26 were 1,285 pounds,Â? Carpenter said. Â?The good news is the proportion of white bass/striped bass hybrids in the catch is decreasing rapidly.Â?

That could mean more striped bass are spawning successfully, the stocking program is becoming a success, or the hybrid population decline is a result of no replenishment. It could also mean that there are more fish being taken from the river than ever before by commercial fishermen, no matter whether efforts at restoring the population are having the desired effect. No one really knows whether the striped bass population of the Cape Fear River is in good shape, bad shape or remaining the same.

One thing that is known for certain is the commercial landings are on the increase. Carpenter said the increased number of commercial fishermen setting gill nets for stripers had resulted in an increase in Division of Marine Fisheries enforcement activity.

Â?Enforcement officers have increased their presence in that area,Â? he said. Â?We also checked a few gill nets. We checked a net that had one gar and one striped bass and that seems to be typical. It’s unusual for a gill net to catch more than a couple of stripers.Â?

A fish or two per gill net set seems to be a typical catch. Anglers setting drift nets for shad also occasionally catch striped bass — one of the original reasons for establishing a recreational season and commercial fishing limits for Cape Fear striper.

Â?I think the commercial striped-bass limits show they’re not meant to be a targeted fish to be exploited commercially,Â? Culbreth said. Â?It seems like it should be a bycatch fishery. But thereÂ?s a net behind every island and in the mouth of every feeder creek.

Â?When nets block access to prime recreational fishing areas, it makes (stripers) a targeted fishery. You canÂ?t blame recreational fishermen for getting mad. ItÂ?s like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

Â?It might be legal to set nets in those top recreational fishing places, but it sure isn’t ethical. If thereÂ?s a net right beside the boat, and I have a client lucky enough to still catch a fish, how do I convince him to let it go so it can swim right into the net?Â?

For the latest in outdoor features, news and columns, subscribe to North Carolina Sportsman magazine by calling (800) 538-4355 or visiting www.northcarolinasportsman.com.

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