Since the 1st day of the conference starts after lunch and I completed my registration in the morning, I decided to walk the immediate area around the San Diego Convention Center to look for someplace to eat. At last year's conference, I simply had lunch at the Orlando Convention Center due to the stiffling heat/humidity past the confines of the air conditioned center. However, San Diego's climate is very nice - even for walking - so I decided to have lunch on the outside. I found Masala Spices of India that was just about to start lunch service - a lunch buffet for $19. I was seated and sampled a Mango Lassi and a Indian beer while the restaurant was finalizing the buffet preparation.
This is what the buffet line looked like:
This is what my first plate looked like (I deliberately took very small portions initially since I knew I would go back for my faves):
My faves were the Veggie Pakoras (fried veggie fritters), the Chole Masala (garbanzo bean stew) and the Lamb Curry. The only downside was the naan - I'm used to hot and chewy whereas these were cold and limp almost like softened crackers. I'm also now a BIG fan of mango lassi - the dairy helps temper some of the heat while the sweetness of mango complements the spices. I originally intended on trying the desserts but with 2 solid hours of symposia ahead of me, decided to fill up on caffeinated beverages instead.
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