Shops in our neighborhood dont accept debit or credit cards. On the other hand they install ATM machines in their shops.

A case in point is Conneticut Muffins on the corner of Myrtle and Clinton.

They dont accept credit cards, and there is no sign informing one of that. I orderd a hot choclate and when i gave my card i got the retort back “No credit cards”. And the sick part is that it came with an attitude. I felt as if by offering a CC i was doing a guilty act. I just wanted hot choclate, not attitude.

Another such place is the Dry cleaners on the same block on Myrtle. To be fair though, the employee there said that everyone complains about it but the owner does not care and does not want to do anything.

What’s with this whole no CC issue.

I personally now don’t go to Conneticut Muffins, for that simple reason. I hate to carry cash around and prefer all expenses on my debit card which allows me an easy access to keep tabs on what I spend.

If as a customer I cannot be provided a service, I take my business elsewhere.

However in the last two days I encountered two restaurants that don’t accept credit cards.

The first one was Kum Kau Chinese on the corner of Washington and Myrtle. I ordered some take out and go to pick it up. Having always paid by card over there, I proffer my piece of plastic only to be told that they don’t accept cards after 10 pm. WTF. What kind of a policy is that. It was around midnight and I was in no mood to go to a bank and get cash and come back. So I just walked out and picked up food from Sappolo a couple of blocks down. What irked me was their unreasonable policy of not accepting credit cards after some arbitrary cut off time. I’d rather walk out then give my business to them.

The second such place is Rice. I had Saturday brunch there and just when I am about to pay, I am told “we don’t accept credit cards”. Again WTF !! Reluctantly I had to go to the deli next door and get some cash from the ATM. I find it really annoying that a restaurant that wants to be taken seriously does not even offer an amenity that is so standard in today’s life. Firstly their wait staff is a little weird and then they pull this fast one ! I don’t think I am going back to Rice till they change their card policy and hopefully their wait staff too.

The missus and I decided to try it out for dinner yesterday, the first day of the restaurant.

The restaurant was only a quarter full around 8:15 pm, but while we were there, a lot of people came in for take outs, so my guess is they did fairly well on the first day.

The décor of the restaurant is as tacky and kitsch as all Indian restaurants of this type. Funny rope lights, and the ubiquitous pictures of the Taj Mahal adors the walls.

The waiters were friendly and the services prompt and fast. However the food was disappointing.

We ordered

1) Paneer Tikka: Tough and bland, the chunks were too big and tough. They lacked spice and marinade. Paneer (cottage cheese) is a very tricky dish to get correct. For the simple reason that it needs to be made fresh and daily. This was clearly frozen paneer and it lacked taste.

2) Cheese and Garlic Parathas: The parathas were warm and freshly baked. However the cheese and garlic were spread over them as an afterthought and not something that should have been integrated in the dough of the bread before baking it.

3) Chicken Makhani: The missus loves this, so we had to order it ! This was the only dish that got passing grades. The curry sauce was too smooth and lacked texture. It was also too sweet. However the chicken was cooked properly and not overdone.

4) Shrimp Biryani: This was another disappointment. Frozen shrimp used in any cooking leaves a very distinct taste. Also in most Indian restaurants they prepare the rice en masse and then just add the meat/chicken/seafood as per order. Therefore the tastes never gel. This was the case here too. Also it came with a smattering of sliced almonds, cashews and raisins on top. That left us both confused as to whether it was Biryani or Pulao.

Verdict: The restaurant was pretty average. It is slightly better than Amin, the other Indian restaurant on Dekalb. However a point to be noted. Both these “Indian” restaurants are run by Bangladeshi cooks. Nothing against Bangladeshi chefs, but frankly they should stick to cooking Bangla food and not tamper with Indian food. Its like asking an Mexican cook to make New England Clam Chowder. You get the point.

If you crave good authentic Indian food, stick to restaurants in Manhattan. There are none in Brooklyn that make the mark. If you are lazy and want a take out, or delivery, then once in a while, Kinara II will serve the purpose. But in any case, do not go in and think that you are getting authentic Indian food. Believe me, I am Indian, and I know what I am talking about.

A view of the interior

Ropelights, Taj Mahal and what have you!

Kinara II is the new cousin of Kinara, which is in Park Slope. It opens next Friday, September 29th. See you there at dinner time.

I personally am not vegan or vegetarian, but would not mind vegetarian food once in a while. Hence I looked forward to this experience. However a look at the menu left a lot to be desired.

For any restaurant to base its whole menu on trying to imitate meat and fish dishes is a little weird.

The reason I would want to eat vegetarian food is because I want vegetarian food. And if I wanted to eat shrimp I would go to a restaurant that served shrimp. Why take some veggie, and make it look like a shrimp in shape and then deep fry it and call it Cajun Shrimp.

Same with the dish that had mashed potato around a sugarcane stick and wanted to be taken seriously as a lamb shank (or something on those lines).

The décor of the place is nice, nothing spectacular. The seating could have ben a bit more creative. The lighting definitely needs working on.

The bar had no beer on tap. And the bottle selection was the regular stuff. Even among the Caribbean beers, only Red Stripe was represented.

The restaurant was nearly empty on the inside, but even then our server took a long time in getting our orders.

We ordered the cajun “shrimp” as an appetizer, and one bite into a rubbery mass was enough for me to pass on the dish. The missus however liked it so she polished it off.

The same was with our entrees. The flavours were nice but I wish they would try to make the dishes as real vegetarian or vegan dishes with their own identities instead of imitation the non vegetarian ones.

All in all I would not go back to this restaurant unless they changed their menu, one with its own identity. Especially since there are so many other interesting options all around.

Red Bamboo: [Restaurant Website]

Red Bamboo Picture Galler [Flickr]

Another Opinion [Gridskipper Review]