Don’t miss out on delight of dining out

Rummaging through an album of family photos, sweet memories drowned in storms of life flashed upon the inward eye and I became a little girl again. Oh! How beautiful and innocent was that time! Looking at the album, I sailed back through decades of life, a journey which led me to think of blissful togetherness with family and friends.

A photo showed all of us sitting in a restaurant known for its mouth-watering biryani and desserts of ice-cream, whipped cream with rosy sugar waves rolled into perfect texture and taste. I remember it was my mother’s birthday. Such outings were fanciful rituals on birthdays and anniversaries. All of us were decked up in our best attires and bright smiles as we went to our favourite restaurant. We were mesmerised by the ambience, sparkling white table clothes, crisp, ironed napkins, exquisite cutlery and exotic meals. Days later we would talk about our experience with nostalgia, eagerly looking forward to another encounter with bliss and bounty.

I wonder if family dinners and outings like these are still looked forward to or has home delivery changed our dining experience and pattern. Not having to leave the confines of home, even the bed, food is delivered at our doorsteps. Great deals are in vogue: Pizza, one on one, combo packs, no delivery charges with the best possible prices. But does it give one the same feel and contentment as family outings had?

Home deliveries in the age of smartphones have killed the joy of eating out in an aesthetic ambience with the feel of being pampered like a royal personage. Eating in restaurant was earlier a luxury, a celebration; home delivery has reduced it to a common place thing, everyday ritual.

The outings with like-minded people surrounding you are the real treat. The aroma of freshly crushed spices continues to linger and get internalised in the mind. It is much better than eating in the isolated disconnect at home with only your streaming shows to accompany you. It fosters an attitude of isolation from the outside world.

Sometimes an order gets delayed and the food delivered may not be up to the mark. Part of the allure of a restaurant is its ambience. One food delivery service order equates to one less family dining in the restaurant, which kills the spot’s vibe and eats away a restaurant’s social capital.

Home delivery can deliver food but not the ambience or aroma, glory and glitter of the place where one can dine. No doubt, in home delivery you don’t have to worry about parking or missing out on your favourite TV shows, yet, I believe it means missing out on the excitement and elation of going out to savour the glamour of a swanky place. Why to lie on the bed like a couch potato and eat in solitude while remaining glued to the smartphone?

Eating out with family and friends is one of the most enjoyable of activities to laugh away anxieties and crystallise and cherish memories of togetherness. Shouldn’t we do away with the ‘order of the day’ and start right away living in the real world? Home delivery makes you a glutton nonchalant, so get ready and eat at a restaurant, enjoy the dining out experience with family and friends.

EATING IN RESTAURANT WAS EARLIER A LUXURY, A CELEBRATION; HOME DELIVERY HAS REDUCED IT TO A COMMON PLACE THING, EVERYDAY RITUAL