Anybody who knows me knows how much I love Indian food. If I were to gather together all the money I've spent on it, it's probably enough to buy a small car. If I were to describe Indian cuisine, I would say it has a lot of complex flavors going on in one dish, similar to how Nigerian food is. It consists of a lot of different spices, herbs, and vegetables, and it is usually eaten with Jasmine rice, bread, or potatoes. It is the closest thing I can get to Nigerian food because I get homesick a lot, which is probably why I love it so much.
One of my best friends first introduced Indian cuisine to me three years ago when he took me to an Indian restaurant called "India Garden" for my birthday. I was really excited because I had heard very good things about it and I always wanted to try it for myself. I had the lamb curry with rice and I was immediately hooked. It became our regular spot and we spent most of our money there during the summers. The staff knew us on a first name basis and were always so excited when we walked in. I fell in love with both the food and the people.
When I moved away for college in Jacksonville, Florida, the first thing I wanted to do was find a great Indian restaurant. I got really lucky and found a fantastic one called "Apna Bazaar" that also delivers to my dorm. I had never been there but they recognized my voice every time I called to place my order. They had memorized my order because I pretty much always got the same thing and would always be really nice. The hospitality I was shown was incredible which made the food even better.
I convinced an ex-boyfriend to go to the restaurant with me because I wanted to finally see what the place looked like and also meet the people. I was a little shocked to see that the restaurant was inside an Indian grocery store but I didn't really care. I was just so excited to be there. I met the owner and told him how I always order from them but I'd never actually been there. He was so pleasant and made sure that I was very well taken care of. He sat around and talked with us after our meal and even gave us a discount.
I've convinced most of my friends to get Indian food with me and watched in excitement as they have their first bite and hopefully love it as much as I do. It is definitely not for everyone. Some people don't like curry, some people find it too spicy, others just don't like the flavors. I don't think I'll ever stop obsessing over it though because it makes me feel closer to my home since I don't have access to Nigerian food all the time, and I love that feeling.
