MAYA | Mexican | Shanghai

As I think about this place, I still yearn to eat the food here. In my more recent trips, I had decided that after traveling to Shanghai over nearly two years, it was time to start exploring some of the places that my colleagues were raving about. Ron kept raving about their guacomole & I decided it was time to test it out. So, one fine afternoon, I decided I was going to head to Maya, printed the directions from their web site: http://www.cosmogroup.cn/maya/and tried to tell the hotel concierge that this place existed and that he was to give the taxi guys directions!!

He wasn't quite sure it existed & skeptically directed my cabbie in the general direction. Sure enough, it is a minor bit tricky to find, as it is actually off the street inside an apartment complex - watch for the numbers and look for an entry gate to an apartment complex where there is a teeny sign proclaiming Maya is inside the complex. Once you find it, rest easy & get ready for an explosion of taste in your palate. Well, be also ready to shell out some RMB, as they are a tad bit pricey - this is, after all, the french quarter!



I decided I was going to munch on some nachos & salsa (stingy quantity), a garlic & jalapeno quesadilla & a unique chile relleno (with pumpkin & goat's cheese and a walnut & pomegranate reduction - whatever that is!). I have to say the food was plain blissful!! simple as that!! The garlic and jalapeno combination was certainly something to write about!! Made it worth the trip absolutely.



The Chile Relleno was the right combination, with promise of spice that isn't delivered and sweetness that is simply delicious!! Its a fusion like something I had never tasted before. I wiped the plate clean, resolving to come back, which I did with Ron. The next time when Ron & I came over, we tried the guacamole, which was reasonably OK (I think Charan & I make a better guac), some tacos - after having had tacos at several places, I have decided tacos aren't for the vegetarian palate. Somehow, when the person across from you is oohing & aahing, you just done get the sense that you are done justice!! We did end up ordering two plates of the garlic jalapeno quesadilla. It took considerable effort to leave.

A caution: The second time we were over, we found it a tad hard to find taxis to get back (given it was a bit late & there was some rain/ intense cold in the city). So, you may want to ask your host to call a cab for you instead. Another restaurants in the same area that is well acclaimed is the Mesa Manifesto.

Mobile service providers & marketing in India

This post is at least 3 months overdue - so, here we go: observations of the last year or so of the exploding, number porting, marketing laden Indian Mobile phone market

It is no surprise that each of the major global telecom providers eye india as their best chance of growing world wide market share. Having said that, with the number of new entrants and the estimated potential for growth, there is clearly a race for market share and organic growth amidst the top groups that have established themselves in the telecom space already viz. Reliance, Tata, Bharti airtel, Idea cellular, Vodafone, etc. Docomo & ,Telenor have joined the fray. Domestic players welcome the foreign entrants and view it as an opportunity to gather expertise while strengthening their positions themselves.

The race for growth and share has manifested itself in significant marketing. You only need to watch a cricket match to end up singing docomo's catchy jingle,



feel warm and fuzzy from vodafone's ads,


get puzzled by airtel's weird antics and


get the message from Abhishek Bacchan's brilliance


However, if you have seen some of the ads that these service providers have invested in, some ads, like those of Docomo & Idea state the value and benefits of their networks/ products, while that of airtel is just plain confusing. Docomo, since their entry have been clear with their advertising, taken a simpler price and feature communication approach, while telenor's ads all over South India clearly has something lost in translation.

Idea cellular have quickly learnt a lesson and moved away from their ads featuring their not so "green" ideas of why using a cell phone is better, to talking about how their network is different than the others in the market. In the latest iteration, they have taken a slightly different approach from the price wars that Docomo helped perpetrate to possibly creating differentiation on the issues that are slowly becoming apparent to the Indian mobile user - poor customer service, network availability, call quality, etc. It remains to be seen if they can truly build a reputation of delivering their election manifesto.

With number portability having made its entry in to the market, the challenge ahead for all of these players and their respective marketing departments would be to provide a message backed up by a proposition that is likely to make consumers break their inertia barrier to switch or acquire a new service line. Today, while vodafone 's ads promise warm & fuzzy service, I am not sure what they promise to deliver and see no reason to switch and risk what I have. Idea does seem to convey better reception, prices and service - but then, I am not sure I'd believe them yet. Typically, it takes a bad experience with an existing service provider or a great differentiator for a consumer to switch. These are likely to happen in post-paid accounts, data plans, wifi broadband plans, where there is a higher level consumption and need. Consumers are likely to shop again for services and compare plans before making the commitment.

With 3G starting to make its appearance in India, we are embarking on interesting times - the Indian consumer is only likely to benefit, with the competition to gain their buck.

Pongalo Pongal - in Chennai

Celebrating Pongal at home in Chennai - Pongal, harvest festival, celebrated widely in South India, to offer thanks to the Sun God & the elements for the bountiful harvest the last year & for blessings for the next year -

we are setting off the cooking of the sweet pongal & white rice in the bronze pot, decorated by fresh turmeric & chunam (lime) to the chorus of "pongalo pongal" - nostalgic festival times - of course, the rest of the day is filled with eating, watching TV & calling friends and relatives!!

Pane e Vino - Shanghai

After looking for new non-Indian food places to eat in Shanghai, I read about Pane e Vino in the City weekend magazine - http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai/listings/dining/italian/has/pane-e-vino/ - the review in the magazine was better than the one online. It talked about the ambience, the Caprese Salad & the fabulous thin crust pizza that they serve.

On a cold wintry night in Shanghai, I decided it was pizza time and moreover, time to find a new spot - I also decided I am going to take public transport. I love being able to take public transport everywhere. After a bit of online research, I found that this place is just a gentle walk from the Shaanxi Rd station - So, I decided to take Line No. 10 from Nanjing East Rd station and arrived at Shaanxi Rd (S) station. Take exit #1 and once you reach the top of the stairs, take a left (or ask the people hawking wares outside for MaoMing Road). The next intersection is Mao Ming Road - take a right at the intersection and walk a couple blocks and there you are staring at a Mexican place, Blue Frog, Melrose Pizza, Pane e Vino and a Moroccan restaurant in a little stretch in the middle of what appears to be no where.

The ambience, as described resembles that of a tiny Italian restaurant you could find in the Little Italies of the world, giving you the feel of a cozy family owned restaurant. I arrived late (9:20 PM), was frowned upon & told the place was closed. However, they were willing to make a pizza for me. So, quickly, I decided I wanted there famed Margarita pizza. The pizza arrived rather quickly & as promised was about 10-11" in diameter, but was extra thin that it had to melt in your mouth - trust me, this is thinner than the brooklyn style pizzas that New York has become famous for. The servers were a bit jumpy literally willing & wishing for me to get the heck out of there. Given I didn't really need the urging, I devoured the pie in a few minutes and walked out quickly. I'd give the food & ambience a double plus & the service a minus - it feels like a good cozy place to get down to with a bunch of friends, a bit earlier in the evening.

Line No. 10 also stops at Xintiandi & Yu Yuan Garden (places that I didn't know the subway went to). So, I stopped at the Xintiandi station & found out the station is just a block away from the central Xintiandi party places - wandered the area for a bit & returned to the comfort & saftety of a nice cozy bed. All in all a good night.