Recently I attended several weddings at an ancient hotel. The event was very well organised by the hosts but when it came to food, there were several shortcomings.

I am a vegetarian and I expect a reasonable choice (at least one or two) of vegetable dishes at a star class buffet. At all these functions at the same venue, the hosts had the decency to add three or four vegetable curries to their menus. However, unfortunately, all these dishes were spoilt by the addition of large amounts of Maldive fish. It is true that some chefs consider Maldive fish to be the ultimate delicacy, an essential spice ingredient.

But do these chefs ever consider the choice left for vegetarians? I know that most meat consuming guests would not mind Maldive fish, but in any buffet menu there is a vast array of separate meat and seafood dishes especially for them.I never regretted the decision to attend these functions as the hosts were near and dear friends of mine. I later learnt that they had spent three thousand rupees on each guest. But little did the hosts know that for those three thousands rupees, the hotel had only plain rice and vegetable salad on offer for true vegetarians!

I should mention that certain other star class hotels serve true vegetarian dishes with a very good choice for vegetarians.

After all these bad dining experiences at this hotel, I attended a ceremony of a midwife attached to our hospital. The menu there was excellent with an array of home made vegetable dishes free of Maldive fish as well as items for non vegetarian guests. I guess the so-called expert chefs still have many things to learn from our village ladies in preparing a menu and, treating guests!