Benjarong

Benjarong sits right on Ulsoor Road, which is basically a parking lot during rush hour. Our building is at 41277, and if you aren’t looking closely, you might drive right past it because the trees cover some of the sign. We’ve been serving food here for a good while, mostly Thai stuff that smells like lime and ginger. The kitchen is always a bit chaotic with the woks firing up and someone chopping peppers. I spend most of my day making sure the tablecloths are straight and the water glasses stay full. It’s a bit darker inside than out on the street, which helps people relax after dealing with the Bangalore traffic. We have these heavy doors that keep the noise out, mostly. Sometimes the smell of the spices gets so strong it hits you as soon as you walk in. We don’t have a big corporate team; it’s just us trying to get the orders right and making sure nobody waits too long for their soup. The floor gets slippery if we aren’t careful, and the staff is always scurrying around in the back. It’s a lot of physical work, lifting heavy plates and staying on your feet for ten hours. We just focus on the food and hope the ingredients show up on time from the market. Ulsoor is a busy area, but once you’re inside, it feels like a different world for a bit.