The Sickness Caused By The Taj
"Let me tell you something, my friend, A lot of these Japanese are stupid. They don't know that food poisoning is from food they ate 48 hours ago. It's not from my food. Maybe the alcohol makes them sick. I don't know. I am not the babysitter of the Japanese customers. If they want to drink mass quantities of beer then they will get sick. I know many things. I know nutrition. I know what is good and what is bad. My food is not bad, whatever comes from the human body is natural and can be recycled. The McDonald's is over there if you want unhealthy food"
Kamal "Aubry" Singh, co owner / head chef of the Taj Mahal in Kagurazaka told me he's an alcoholic. He still drinks Asahi Super Dry every night until he passes out. He came to work daily with the shakes, a ripping headache and often vomited on the job.
" If I can't make it to the john - like if it's really busy or something, I try to hold it in. That usually does not work so I'll have to let it out- I just chuck it directly into the Daal or something else nearby. Nobody knows nothing and I'll just add some more spice into it. I only eat curry and drink beer anyway so who's gonna know the difference? Most of my customers are usually a bunch of cheap assholes anyway".
Kamal, whose fingers and teeth are yellow from years of smoking, doesn't think vomiting is all that bad anyway.
"Besides,the release of the gastric pressure and the release of endorphins into my bloodstream after I puke makes me feel better, meaning I cook better for the customer. In my country we drink urine, steaming hot urine to start the day. It's a way of purifying your soul. We don't want to see any food wasted. If I choose to go in today's special that's my business. It's my choice- the chef, to alter the flavor anyway I choose to get the best product out. The Japanese are not a spiritual people- even though they say they are. I am a spiritual person."
" No one can taste the difference"
"You think the Chinese are any better?? And by Chinese I mean all Asians. Those motherfuckers are really dirty. I challenge you to go into the kitchen at any Chinese restaurant in Tokyo. You'll see things that will really get you sick just from seeing them.
This milquetoast is still reeling after his visit to Kamal's shop.
At least vomit is sterile, right? Don't judge me, all chefs are drunks and do the same shit. I have a Japanese friend who works at one of those American chain places in Roppongi. He hates everyone, he spits in all the ketchup bottles- he told me to ask for a packet to be safe."
Kamal's vomit actually tastes better than you would think
Kamal kept chain smoking while we talked, ashes and sweat falling into the day's food. "I used to work at the Hilton in Mumbai as a kid and I would piss on the vegetables in the walk in freezer everyday. I really hated the boss and the guests were all rich and obnoxious to me and the staff in general. In my country I was gonna be a famous chef on TV. I gotta do this shit here! Fuck Japan."
In The Taj, the customer is not God. Kamal is.
"You, Hairy White Prince are a friend. You are always kind and treat me with respect. You are grateful and listen to me. You talk to me, not at me. I'll always give you the best stuff when you come here."
I want to stay on Kamal's good side
Kamal's vomit actually tastes better than you would think
Kamal kept chain smoking while we talked, ashes and sweat falling into the day's food. "I used to work at the Hilton in Mumbai as a kid and I would piss on the vegetables in the walk in freezer everyday. I really hated the boss and the guests were all rich and obnoxious to me and the staff in general. In my country I was gonna be a famous chef on TV. I gotta do this shit here! Fuck Japan."
In The Taj, the customer is not God. Kamal is.
"You, Hairy White Prince are a friend. You are always kind and treat me with respect. You are grateful and listen to me. You talk to me, not at me. I'll always give you the best stuff when you come here."
I want to stay on Kamal's good side
Kamal's advice, " Always be nice to the foreigner making your food"
Kamal is no slouch, he started out in the hospitality industry in 1977 with a diploma in Hotel Management from IIHM (Indian Institute of Hotel Management) Pusa, Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition. He started his career in the ITDC under their kitchen management scheme.
Kamal is no slouch, he started out in the hospitality industry in 1977 with a diploma in Hotel Management from IIHM (Indian Institute of Hotel Management) Pusa, Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition. He started his career in the ITDC under their kitchen management scheme.
He was a topper in his batch. And after working in many hotels, he became the Executive Chef of the Centaur Hotel in Mumbai (Bombay). He left India for Japan in 1999 with dreams of getting rich in Tokyo's competitive, lucrative food scene.
" It was tough, I got a lot of stress from all the red tape and bad treatment of foreigners by the Japanese. I got disrespected daily and I began to drink, it really helps me to cope with the stress of this place. I have a skill and I am strong. "
Kamal started crying and pounded on the wonky table.
"I failed! I lost all my money on bad deals and a stupid franchise idea that cost me my house, wife and life savings. I do need the alcohol help me forget about my personal life. I don't want to talk about that anymore. To me, vomiting in their curry is a way I can get back at my Japanese oppressors, purify my broken soul and give the food my own personal touch".
" It was tough, I got a lot of stress from all the red tape and bad treatment of foreigners by the Japanese. I got disrespected daily and I began to drink, it really helps me to cope with the stress of this place. I have a skill and I am strong. "
Kamal started crying and pounded on the wonky table.
"I failed! I lost all my money on bad deals and a stupid franchise idea that cost me my house, wife and life savings. I do need the alcohol help me forget about my personal life. I don't want to talk about that anymore. To me, vomiting in their curry is a way I can get back at my Japanese oppressors, purify my broken soul and give the food my own personal touch".
Kamal was deported in January 2010 when a health inspector noticed he had been working with a visa that expired in 2003. He has not yet answered any of my emails.
