Recently I came across a Romanian website for discovering restaurants in NCR region. (Courtesy Sukrit)

So here’s a short review about it:

The site basically revolves around restaurants in the NCR region, also featuring some events, and discounts. Restaurants can simply be browsed, or can be searched. I can’t really comment on the search quality as I don’t know about the NCR region too well, but at the first glance it looks like the site doesn’t support proper search, i.e. search by category, or narrowing by price or cuisine. The ‘show me more options to search on’ link is not highlighted, and calls for an extra user click. But it’s a bag of cookies once you click on it! It looks like they have very detailed information on restaurants, as one can narrow search results by both features (a lot of them) and cuisines(a lot of them too). I was disappointed to know that I couldn’t get results for a simple query like: Restaurants in Central Delhi with Indian cuisine, and a rooftop/garden setting.

The search for discounts is a little low on search features as well. You can find discounts only on restaurant names, and only when you book through aplacetodine.com. The good thing about discounts was that I finally got to a restaurant details page (which I attempted to go through the search, but had failed). The restaurant page really looks a menu card for a fine-dine restaurant, very different from the parent site. I think the designers had intended it to be that way, giving each restaurant a number of templates to choose from. They have detailed menus for each restaurant, a BIG bonus from my side if they can keep that data updated. Also, you can book a table online and order for home delivery. Each restaurant page lists all future events in that restaurant.

The user registration process is painful and disguised as being pretty simple. First, you just give your email address, then check your email to click the link they provide. Click on it to activate your profile, but you’re not done! Now comes the real registration. You have to provide details like state, city (why would you ask all that when you’re only an NCR based website?), locality, landmark, and guess what… your mobile number as well. And that’s not optional. So basically to write a review, you have to put at stake your email, mobile etc. They will be sold to the restaurants or not, can’t be guaranteed. Anyway, giving a bogus mobile number works fine, so I just did that The website has a concept of reward points, which I believe can be reimbursed or redeemed in some form later.

Coming to the implementation and UI of the website, I think they have done a decent job at it. Nice use of colours and a homogeneous user interface. They haven’t restricted themselves in using AJAX or flash wherever appropriate. A little more thought could have been given to make the site a little lighter on resources, i.e. the page size should be at least reduced by 100 kb, in my opinion. Their homepage gives about 90 HTML errors, which is unacceptable, as plenty of <div>, <td>, <tr>s are not closed.

Overall Rating for the website: 6/10 (Given that they will launch in at least 8 cities)

So here I was, at a railway station, trying to find a place to get some cold drinks. Finally found an IRCTC counter, and guess how did it look:

And that is what that grinds my gears

P.S.: Wonder what the gay kids are up to, btw.

ps: WRGMG= ‘What really grinds my gears’, invented my Peter Griffin.

• Anuj has very mad banners
• Anuj is trying to wave the sails
• Anuj is chipping the flannel on TV
• Anuj is shaking a tower
• Anuj is buying cop porn
• Anuj is watching “Shaving Ryan’s privates”
• Anuj is eating a soul of ballad
• Anuj is fighting a liar
• Anuj is buying some belly jeans
• Anuj is eating a nasel hut
• Anuj received a blushing crow
• Anuj is knowing his blows.
• Anuj is ready as a stock

Where can you get a cape? That’s what it all boils down to. You spend the whole week slaving and slogging. Waiting for the online scoreboard to load on that torturous office connection. Restraining yourself when our guys hit a boundary. Stifling groans when the other guys do. It’s a tough life. Then comes Friday. You call home to say you’ll be late. You meet the guys. Sometimes, you have a victory to toast. But where to celebrate? Sometimes, a loss to mourn. But where to recover? Valuable time is wasted, looking. Because either way, it’s got to be the perfect place. And then, you forget all about closing time. Until they throw you out. So you need an all-night eatery. But where to eat? Navigation is not currently your strong point. Nor is coordination. You give up. Head for home. On autopilot. And an empty stomach. Which doesn’t really matter. Until you’re creeping into the sleeping household. Past the kitchen. Past the dining table. Hunger, strikes. Bravely, you ignore. You undress in the dark. Curse the fact that you still don’t have a night-light. But where can you get one? Slip into bed. Bed creaks. Wife stirs. So does hunger. You creep out again. Kitchen. No chips. Darn those kids. You know that 24 hour eating joints exist. Where? Where? Back to bed. More creaks. Wife wakes up. Grumbling. You try again. Hunger. Hunger. Sleep. Priyanka Chopra. Hunger. Priyanka Chopra. Hunger. Paresh Rawal. Domino’s. Bye bye Priyanka Chopra. And do you get any relief over the long-awaited weekend? Do you? Saturday morning arrives. You greet it with a whimper. Bleary eyed. Groggy. Justifiably irate wife. Laundry list of chores. Including laundry. And dry cleaning her best sari. But where? Fridge needs repair. Who to call? A 4 hour power cut strikes. You’ve been promising her an inverter for a year now. What was that number? And in the evening. Dinner with the in-laws. Anniversary dinner. Which, as always, you’ve forgotten. When does the florist shut shop? On Sunday, the kids break the flush. Again. Need a plumber. Who’s open on Sunday? 7 hour power cut. Wife goes on strike. Kitchen shut. Kids screaming for food. One wants Chinese. One wants kababs. You’re out of beer. Does anyone deliver at all? Sunday afternoon. Siesta time. Son remembers he has a history project. Due tomorrow. Mughal helmet. Or at least a replica. Where? Where? Where? Daughter needs a geometry box. You need a clone. Wife conveniently gets a headache. Night falls. Somehow, you’ve survived. A hero. A superman. All that’s missing are those blue tights with the red undies on the outside. And a cape.
But where can you get a cape?

Okay, not my creation. But it’s one of the best wall posters at the asklaila office.