Hi Chilly and Mike, we have all missed you both so much but I must admit my little brother the Dragon has been doing a very good job in your absence but he is no where near as easy on the eye and he devours the coffee even faster than you

Hope Mike is progressing and so looking forward to seeing you both early next season

i think i might be seeing you and mrs meagain before that
Chilly

Hi Chilly, I wasn't aware that Mike was ill. I wish him all the best for a speedy recovery.

Have been told that the meet this Wednesday has been moved to "Nirvana" holiday street, Calangute think most people on the list know apart from Noggin and Spike but will send a PM

Nirvana is on the left at the beach end of Holiday street, just keep going straight passed Kingstork and the Whitehouse

I know there is not a meeting due this week but most of the HT'ers still over here are going to the Bluesmania's Smoking Chutney gig at the Stonehouse in Candolim on Wednesday also a bit of farewell party for the one's going home on the Kingfisher flight later this week

Hi all...
finally made it to the meet at Carvery on wednesday after failling on 3 previous attempts.
Arrived at 7.30...got a couple of drinks and sat down.....
At 8.15 got a couple more drinnks....
At 8.45 got a couple more drinks.....
At 9.00 ordered some food and a couple more drinks.....
At 9.45 got a couple more drinks.....
At 10.30 we left....

Got home on saturday and checked my emails.....found out the meet had been moved....was it something i said

Hi Noggin, who was it that said third time lucky you need to tell them they are wrong but you can rest easy in the knowledge that it was nothing personal

The move was totally due to Rams new pricing policy that hammered us all at the last meeting also he was not there and the food was absolute rubbish

At the start of the season the food was excellent and while a bit more expensive than the average, after the HT discount was good value but he now thinks we should be happy to pay even more for very poor quality food, 350 rps for a dried up steak pie with a dollop green stuff and a few chips and 350 rps for a mash potato pie with a smear of Bolognese sauce under it, does not added up to even half of a cottage pie that you can get at TGI Friday shack for only 150 rps

We have had to put up with the music all season and the last couple of meeting the food has not been very good but the price raise was the last straw, Polly and Nigel's bill was nearly 2000 rps and only one of them was drinking, can't remember what our bill was but at the time I thought we could have gone to Soumyen's Kitchen for less

Awwww!!! meagain!!! That is really sad about the Carvery!! Oh well!!! Plenty of other places!!

A good friend of mine bought 4 irish coffee's at the Carvery!! her bill was 1000 rupees she had just come back from foxys where they got 2 fillet steak meals and that only cost 5 or 6 hundred rupees think Ram is having a laugh with name your price colleen

Such a shame, let's hope he comes to his senses before next season. we did enjoy going to the Carvery but people won't be ripped off, too many other places to go.

Think my bill was just short of 1000rps, can't remember how much I drank, came out happy though..

ooops doesnt sound good !! has anyone had a word with him about it meagain ? such a shame as was a good venue to meet and seemed to work for us all for so long... but as you say value for money please... too many choices elsewhere if not .. maybe the short sharp shock of no HT'ers will help
Chilly

Hi Chilly,

The last meet we had at the Carvery, we all moaned about how bad the food was and blamed it on Ram not been there but nobody really realised at the time just how much our bills had gone up until we all meet up at Jambalaya on Sunday and it became the topic of the evening, ending up with a show of hands (and feet from some) on going to Nirvana for the last meet, where I must say the quality of the food was excellent at half Rams prices

Saw Ram in Calangute yesterday, we was in the Chippy having our breakfast about 2 pm...lol, he said he has been very busy doing the place up and tiling more of the floor, Ann asked him is that why he put his prices up yet again but all we got was a load of waffle about how expensive things are now and the new taxes coming, he certainly did not understand that he has already become well over priced

The carvery is a great venue for the meets (with no music), it is big enough to seat us all and they can cope with the numbers also do separate billing but it needs a new menu or at least a weekly special menu also to offer much better value for money

I think we will just have to wait and see what happens, the increased price's caused by inflation this season has been offset by the best exchange rate for a couple of years but the new taxes on food and drinks will push up price's even more in all the restaurants, bars and shacks next season

HI Meagain,
I agree with all your points, such a shame really because as you say The carvery is such a perfect venue when it comes to accommodating us all especially when there are 20/30 people plus at height of the season, and we always get the seating and tables reserved...and as you say seperate billing, (No mean feat!!) i really like Nirvana too, its been a place we have used for many years... but wonder how they would cope with those sort of numbers? and are they any cheaper, if they are half the price that's quite a big difference!!? Ram does give HT 10% discount too

before i had to leave last season due to Mike being ill Ram had started the music and i think we all agree it just doesn't work and i am not really sure why it had to be that night?? (Wed) I think we have brought a lot of business to the carvery (HT) but agree we will have to consider things again next season, but if we move i think we should give Ram the opportunity first of putting things right, or at least talk to him, rather than just going without saying anything? but what do you all think?

We both agree too the menu has got a bit boring too but thought that was just us (mike n I!!), I did suggest pasta and other things a year or two ago but it never happened! is it more extensive at Nirvana i cant remember? (nip down there and take a pic ) well its food for thought fellow meet up friends.. maybe we need a plan of action for next season?? but we dont want to go out of the frying pan into the fire?! as there will probably be no going back!!

Chilly

we went to the meet at nirvana and i have to say I did not like it,it was far too dark,it took forever to get served,by the non appearing waiters,had a game of pool for which there is a charge per game,on a plus side the food when it finaly appeared was ,good and good value.
At the carvery Ram seems to have taken his eye off the ball this season,since his marriage he has been missing often,leaving it to the staff,the food has not been up to scratch and often it was poor value for money,the music was a nuicance making it hard to hold a conversation(i mentioned this but was told Chilly had ok,d it ,easy to say she was not there).I was also there on the night when 4 irish coffees cost 1000 rupees ,and so easy to compare with other places,the blackboard only appeared twice this season and i met a party in Jambalaya who told me they thought they had found the Carvery but looked for the blackboard they had been told was there and not seeing one left,
However Ram over the years has been a welcoming host fitting in with many of our requests,and i think it fair he should be made aware of the missgivings before a decision is reached
From HTers,this season has been the worst attended in the years i have been going,both by new people and even the old stallworts,many who were missing for weeks,some meets in the season only having 9 attending and we are 3 of those,so maybe we should also take a look at whats going wrong there,and make our nights more "happening",with more push to others,also missing are the photo,s on here which used to attract others,think of the birthday nights,and the fancy dress night,these nights need to be a two way street with the carvery and HTers,maybe both parties are somewhat remiss,
as a last if it does come to a parting of the ways ,a new venue should be a halfway point for all on the ABCC strip,,,The quiz nights were well attended every table being full ,with standing some nights,so people will come if there is a reason

Now is the ideal time to sort out a new venue. It did take quite a lot of discussion to sort out the Carvery but I'm sure with heads together another venue could be sorted- and the meets will get back to what they used to be
Photos- I think with new ownership this may well be sorted out soon

Sorry can't agree with you Fiona , finding another venue could be a total nightmare and take a lot more time then you think also it is Chilly who works her butt off running the meets and they are her baby, so it has to be her decision if the meets are moved or not

For the average tourist the cost doesn't really come into it and the existing menu has enough choice to keep most people happy for two or three visits, the problem is in keeping the regulars happy as they are used to getting good value and a descent choice for their money, they are also the ones who try to make a meeting work when Chilly can't be there

The trouble is Ram doesn't listen when you talk to him and it is he who has decided it is music on a Wednesday and the quiz on Friday also when he is not there the food can be total and we think he is charging more for the drinks on a Wednesday to cover the cost paying for the music that we do not want

It is a problem that needs sorting out early next season and nothing can be done until then as Ram was going home this week but I am sure Chilly would be interested in any valid input or comments

The above is only the way I see it and could be a total load of but just thought I should put my interpretation forward

I agree the music took away a bit of the atmosphere from the meet ups. We are happy with the food but then again we only visit 3 times. Didn't really take much notice about what we were charged this season, we are on holiday and don't really care so long as we are enjoying ourselves but appreciate others will think differently. I will be sorry to leave the Carvery especially as for our next visit we have changed our hotel from Calangue to Candolim, one of the reasons being to make it easier to get there over Xmas/New Year. Wherever we end up though I am sure we will be there.

I think its time to try a new place Ram has had a few years of us all going to his gaff I for one am ready for a change ..colleen