Ishaara Like a Pro!

Ishaara Restaurant

Yesterday, we went to a unique restaurant by name Ishaara in Phoenix Marketcity, Bangalore. In order to understand what is exclusive about the restaurant you need to know the meaning of its name. Ishaara, a name steeped in Hindi heritage, means "signaling", "signs", and "symbols". Ishaara can also mean "hint", "clue", or "gesture" in Sanskrit.

The Ishaara Menu

From the outside, Ishaara appeared to be a fine-dining restaurant with elegant and alluring decor. When we sat down, we were presented with menu sheets of 11" x 17" size. At first glance it was a typical à la carte menu with separate prices for each item; an extensive list comprising dishes from across several regions of India.

Ishaara Menu

Initially I was concentrating on the different categories of food, several items under each category, their descriptions, and prices - in order to get a general idea about the value and quality of the offerings. Normally I leave the choice of what to order to Vasantha or other experts as I am fond of eating any type of food and don't have any particular preferences. So, setting aside the list of dishes, I delved into the enticing messages printed at the top of the menu.

First, I noticed the paragraph saying:  

"Ishaara was born out of a deep desire to build an organization with a higher purpose. The ladies and gentlemen of our team talk with their hands and listen with their eyes." 

I dismissed it as just marketing hype - a copywriter's penchant for flowery words and phrases, a strategy for publicity especially associated with social media today. 

How to Ishaara

The heading of the next paragraph in bold letters caught my attention: "How to Ishaara like a pro". With the mix of English and Hindi, it was a bit of a language puzzle, so I had to take a second look to decipher the meaning. The text below the heading explained the instruction in detail:

"To order any dish, Ishaara the sign at the top of the section followed by the corresponding number sign. If in doubt just point at the dish."

In the meantime, I noticed that Madhur, after consultation of the menu and elaborate discussions with others had zeroed down on what items to order. She caught the attention of a waiting staff, who came and politely stood near her with a pencil poised on a piece of paper to take down the order. 

Madhur started speaking to the waiter, who immediately responded with a finger across his lips and pointing to the menu sheet. A moment later, the truth hit us – the waiter couldn't speak or hear at all; he was speech and hearing impaired! 

Sign Language

Ishaara Signs

Then, I remembered that every dish on the menu is marked with a hand sign illustration (see the photo). Now, together with the instructions on "How to Ishaara like a pro" it was a big revelation to us that we are supposed to 'signal' the disabled dapper waiter our intention of what we want, by using the hand signs displayed against each item!

Madhur, finding it rather difficult to articulate with the newly learned hand symbols (like 'kathakali' or 'bharatnatyam' mudras), adopted the easy option - "just point at the dish" in the menu, adhering to the second part of the instruction.

During this novel and amusing ordering process, all of us slowly realized with pleasant surprise what was the unique aspect of this Ishaara restaurant. When we looked around, we became aware that it was not only our waiter but other waiters too were taking orders from customers without speaking or hearing. In fact, the waiting staff standing around the hall were engaged in seamless communication with each other using hand gestures!

Shastrinagar Memories 

Reminiscing Shastrinagar Days

Profuse thanks to Rathna and Ramaiah, who insisted on being the hosts for the luscious and yummy food. Later, Sharma topped it off with a cup of cappuccino for everyone. Madhur revealed that the credit in choosing Ishaara goes to her wonderful daughter-in-law, Sonal, even though she hadn't visited the restaurant yet! Yesterday's lunch isn't just about food, it's a trip down memory lane! We're reminiscing about our lives in the ISRO Quarters in Shastrinagar, Ahmedabad, 40 years ago. Back then, our kids (now in their forties) were running around, filling the air with their laughter as they played together; and so were we in the prime of our youth!

Alvida Ishaara

Finally, as we were leaving the restaurant, a waiter with a warm smile caught my eye. Remembering the unique menu, I managed to communicate my desire for another copy, with a few hand gestures. To my delight, the waiter understood perfectly and happily provided me with a menu to take home as a souvenir. Kudos to Ishaara's management! Their unique concept empowers differently-abled individuals, fostering self-reliance.

In conclusion, we left the restaurant feeling perfectly content, not just with a delicious meal but also with a sense of nourishing our souls.