Silicon Valley has an unbelievable number of Indians, so no surprises that popular search engine company, Google, focuses on keeping its Indian employees happy and well fed.
We’re all well aware of the scrumptious free food provided to all Google employees. There over 30 different eating joints at Google headquarters to spoil its employees with some awesome grub. But not everyone knows that Google has an Indian cafe that serves authentic Indian food, free of cost!
Google headquarters at Mountain View, California, has an Indian restaurant named Baadal (meaning Cloud in Hindi).
Baadal opened last year after Google received feedback from its employees about wanting an Indian restaurant. Started by Bon Appetit, the management company which operates cafes at Google and other big companies, it’s the first sit-in restaurant at Google. The restaurant is available only for Google employees and to book a table, one has to make a reservation in advance.
The ambiance of Baadal is enough to make you feel super nostalgic, with lanterns hanging from the ceiling and colourful cushions to sit on. An overwhelming collection of Bollywood movie posters, Indian flags, and maps adorn the walls.
The menu is pre-decided for each day, with chicken biryani and masala chai being the most popular items. All the food, from authentic North Indian dishes to finger-licking cuisines from South India and indulgent desserts, is served in thalis, making it an extravagant and very desi affair! One of the interesting specialties of the restaurant is the Baadal rice, a mix of Sona Masoori rice, brown rice, and Bhutanese red rice.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more desi, they even have an onion and garlic, free meal called Brahmin. It was introduced after requests from many Indian employees who prefer Sattvik food!
You have to give it to Google for this initiative which is immensely popular among the Indians working there. Though the restaurant is open only for Google employees, they can always invite their friends and family to dine there.
Baadal also offers some of the dishes from its menu in the food truck parked outside, called ‘Bijli’!
The combination of Baadal and Bijli is clearly rocking Silicon Valley!
