It turns out that our moms, dads, teachers and childhood guardians were right about a lot of things. Sadly, in light of the Covid-19 outbreak, many adults now find they must relearn habits that should have been instilled before kindergarten, like washing hands and covering our mouths when coughing or sneezing.
At the earliest sign of the outbreak, TBD… chef Vikram Garg went back to the basics of nutrition that he learned from his parents, to strengthen the immunity of his loved ones at home. Now he’s bringing the ayurvedic cuisine of his childhood to the to-go menu at TBD… .
“For me, it wasn’t about selling or making money but helping to give people nourishment and boost their immune systems,” Garg said.
As a child, born and raised in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands territory of India, he was unaware that the food he was eating was part of a 5,000-year-old body of knowledge encompassing all aspects of a healthful life, from sleep to exercise, meditation and nutrition. The Sanskrit words “ayur” and “veda” mean “science of life.”
All he knew was that his parents told him to eat lots of turmeric, which turns out to be full of the anti-inflammatory antioxidant curcumin, now being studied as a potential cancer treatment. And he watched his diabetic father combine neem, turmeric, ginger and berry seeds to help control his condition.
“When we went running and came back sore with body aches, we would drink milk with turmeric, black pepper and honey because it helped reduce inflammation,” he said. “When our immune systems were low, we ate fenugreek.”
Over time, scientific studies have proved that much of what started as folk medicine really works as believed.
Raised with the idea that food is medicine, Garg said he was shocked when he arrived in the West and saw people popping vitamins and supplements to compensate for poor diets.
At a time when people need proper nutrition most, he noted grocery shelves emptied of pastas and bottled sauces first.
“I understand people are in survival mode, but what are they getting out of that? Starch. And tomato sauce in a bottle loses its vitamins. You have to have it fresh.”
So now, in addition to Family Meals of steak, Cornish hens or lamb, and a nine-item Comfort Food menu that includes such items as macaroni and cheese ($16), lasagna with meat sauce ($20) and a rich Hamakua mushroom and Parmesan risotto ($18), his Immunity Booster menu features five curries full of anti- inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-viral spices, as well as ingredients such as cloves, said to aid digestion.
The Immunity Boosters are a chicken curry ($22), flavorful Goa-style pork vindaloo ($22), piquant fish curry with coconut milk and tamarind ($22), vegan spinach and chickpea curry with fenugreek ($19), and 48-hour black lentils ($19).
“I’m starting to read more about diabetic foods and studying more to enhance my knowledge. I think it’s great that people are starting to put more focus on their health, because I don’t think this will go away soon.
“When we will get a vaccine is up in the air, but one of the known ways to fight this disease is to keep your immune system strong. Then it’s more difficult for viruses to attack you.”
TBD… is in the Lotus Honolulu Hotel, 2885 Kalakaua Ave. Takeout is available 4:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays to Sundays. Order online at tbdhawaii.com or call 791-5164.
Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.
