Ramit Sethi planned a surprise dinner for his mother and aunt featuring a chef who created dishes tied to their hometown in Rajasthan. A golf cart brought them to a candlelit amphitheater with live musicians and a tandoor station, where each course told a story about the city they grew up in.
I sat down with the chef and I told them, can we do a special dinner? And he said, of course. People who work in hospitality love to say yes. They want to delight you. So he was thrilled. I told him, this is where my mom and aunt grew up. This is where they later moved. I want to make sure we have dishes that represent their life journey. He started building a menu around it. I didn't tell anyone what was happening. I just made sure that we had one night open. On the schedule. When that night came, a golf cart pulled up to our rooms and it drove us through the property. So where are we going? And we turn a corner and suddenly you see this ancient-looking amphitheater with hundreds of candles lit, Rajasthani musicians playing music, the chef over there cooking on the tandoor. And I remember looking at them and seeing their reaction and All of them were in disbelief. We then sat down and the chef came over and explained the menu, dishes inspired by the city they grew up in. And I remember my aunt saying, "Why did you do this for me?" And I just love that memory.
