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THURSDAY 14 DECEMBER 2017CAMPUS 3ENTERTAINMENT 11First harvest atKitchen Gardenof MESDo America’s most famedrestaurants live up to thehype in their homeland?Read inside to find outP 4-5FROMWORSTTO BESTSonam Kapoorwas amused overnepotism debate

THURSDAY 14 DECEMBER 2017CAMPUS / COMMUNITY03Mitsubishi Elevators & Escalators launches ‘Safe Rider’ awareness at VISMitsubishi Elevators & Escalators recently carried outa ‘Safe Rider’ awarenessprogram at the Vision InternationalSchool (VIS) for primary school students with an aim to help childrenunderstand basic safety rules whileusing elevators and escalators.The current lifestyle in Qatarallows more people than ever theopportunity to use elevators andescalators in places like office buildings, schools, hospitals, airports andshopping malls. Moreover, peopleare moving from independenthouses to apartments in Doha.Therefore, children have moreopportunities to use elevators andescalators. Hence children are especially at risk of accidents becausethey have less experience andunderstanding when makingdecisions. With the growing usageof elevators in schools and otherpublic places, Eta-Melco, the localrepresentatives of MitsubishiElevators felt the need to createawareness especially amongstyoung children to eliminate preventable accidents and injuriescaused by misuse.The awareness program waswell received by the students andincluded series of video presentations apart from interactive sessionsby Eta-Melco staff. Also, illustrativehandouts were given to the childrento remember and share the safetyawareness with their parents andguardians.Following an immense successand great feedbacks from the schoolmanagement and principal, Jake Leybaof Vision International School. Mitsubishi Elevator, Eta-Melco have decidedto continue the ‘Safe Rider’ in otherschools as well as part of their corporate social responsibility.First harvest at Kitchen Garden of MESThe Kitchen Garden of MES Indian School yielded its first fruits,much to the delight of staff and students who embarked on thisunique venture in October. Came as a part of clean air drive, theKitchen Garden was a joint endeavour of MES with ‘Nammude Adukkalathottam,’ a Doha-based Indian expatriates-run farming unit, affiliatedto the Indian Cultural Centre. The school initiated this special programmewith an objective of instilling eco-consciousness among its students, andstay connected to mother earth. The proceeds of the harvest will bedonated to charity for noble causes. ‘It is heartening to see the produceof the kitchen garden speaks volumes about students’ level of interestin sustainable development and preservation of green and clean environment’, complimented the principal officiating, Hameeda Kadar.Kavitha Rajan, Sreekala, Jency George and Nilu Sudheesh were theteachers in charge of Kitchen Garden in their respective sections of theschool.Qatar Indian Thowheed Centreconducts blood donation campaignAs a part of ongoing celebration for December 18 QatarNational day , Tamil-Muslim Expatriate Organisation , QatarIndian Thowheed Centre in association with Hamad Medical Corporation Blood Bank unit organised a mega blood donationcampaign on December 8, 2017.More than 100 volunteers donated the blood.This was one of the mega events and the effort of our officebearer and members was highly appreciated.

04COVER STORYTHURSDAY 14 DECEMBER 2017Ranking America’s top10 chain restaurantsThe Washington PostPeople love to pick onchain restaurants. Likeused car salesmen, themass feeders are easytargets.But not all chains are createdequal. That’s why I spent severalmonths grazing through the menusof the 10 casual, full-service restaurant chains that have the highestsales, according to Nation’s Restaurant Here’s how I ranked the chains,in order from least favorite to most,along with letter grades.10. Buffalo Wild Wings Grill &ClubGrade: FThe saddest meals of my entireyear? Nothing can touch lunch anddinner at the sports bar that can’teven get its signature dish right. I’mnot sure which is more of a travesty,the scrawny wings (pick your poison: traditional or boneless) or thewoody carrot sticks that accompanythem. Sauces vary from fair (Caribbean jerk) to grim (Parmesan-garlic),and I can’t help but think of themasmasksratherthanenhancements.Cuisine: Wings and beverages.Claim to fame: Sauces and seasonings offering endlesscustomisation.Slogan: “Wings. Beverages.Sports.”Steer clear of: Everything but thedrinks.9. IHOPGrade: DProbably the best that can besaid about the food in one of themost generic backdrops around isthat the pancakes are fluffy (if a dashsalty); the vegetable omelet is asgreen with fresh spinach as it is yellow from eggs; and marbled ryebread can turn even an unfortunatebeef patty and barely melted cheeseinto a fair-enough sandwich.Cuisine: American.Claim to fame: Open 24/7.Slogan: “Eat up every moment.”Best of the bunch: Patty melt,spinach-mushroom omelet (holdthe flat hollandaise).Steer clear of: Burgers, fried fishtacos, country-fried steak8. Outback SteakhouseGrade: DLet me just get it out of the way:The piece de resistance here is oneof the most vulgar creations anychain has ever whipped up. TheBloomin’ Onion packs in more fat,more salt, more guilt than just aboutany single signature I can think of.Cuisine: Steak, and a pretendnotion of what’s cooking DownUnder.Claim to fame: The 1,950-calorie, enough-for-six Bloomin’ Onion.Slogan: “Done Right.”Best of the bunch: Garlickymashed potatoes, Parmesan-herbed chicken, spiced carrot cake.Steer clear of: Crab cakes, fishtacos in leathery tortillas, not-sohot and batter-heavy “volcano”shrimp.7. Red LobsterGrade: C-minusRed lobster makes for blue diners, at least here, where theheadliner can be found scatteredon a thin but doughy pizza with abinder of mozzarella, and steamedand split to reveal seafood thattastes like . . . not much withoutmelted butter, lots of it. Cuisine:Seafood.Claim to fame: Biscuits so popular their mix is for sale insupermarkets.Slogan: “Now this is seafood.”Best of the bunch: Cheese biscuits, Yucatan shrimp, coconutshrimp, crab legs.Steer clear of: Doughy lobsterpizza, fried clams, maple-glazedchicken that tastes like an airlineissue, steamed lobster, achinglysweet and dense Key lime pie.6. Chili’s Grill & BarGrade: C-minusIf all you were to eat were theribs that spawned one of the mostpopular restaurant jingles of all time(don’t start singing it!), you wouldwonder what all the fuss is about.No amount of barbecue sauce hidesthe fact that the flesh is dry.Cuisine: American with a Southwest touch.

THURSDAY 14 DECEMBER 2017Southwestern egg rolls, miniburgers, panko onion rings,rib-eye.Steer clear of: Caribbean salad,Cajun pasta, salted caramel cake.5. Applebee’s NeighbourhoodGrill & ClubGrade: CEat out in enough full-servicechains, and the similarities becomeclear: None of them can cook broccoli right. Salmon is almost alwaysoverdone. Napkins are doled out likeclub passes on the Strip in Vegas.Bigger is often perceived as betterCuisine: American.Claim to fame: Beverages.Slogan: “Eatin’ good in theneighbourhood.”Best of the bunch: Srirachashrimp, crunchy-spicy chickenwings, steak quesadillas, skin-onmashed potatoes, grilled chickenwith quinoa and cranberries.COVER STORYSteer clear of: Ribs, salmon,apple chimicheesecake (caramelapples and cheesecake wrapped ina tortilla and fried).4. Olive GardenGrade: C Unlike some of its competition, Olive Garden smells as ifactual cooking is going on: Thescents of Parmesan and garlic hangin the air when I walk in. Of all thechain restaurants I surveyed, thisone aspires to a modicum of sophistication; servers are more thanhappy to proffer tastes of wines.Brick arches and sepia photographs play up an Italian theme, butthe popular breadsticks - pillowywands seasoned with garlic salt,brushed with margarine and palatable only when warm - are whollyAmerican, as is the kitchen’s tendency to overcook its pastas.Cuisine: Italian.Claim to fame: Unlimited bread-sticks and bottomless salad bowls.Slogan: “We’re all family here.”Best of the bunch: Minestrone,spaghetti with meatballs, tiramisu.Steer clear of: Tour of Italy (not!).3. Texas RoadhouseGrade: BTalk about a howdy! Countrymusic welcomes customers evenfrom the outside. En route to a table,diners pass a scarlet display of rawmeat that primes carnivores forlunch or dinner. Buckets of in-theirshell peanuts help stave off hungerwhile you peruse the menu.Cuisine: Steaks with a Westerntheme.Claim to fame: Steaks cut byhand and fresh-baked bread.Slogan: “Legendary food, legendary service.”Best of the bunch: Most anythingstarring beef, mashed potatoes, Cactus Blossom.Steer clear of: Catfish (stiff).2. Denny’sGrade: BThe cheeseburger? It’s a whopper. Bite down on the construction,built with a bun that’s freckled withsesame seeds, and the crusty pattymight squirt juices - you know, likea decent hamburger might. The piping-hot fries are memorable morefor their churro-like ridges than anyNo other chainrestaurant in my monthslong survey comes asclose to home cooking asthis operation (CrackerBarrel Old CountryStore).potato flavour, but that means youmight have room for the brownielike chocolate lava cake, a knockoffof the molten chocolate cake madefamous decades ago by the esteemedJean-Georges Vongerichten in NewYork.Cuisine: American.Claim to fame: The Grand Slam,starring pancakes, eggs, and sausagelinks.Slogan: “America’s diner isalways open.”Best of the bunch: Pancakes,hash browns, spaghetti and meat-05balls, warm chocolate lava cake.Steer clear of: Seasonal specialssuch as pancakes smothered in whattastes like white chocolate withorange zest.1.Cracker Barrel Old Country StoreGrade: AEspecially after eating a lot offood that tasted as if it came from afactory rather than a kitchen, it wasclear: No other chain restaurant inmy months-long survey comes asclose to home cooking as this operation. If the chicken dumplings area little doughy and the corn breadmuffins prove a tad salty, just abouteverything else that crossed my lipsin this barn-size dining roomdressed with lanterns and licenseplates is something I’d be happy totry again.Cuisine: Southern-focused comfort food.Claim to fame: Shopping anddining under one roof, and firingBrad’s wife that time.Slogan: “Pleasing People” readsthe company’s mission statement.Best of the bunch: Meatloaf, ,trout, macaroni and cheese, pecanpie.Steer clear of: Pasty chicken anddumplings.