I First Tasted Of The Rice: Sizzler

Disclaimer: In light of everything going on, I hope that this piece brings comfort and an escape, knowing that community holds people together. And amid the chaos, there can still be moments of great treasure.

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When my roommate Victoria Lucido first recommended the restaurant Sizzler, I initially thought she was talking about the buffet restaurant Sizzler (which is a chain back in my hometown). And it is not the most exciting chain either, I might add. So, I will be honest, I was not down to try a place that was basically another equivalent of your average cafeteria. But the more she talked about it, the more I realized that the Sizzler in Jackson, Tenn., was actually unique in that it served Indian cuisine and was not just an everyday buffet.

My mom would occasionally make my family Thai curry chicken bowls when I was growing up, but Indian food has been uncharted territory for me. So when I was assigned a piece on a “dope” restaurant, I knew Sizzler was the place to try, especially with my roommates who constantly raved about it.

Friday night, my roommates and I had our last meal together at this restaurant before we parted ways for the next month. With that thought in the back of our heads, it was a little surreal to see how quickly our lives could be uprooted, but being in the presence of my roommates was a reminder that living in the moment can bring so much joy. 

We drove in separate cars to the restaurant because of work schedules. I was in one car with my roommate Erin Crew and her boyfriend while Victoria Lucido was in the other with her boyfriend. 

The phrase “boys will be boys” never reigned more true as the smell of sweaty gym clothes wafted through the back seat of the car while we raced around the left turn to see who would get to the restaurant first. 

As the car bounced into the parking lot, I could see the bright red “Sizzler” sign peering through the backseat window.

“The sign looks like they pulled it off the second page of Google Images,” said Cooper Thompson, Crew’s boyfriend, with a laugh. 

Ironically, I felt relieved hearing that. I knew the food was about to be just as amazing as my roommates had raved about. The best places always tend to be the ones with the least appeal from the outside.

Walking inside, we were greeted with the glow of yellow painted walls, a table set for five with kid-friendly coloring mats and to my surprise, silence.

There was no bustle of the kitchen, no hum of the air conditioning, not even the sound of music coming from the two massive TVs hanging from the corners of the restaurant. Nothing.

“Is it always this quiet?” I apprehensively whispered to Lucido after we had been seated. 

She nodded with a slight grin of discomfort mixed with an assurance that this restaurant was about to surprise me.

Looking around, there were only five other parties spaced out among us, none of them saying a word. We were all whispering to try not to stand out, but it felt like we were the loudest ones in the building. We could not help but mention it to one another every other minute as we were glancing about the menu.

After finally deciding to order the Chicken Biryani, I looked up to see everyone at the table captivated by the two massive screens on our right and left. I had noticed them as we walked in but was trying not to pay particular attention until then. 

“I can’t stop watching,” said Josh Bozoian, Lucido’s boyfriend. “It is actually really impressive.”

The screens were filled with exotic Indian music videos, flashing with colors and dance moves that made it impossible to look away after making eye contact.

It really was impressive, and it was the loudest scene in the restaurant.

Our eyes did not give way until our food finally arrived. Each entrée was piled into individual silver bowls, popping with their vibrant colors. 

After praying over the meal and then taking my first bite, I understood why the restaurant had been so quiet. The food did all the speaking.

My mouth was filled with spices galore that I had never experienced before. I can not even begin to express the abundant amount of flavor that was packed into each bite. The intensity of the seasonings took on the form of a runny nose and watery eyes. I had to reach for my napkin every couple of minutes just to keep up, but it was amazing.

And sitting there, I felt so content. In the midst of all the chaos, fear and change that the world is experiencing, I had a moment of joy and adventure with my roommates one last time before they left campus, and I know there will be more to come.

Photo by Sizzler