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'Indian food is a burst of flavours'

Expat zone
Last Updated 11 October 2015, 18:39 IST

For Nicolas Grossemy who hails from Arras in northern France, getting used to life in Bengaluru was a cakewalk. He attributes this to the similarity of life here in the City and that in Arras.

      Nicolas, who is the co-founder of the French food truck ‘Le Casse - Croute’, says that the City welcomed him with open arms when he came here two years back  and his stay here has been an interesting one.  “I chose to be a part of Bengaluru,” he says although he admits that he misses his parents and rest of the family.

     He did his Master’s degree in international management and entrepreneurship from Marseille, which is in the south of France.


    “I worked in a restaurant there too. I’m an easy-going person and like meeting new people. I also make friends easily. So, I didn’t find it hard settling in there or anywhere else,” he says.

    Describing his hometown,  he says, “Arras is a charming and a good city to live in. People are very open-minded there. I really enjoyed my time back home,”.

“When I was living in the southern part of France, people there were able to easily see that I did not belong to   that region. The culture is very different there. The way they interact is different. Unlike places like Paris in Arras, the people you meet will be like family to you,” he explains.

“Even if you belong to the southern part of France, once you stay in the northern part, you would not want to go back,” he says with pride. He adds that he owes his ‘easily trusting’ character to his hometown.

Arras, he says, is known for Beffroi, a historical monument. “It is one of the preferred tourist destinations in the country,” he adds.

Having done internship in London and Spain, he says life in India is vastly different from there.

 “There is no cultural gap between the countries in Europe. Most things are similar, like the food,” he says.

Talking more about his love for Bengaluru, he says, “People speak English well here which helps me interact with anyone,” he says. Which is why he does not shy away from exploring Bengaluru.

“People here are also interested in visitors from outside and are always ready to help,” he adds.

Dishing out French cuisine in the City, Nicolas says that “Indian food is a burst of flavours”.

“French food is different. I like Indian food and love my 'dosa' in the morning. I'm not particular about having a certain type of cheese or croissant. I don't stick to French food,” he says.

Nicolas  says that it is good that there are continental food options available in the City.  “The food available at Cafe Noir is great and authentic. Even their desserts are good. But even though I am an expatriate, I cannot afford it often. This gap is what we aim to bridge with our food truck,” he proudly adds.

Talking about the amount of festivals here, he points out that in France, “there are  few holidays and festivals which are celebrated by all.”

“People from different places live here and there is a celebration almost every day. In India there are often so many long weekends too,”  he adds as a parting shot.

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(Published 11 October 2015, 14:32 IST)

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