“How does this really work?" a young couple standing at the door ask.  It’s 5:30 and there are only two other guests in the restaurant.  “Do people actually contribute enough?” “ Are all of you volunteers?” As Maitre D for the evening I answer them as best I can, while Roshni and the other servers behind the counter watch expectantly, silently willing these two curious passer-bys to come in. “How long are you open until?”  “5:00 to 10:00,” I say. “Thanks so much. This is so great! We’re not ready for dinner quite yet, but we’ll be back.” They walk away smiling.

I walk over to the Karma Kitchen servers. “ They’re coming back”. Divya, a first-time volunteer who by the end of the evening will have been on her feet serving tables almost five hours straight smiles, “ Not to be pessimistic but – I don’t think they will.” “ Hey—lets bet on it,” grins Sonesh.

Even without tables to serve the volunteers manage to keep things lively. They’ve already tagged a stranger on the street and are looking for more random opportunities to be generous.

The man parked right outside the restaurant seems restless. He gets in and out of his car several times.  Walks up and surveys the menu in the window of the restaurant. Returns to his car. Sits there talking on the phone for a while, And then gets out again and disappears. Which is when the Karma Kitcheners spring into action. A small impromptu bouquet of roses is slipped under his windshield wiper, along with an envelope. “Parking Violation” it says in stern capital letters.  Inside is a smile card.  When the man returns he is puzzled and delighted in equal parts.  He doesn’t come in that night. But wherever he goes – he sure has a story to tell over dinner. :-)

This week the volunteers have each written a poem or quote into a handmade card – a more personalized version of the wisdom scrolls.  “ Ask not what the world needs. Ask only what makes you come alive. For what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Natalie and Rachna who are sitting next to each other for orientation discover that they both chose the same quotation. Roshni’s quote, “ If you have come here to help me, then you are wasting your time…But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together”  we find out is the catchphrase of the Pachamama Alliance where Natalie works. Liz shares an Irish blessing… all these cards will disappear in different ways over the evening. This is such a night for giving things away …

A colossal vegan chocolate cookie is handed over along with the check to a vegan guest. A handful of inspiring DVDs find their way into the hands of strangers-turned-friends. Thanks to Roshni a huge bunch of flowers sits on the counter in a vase that will be empty by the time the night is over.  Sonesh is serving a table of art students, they are a friendly bunch. They’ve dived into the little basket at the center of their table for the colored papers and pens. “ I just gave them a little lecture on the meaning of ‘Namaste’,” he says.  So then we give them an empty handmade card to do as they please with. At the end of their meal they turn in a whimsically brilliant sketch. Four fun figures inked into the four corners sipping from a tall cup in the centre of the card that says simply: Namaste. They are tagged of course with copies of works & conversations, and (thanks to Trushna) a sky blue wooden carving. It’s just one word: Dream.

We have with us a fragrant bundle of four mangoes, wrapped in tissue paper, with a cheerful flower tucked into the ribbon around it. Who will it go to? The first table of four to come in? What if they don’t like mangoes? Give it to the table that orders the most mango lassis someone suggests laughing. Finally, Neerav tags a stunned table of four young people with it. One of them has been there before – the other three are new. All of them are blown away. Neerav delivers a little speech on the value of Indian mangos. A speech that involves the story of how Harley Davidsons were traded in for the golden fruit.  “ Do we owe you a Harley now?” asks the table laughing.

A woman walks in and asks to be seated alone, but changes her mind last minute and joins an exuberant party of seven. Another party of eight is already seated in another corner of the room.  Somehow empty seats have all slowly filled up. The place sparkles with people. Old friends mingling with the new.  Such a wide-range of visitors. The piano teacher, whose been teaching for more than 25 years, who says, it isn’t talent she looks for in her students – but the sheer love of music. The ethnic studies professor on summer break, who loves the food here and is curious about the Daily Good stories under the glass.  The guy whose dad hasn’t been here but who read about it and told him to check it out – it seemed like something he’d be interested in. The psychiatrist who heard about it place from strangers he met during “Spanish Happy Hour” somewhere in SF, who shows up on a whim and is deeply touched by the spirit he encounters …

In the kitchen, Viral has once again taken on the dishes. Assisted by Natalie, Pooja and newcomer Rachna handle the plating, drinks and desserts with ease. Liz’s beautiful berry tarts and Pooja’s kheer and as always Lalitha’s brilliant salad are runaway hits with the guests. Behind the curtain that separates the kitchen from the front room, Vishnu-ji and Kamal-ji work side by side with the volunteers, their enthusiasm and tireless energy as ever adds an extra joyousness to the experience. Nilofer, a friend visiting from Mumbai captures moments from the evening behind the scenes and up front with her camera.

It’s almost 10:00. The restaurant is still crowded with people. A young couple takes their seat in the corner. It is the two passer-bys from the beginning of the evening. They came back :-) I stop at their table for a few moments. The first thing the man says when he looks up is, “This place has such a purity to it. You can feel it when you come in.” The two are amazed by what they are experiencing. They try and articulate in words what sets it apart.

The evening comes to a smooth close.  Opening envelopes that evening, colored notes fall out ..  “We have the ability to accept and give kindness freely! How amazing!” says one. “Let us be generous with our hearts” says another. “The service tonight is so very joyful and the spirit of the guests is high and bubbly!” says a third …

And in one envelope there is only a torn card strip, with a glossy palm tree on one side, and on the other, merely this scrawled message.

The universe is seeded
The rains will fall…

“Wow,” says Viral, “someone left a blessing.”

the universe is seeded ... it's so true. Every evening at Karma Kitchen is a reminder of those scattered seeds of goodness and the quiet power and special promise they hold.

At Karma Kitchen, it's never really Business As Usual :-)