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Launch HN: The Buttermilk Company (YC S18) – Homemade Indian Food in 5 Minutes

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321–330 of 454 posts

Re: Launch HN: The Buttermilk Company (YC S18) – Homemade Indian Food in 5 Minutes

#321

I created an account just to chime in. This is an awesome idea. I've tried the subscription based models and hated how easy it was to lapse into another shipment that I didn't want. Also the other players seem to make the the recipes intentionally hard and you have to babysit the hell out of the recipes while cooking. That's no fun. For me, I want to impress the ladies without having to work so damn hard. Keep up the…

Thank you! I had the same experience with subscription models which is why we've made Buttermilk different. Hope you enjoy!

Re: Launch HN: The Buttermilk Company (YC S18) – Homemade Indian Food in 5 Minutes

#322

Where is the nutritional info? It looks delicious but I need to know if it fits my macros.

You can see it on each product page on the last picture (ex: https://thebuttermilkco.com/collections/singles/products/khi...)

Re: Launch HN: The Buttermilk Company (YC S18) – Homemade Indian Food in 5 Minutes

#323
post #200

You will have a hard time balancing the spice levels. You can't satisfy both Indian and non-Indian demographic or you will have to have a spicy, less spicy type of each item. As an Indian, I cant stand the westernized non spicy versions of the supposedly authentic Indian foods. So I wouldn't buy them nor eat in those type of Indian restaurants. Its the same case vice versa. Non Indians may not like the spicy versions…

Just make the mix non-spicy and let the customer add chili oil or whatever to taste.

Re: Launch HN: The Buttermilk Company (YC S18) – Homemade Indian Food in 5 Minutes

#325
post #248

IDK if you guys have a food stylist on staff, but your pictures could use improvements. I get that you're coming from tech, where sleek and minimalist is what people go for in design, but that's not how food photography works. You dishes typically have 1 direct overhead picture of a bowl of the food. you then have several styled pictures of the "combos" or of the food in a sealed package. People eat with their eyes f…

Appreciate the feedback! It's on our to-do list :)

Re: Launch HN: The Buttermilk Company (YC S18) – Homemade Indian Food in 5 Minutes

#326

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seriously, I've been to an Indian restraunt where I've ordered something spicy, and the server asks "are you sure". After responding yes, he asked "are you really sure". This whole thing goes on a third time before he finally goes back into the kitchen. About five minutes later his manager comes out "so I heard you ordered it spicy, now I'm not sure you know what that means". I went to school in New Mexico, we used t…

Did you pause to think about why you were asked that series of questions so often? Your experience suggests that the case of a guest overestimating their own tolerance is vastly more common than the case of the restaurant underestimating the tolerance of a guest. Edit: my mother, for example, is constantly enamored of the idea of spicy food, orders it "medium" or even "spicy," and then struggles to eat it.

Why do you think the people who would not want to eat spicy food would order Indian food advertised as spicy and authentic when they have lots of other options already? Whereas people who want spicy food are underserved by current options, so selling to them seems like a smart move.

Re: Launch HN: The Buttermilk Company (YC S18) – Homemade Indian Food in 5 Minutes

#327
post #309

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think this may be a thing with Thai restaurants in general; it's not just spiciness but also level of fish sauce and even the way the dish is prepared. There's a thing in Chicago about "secret menu" Thai restaurants, which are often written in Thai language (food nerds in Chicago have translated and published them). It might be possible to order things "Thai style" in any good Thai restaurant and get a different, b…

Anecdote: Had a (caucasian) friend who spent a four-month co-op term as a student in India, and when they came back they also had to insist to the local Indian restaurants "yes, I want it extra spicy, like you would serve to an Indian person". (Like, I realize this is frustrating, but how is the waiter going to know -- from your appearance -- that you spent four months eating Indian food in India?)

Several of my colleagues find buffalo wing sauce to be unbearably spicy...

Most white people in the US aren’t as adventurous as those on HN.

Re: Launch HN: The Buttermilk Company (YC S18) – Homemade Indian Food in 5 Minutes

#328
post #200

You will have a hard time balancing the spice levels. You can't satisfy both Indian and non-Indian demographic or you will have to have a spicy, less spicy type of each item. As an Indian, I cant stand the westernized non spicy versions of the supposedly authentic Indian foods. So I wouldn't buy them nor eat in those type of Indian restaurants. Its the same case vice versa. Non Indians may not like the spicy versions…

Ordered takeout from a little Indian place in one of the more heavily Indian populated sides of Houston. They asked me what spice level I wanted, I said medium. They then asked, "Indian medium or American medium"?

Re: Launch HN: The Buttermilk Company (YC S18) – Homemade Indian Food in 5 Minutes

#329
post #200

You will have a hard time balancing the spice levels. You can't satisfy both Indian and non-Indian demographic or you will have to have a spicy, less spicy type of each item. As an Indian, I cant stand the westernized non spicy versions of the supposedly authentic Indian foods. So I wouldn't buy them nor eat in those type of Indian restaurants. Its the same case vice versa. Non Indians may not like the spicy versions…

My guess is that they are not trying target typical westerners. There already is a lot of westernized pre-made Indian food you can buy at the supermarket.

As a typical white guy who doesn't handle spice well (two different attributes - put away your pitchforks lol), I'm disappointed by my options at the supermarket. A lot of it is either flavorless tomato sauce or super-spicy, without the rich curry flavor I'd like. I prefer good Indian takeout, and if I had a way of dialing back the spice level maybe 25%, it would be perfect.

Re: Launch HN: The Buttermilk Company (YC S18) – Homemade Indian Food in 5 Minutes

#330

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seriously, I've been to an Indian restraunt where I've ordered something spicy, and the server asks "are you sure". After responding yes, he asked "are you really sure". This whole thing goes on a third time before he finally goes back into the kitchen. About five minutes later his manager comes out "so I heard you ordered it spicy, now I'm not sure you know what that means". I went to school in New Mexico, we used t…

Had the exact same thing happen a few months ago at an Indian restaurant. The server just flat out refused to let me order bullet naan. I had to insist 3 times before he gave in. Unless you're stuffing those things with Carolina Reapers, I can handle it (even if you are, I still probably want to try it :) Another time I grabbed a bottle of the house hot sauce at a Jamaican restaurant, and the older lady behind the co…

People only know what they have experienced. You have to just forgive.
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