IANS
Athens, Apr 28: What does a vegetarian president do when he gets fillet of sole, lamb cooked in wine sauce and sinful chocolate cake at a presidential banquet in his honour?
If it is Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam, he goes for boiled vegetables and nibbles at a khichdi-like concoction or simply savours his favourite uttapam and idlis back in the hotel.
At the presidential mansion here on Thursday, the menu was a mouth-watering fish soup, fillet of sole with rice and shrimp, lamb with asparagus, mushrooms and wine sauce, exotic Mediterranean fruits, rich chocolate cake, ice creams and sorbets.
But the frugal eater and teetotaller that he is, Kalam only nibbled at some vegetarian offerings at the five-course banquet complete with two sets of Greek musicians to entertain the elite guests with local tunes.
Kalam, who is on a four-day visit to Greece, prefers to take along his own chef who can cook him whatever he wants at his hotel suite.
Initially, he was reluctant to take his cook with him - something many Indian prime ministers and presidents have done. But having found it difficult to get food that matches his taste, his chef now accompanies him.