Tears of joy filled Shilpa Shetty's eyes when she saw the waiter, who used to serve her often at Wasabi, the Japanese restaurant at the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel here, on her first visit after the terror strikes.

"I had tears of joy when I met Ronald, the Mangalorean waiter who's always served me, spoken to me in Tulu, my mother tongue, and always made me feel at home. I had a sigh of relief when I saw him," Shilpa posted on her blog.

Shilpa says she was supposed to be at the hotel on Nov 26, when terrorists attacked the hotel. And entering the hotel after nearly two months brought back many feelings, "some not so good" for Shilpa.

"The hotel still looked a beauty, the only major change being the security that had been beefed up. Entering the hotel lobby brought back a whole lot of mixed feelings - nostalgic, some happy, some not... But by the end of dinner, it was all worth it. Nothing's changed, the menu, the quality, the service and above all the spirit and positivity.

"It was heart-warming to see the beaming faces of the hotel staff and the warmth they extended. This was my first step towards getting over the deep pain and fear that 26/11 left on me," she wrote.

Though Shilpa was happy to see the usual hustle-bustle at the hotel, she says it will never be the same again.

"I will always be haunted by a lot of memories, but the irony is that some things will always be the same - Wasabi, my favourite restaurant and Mumbai, my favourite city."

The dinner was a surprise planned for the actress by her friends and businessman beau Raj Kundra.

"If it didn't come as a surprise visit, maybe it would've taken me longer to make my first visit," said Shilpa.