Simply Spice!

   By Kriti Gupta and Mohd. Reyaz

                                        

Al Bake is an eating joint in New Friends Colony Market (NFC) that has become an institution in the city of Delhi. Its main serving is minced chicken rolled in bread called shawarmas. While, traditionally a Lebanese concept, the shawarmas at NFC have been Indianised and are a rage in the capital.
                                         
Ten years ago, Ishrat Beg came to India with her husband from the Gulf. While she was excited about leaving Saudi Arabia, she realized that the one thing she would miss was the shawarmas. They had become a part of her daily diet. Not willing to give up her addiction, she decided to start a small food place where they would sell shawarmas rolls.
                                           
On the first day they sold two rolls. Now, they have a daily footfall of over 200 people. The family has opened two more joints in the same market. From husband, wife and the two sons working to make ends meet; Today, they hire 30 employees and offer a variety of cuisines – Chinese, Mughlai and so on.

                                           

Their main connoisseurs are young people. Students at Al-Bake came from far and wide. A group of three young people came especially from Faridabad just to enjoy the rolls. Hogging on the food, they said, “We could spend all day here. We really like the food.”

                                        

                                               

                                  
Mrs. Beg says that the student population keeps the joint running, “Our main focus therefore, is good food, low prices and basic hygiene.” The food is good indeed as can be seen by the number of people present at any given time.
                                              
The prices attract the youth. But hygiene is a different matter altogether. The kitchens are cleaned daily. The establishment tries as much as possible to improve the conditions under which food is prepared.

                                     
But the preparation process itself seems to be dirty. Dry, cut meat lying around on floors, cockroaches and so on are easily visible. Young people say that since ‘the food is cooked and so completely delicious’, they don’t mind. They swish away flies with the dismissive wave of a hand.

Irrespective, people seem to come in large numbers to enjoy the delectable taste of the shawarma rolls. And Mrs. Beg can boast of starting with nothing and becoming a successful thriving entrepreneur!