Calcutta Victoria Chat House

You can find us over at number 18 on Parekh Street. Calcutta Victoria Chat House is a small spot in Jeevan Bhima Nagar that we’ve been running for a while now. It’s mostly just a counter and some space for people to stand. We start prepping the ingredients in the afternoon. There are always heaps of onions to chop and potatoes to mash. It makes the air smell quite strong. By the time evening rolls around, the street gets busy with people coming back from their jobs. They stop by for a quick snack. We try to work fast because a line usually forms pretty quickly. The counter gets a bit messy when we are in a rush but we wipe it down when we get a break. We don't have a big menu. We just do what we know. The street lights on Parekh Street are a bit dim, but our shop light is bright enough. We see a lot of the same neighbors every day. Some of them have been coming here since they were very young. It’s a loud place with everyone talking and the sound of the traffic nearby. We don’t have fancy seating or music playing. It’s just a practical shop for people who like chat. We keep working until the ingredients are all gone for the night. Then we close up the shutters and head home ourselves.