Sanju Himachal Dhaba

Sanju Himachal Dhaba is a small place located in Shani Mandir Wali Gali, right by the UP Border in Sahibabad. If you’re familiar with the Chikambarpur area, you’ve probably walked past us a few times. It’s a traditional dhaba, which means we don't have any fancy decor or air conditioning. We just have simple benches and a kitchen that stays busy from early morning until late at night. We mostly serve the local workers from the industrial plots and the drivers who are crossing the border. Because we are from Himachal, we cook the kind of food we grew up with, like simple dals and vegetables served with hot rotis. We don't have a printed menu because we just cook whatever is fresh that day. My brother handles most of the cooking while I take the orders and talk to the customers. The street outside can get very dusty and noisy with all the trucks, but we just get on with our work. We spend a lot of time cleaning the tables and making sure there’s enough tea for everyone. It’s a hard-working life, but we like being our own bosses. We’ve been here for years and have built up a group of regular customers who come back almost every day. It’s not a glamorous job, but it’s honest work and it keeps us busy. We just focus on getting the food out hot.