Yummi Kolkataa

Setting up shop at Chittaranjan Park Market No 1, at stall 13, has been an experience. This market is always moving and there’s a lot of energy, especially in the evenings when everyone is out doing their shopping. We opened this place because we liked the area and wanted to be part of the local scene. It’s a lot of manual work, to be honest. Every morning starts with hauling our supplies in and getting the small kitchen area ready for the day. We aren't some big, polished restaurant with a lot of staff. It’s more of a practical place where you grab a bite and move on, or stand around the corner chatting with friends. The space is pretty tight, so we’re often bumping into each other when things get busy. But we’ve found a rhythm that works for us. We know most of the other people running stalls around here, and it feels like a little community. We focus on getting the food out without making a whole big deal about it. If we run out of something, we just deal with it and make more the next day. People stop by after work or when they’re headed to the metro nearby. We try to keep the counters clean and the orders moving as fast as we can. It’s not always perfect, and sometimes the weather makes things difficult, but we just keep at it. Market No 1 is its own world for us.