THE DESI FOOD COURT OF BARODA :
RATRI BAZAAR
Image source: beyondkhidki.com
“I am going to have dabeli”; papri
chaat; paani puri; sev puri; dahi vada once we get to Vadodara”, my
friend announced excitedly while we were on the bus from Pune to Vadodara. My
ears suddenly caught attention with the mention of food. “Is Baroda famous for all this”? I asked my other friend, who hailed
from that city. “Why don’t you wait until
tomorrow to find out” she said. “Foodies
like you won’t be disappointed.”
Exactly 24 hours later,
I was standing across a peculiar market square, fascinated at the board that
was illuminated by the street light above. Ratri
Bazaar, it read. As I took in the aroma of the different flavors of the
food, my taste buds were aroused even after having had a heavy Eid lunch just
some few hours ago.
“You
cannot come to Baroda, and not go to Ratri Bazaar”;
my friend exclaimed proudly.
Is Ratri Bazaar a
Bazaar really? I would beg to differ. Ratri Bazaar isn’t really a Bazaar but
something much more than that. I don’t think you can give it a name, for a
concept like this doesn’t really exist, except here in Baroda. A market square
in a busy area of Karelibaug,Baroda, The Ratri Bazaar is an eat street of
about 42 eateries, spread over 15851 square meters or so, initiated by the Vadodara
Municipal Corporation, serving all kinds of cuisines. From authentic Guajarati
food to Darjeling Momos,Italian, Chinese, Mexican and what not,(all having a
gujju touch ) with a huge sitting area in the middle, it operates every day
from 5pm to 1 am and 5pm-4 am during the Navratri season , when it dazzles the
most. Some might say, it’s like a Desi
version of a food court in a mall, only cheaper and better.
Image source(above): Vadodara magazine
Talk about Desi and not
talk about Paani Puri is just not done, and this is one of the things Ratri
Bazaar is famous for. Located right at the entrance, is Champak Bhai’s stall of
one of the best paani puri you will get in India. Served in the most typical
style ever, Champak Bhai’s stall has 5 jars of flavored Paani-Regular, Hajma
Hajam, Mint, Garlic and Lemon. Before we could order what we wanted, Champak
bhai very joyfully gave us one Paani Puri after the other continuously, till we had completed 2 rounds of each flavor
that brought in a different sensation, defying the law of marginal utility. We
had a total of 10 Paani Puri’s just for 20 bucks. Guess we were back in the 20th
century again. As we held on to our stomachs, wanting for more, deciding
between heart and the reason, Champak bhai smiled at us, knowing that he had
made his customers truly happy.
Walking straight ahead
from the paani puri stall, the passage opened up to a full square, with the
eateries surrounding a space covered with cheap plastic chairs and tables,
filled with friends and families enjoying delicacies, clicking pictures and
having a good time. The chaos of the market was exciting. There were huge
frying Kadhais with Hot Jalebis frying at one corner, and
Noodles at the other end. The vendors yelled out their specialties, sent out
young waiters to personally invite (read force) the customers to come to their
food joints. “Madame- Idhar special
Manchurian rice”; “Didi- Aaiye PIZZA khaiye”; “Didi-Pasta”; “Madam- spicy Chaat”;
“dhabeli 20 ki 2” ; a part of me really wished for a portable stomach I
could carry around at amazing places
like these, where you had to binge eat to try out everything.
Since
my perpetually hungry friend had made a check list of what all she wanted to
eat, in the bus the day before, we went to the Chaat Shop and ordered Paapri Chaat, Sev Puri and Dabeli, all of which was over in a few
minutes. One eatery particularly amused me, given its sassy name. “HUNGRY
BIRDS-FLY HUNGRY AND FEEL HAPPY with a picture of an angry bird holding a fork.
I was so impressed that I went ahead to take a picture and the owner very
generously offered me his card, for “home delivery”. My Gujju friend then
dragged me to a little stall in the corner. COLD COCO-only Rs. 30 it said on the board. “Let me give you a drink of what
these alcohol deprived Gujju People get high on”, she said and ordered
a cold coco for me. My mouth drooled as I saw him churn out thick liquid
chocolate from huge silver utensil and pour it in a plastic glass. And as I
took the first sip, I died and went to heaven. Not exaggerating, every chocoholic’s
life is incomplete without having this elixir from the gardens of heaven. COLD
COCO’s is so sweet, so chocolaty and so divine that as it melts on your
tongue; you forget your sense of being. It’s the chocolate sutra.
(A conversation with
the owner of Cold Coco Stall owner)
ME:Bhaiya
kya naam hai appka?
HIM:
Bantu Bhai
ME:
Apne mera din bana dia, cold Coco banake !!!
Kitna
Famous hai Cold Coco Bhaiya? Bhot tasty hai
HIM:
Gujarat mai fanous hai; roz bhot customer aate hai- Kamaai bhi theekthaak ho
jati hai.
*Smiles a million dollar smile as I take a
picture,
flattered by the attention.*
As the families came
and went, as we were called to more food joints, as we hogged more chaat and as
I still obsessed over Cold Coco, and complained about not being able to try
every single one of those 42 eateries (since the night wasn’t getting any
younger, and we weren’t getting any thinner), I realized what a delight was
this place to be in. Ratri Bazaar is a foodie’s delight, a cultural hub, a traveler's extravaganza and every Barodian’s favourite hangout to suffice
those midnight cravings. They say,
that food is the common ground, a universal experience and almost no place else,
other than RATRI BAZAAR holds true this fact for you find something for
everyone and as you come together to rejoice the good food, memories are made, and
laughter is the brightest where food is the best.
Go binge eat for your next dinner at the Ratri Bazaar, and
your night will be turn out to be a Shubh Ratri sure.
