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Monday, February 18, 2008

Ecosystem

There's this place in Ahmedabad. It's an eating joint. Toran. "Cafe Toran" as I incorrectly keep calling it. I came across this place...

Aside: incidentally what do you call it when you discover a place, but only because you were led to it by someone who already knew it? "I discovered the place"? Too full of yourself. "The place was discovered unto me"? Too Ancient english-ey ... :-/

Anyways - Toran. Chaos in '06 thanks to Bolli, et al. It is a veg place. But it is a brilliant place. As Giddu put it "If you're eating veg, eat this stuff. Or else just go kill an animal". It's infinite food for some 80 bucks. And I mean *infinite*.

The service is awesome. And at the end of your meal, you hear stuff like "Sir kyaa sir.. Aap toh kuchh nahi khaye.. Ek aur roti sar.. Ek aur." And when fat people ask for "Normal rotis" (without ghee), the server gheefully (forgive the bad pun) replies: "Ghee ke bina kya maja aayega?" And proceeds to pour an inordinate amount of fat onto the puny roti.

Fast forward 2008: The place has become freakishly popular. And why shouldn't it? But here's the thing: There's a whole set of shops that thrive off this place.

Whilst waiting to be seated (there is *always* a waiting line), one shop guy sells chai and sutta. Another shopkeeper next to it serves little edibles like chips and sandwiches. Basically, their only reason for selling stuff is Toran.

And you also find autorickshaw drivers parked just outside, waiting for passengers. And what about the big hoardings around the place? What choice do you have but to look at them?

So, the essential point is: There is this whole ecosystem of stuff built around this one successful joint. Seems so cool na?

Or perhaps I'm too much into the "economics" mood these days.. Either way, Toran rocks :)

4 comments:

Rashmi said...

aah.. dont even talk about sconomics.. mye xams are comin up and eco is the last thing i wanna study...
so..
economics : no no
food: always yes yes!!! *giggles*

krist0ph3r said...

heyy...did you go to a'bad??? that was about the time i went to h'bad.

not bad :P

Vartika said...

TORAN...u instigated my food cravings...been there twice...both times during chaos...and found out 'rishta' wid d shop owner...got a special serving of 'khandvi' and now i sooo wannna go thr again...

apart frm dat...d ecosystem thought..what do v hav..another freakonomics author??:P

Nithya said...

I finally went to Toran this February, during Chaos and I so know what you're talking about.
Who needs to go kill animals when food this divine exists:p