SAJAL’S CHICKEN POKORA CHANGED SILIGURI’S STREET FOOD TASTE

R. Subrata

The chilling winter of Siliguri, the fog in the evening and hey, look through the mist …. What’s blinking!! Oh yeah! That’s what we were looking for. The LED’s of Sajal’s Chicken Pokora counter. The Gorom Gorom Chicken Pakora and additional thick grayish chicken soup are here. Wow, the restaurant flavor or may be more than that straight in the street. Yes, if anyone from Siliguri reaches the hotspot of Siliguri i.e. Baghajatin Park they will surely know Sajal’s Chicken Pokora kiosk. Regulars call it Sajal Dar Chicken Pokora. According to the main protagonist i.e. the owner Sajal Das, this is the first street kiosk which dared to start with chicken items especially chicken pokora, chicken soup, chicken lollypop etc. with the quarter the price charged by even the smallest of the restaurants of the city. Initially, it was just Rs. 5/- for each big sized chicken pokora. It was just unthinkable for the restaurant owners during that time i.e. around 2009 neither anyone one dared to venture in this item. Time passed by and it became popular throughout. Then came the competitors after 3 years of standalone monopoly with a smile. One of the best thing what Mr. Sajal Das have been the smiling hospitality which attracts customers every day even now. Now the kiosk not only serves the famous chicken pokora, but also, there are egg rolls, noodles, mutton soup, take away soups and others. Mr. Sajal has tried with a restaurant last year but it failed instead the kiosk served more customers than the restaurant. Now Mr. Sajal has two kiosks in Siliguri i.e. Baghajatin Park and Sevoke Road, and two in Bagdogra, which are running packed houses. Initially, customer halted at the counter for an instant evening supper way back home from work. Now, people date here. That’s our achievement, Mr. Sajal boastfully declares. We have brought in a new age of street kiosk delicacies in Siliguri market. The customers are not from nearby areas of the kiosk but from various nook and corner of Siliguri city. So next time when you come to Siliguri and think of mouth watering Pokoras think of Sajal’s pokora counter and experience the taste. Hopefully, you won’t be disappointed.

Photo: TNI Siliguri