Cook By Chance

For all those who grew up in the Kolkata of the ’90s, Taaja’s was a much familiar name for the sheer variety of cuisines it served up—right from Burmese Khao Suey to Spanish Paella and momos. The much-loved brand which relocated some three times has unfortunately shut shop, but the lady behind the brand, Bibi Sarkar, continues to wear the many hats of being home chef, cooking consultant, food curator and more.

Bibi, who is an English language graduate from Jadavpur University calls herself a cook by chance, and credits her culinary journey to a largely fussy husband, where food was concerned. “Before I got married, all I could make were eggs,” she laughs. Since those were the pre-internet days, Bibi largely relied on cookery books when looking out for new recipes to try. Soon, she was churning out all kinds of delicacies—ranging from Burmese to Chinese to Indonesian, which her patrons remember her for. “My entrepreneurial journey started when I once sold momos at the annual fete organised by Nari Seba Sangha at Jodhpur Park. They were a sell-out, and people wanted more. That’s when the idea of starting an outlet on the premises of our home struck me. I had never advertised barring a couple of posters, one at Jadavpur University and the other at St Xaviers College. But soon enough, there was a steady stream of people pouring in simply through word-of-mouth publicity.”

Bibi still loves going through cookery books whenenever she finds time from her very successful catering business and cooking classes, and is also a big fan of Jamie Oliver’s cookery shows on TV. But perhaps what the cook in her most loves is rustling up a good meal and engaging in a round of cosy adda within the confines of her home.