Ghaziabad: In a small lane near Durga Bhavi Chowk, in front of the Mata Mandir, you can find a small stall by the name ‘Gandhi Omlette Wala’ which serves arguably one of the best omlette in the town. Run by Ravinder Saxena, a Ghaziabad resident along with his nephew, Rakesh, the stall also offers several egg based dishes such as half fry, egg curry, double egg sandwiches and much more. The best part is that all of this comes for very reasonable prices and there are no compromises on the taste.
This stall has been serving the people of Ghaziabad for almost 42 years now. Set up in 1980, Ravinder’s whole family helped him set up the place. The love with which Ravinder prepares all the dishes and compels the people to keep coming back for more is what keeps him and the place going. Every day, from 4 pm to 10 pm, Ravinder and cousin make sure to make everyone’s evening more egg-citing and happening.
While talking about the initial days of the stall, Ravinder tells us, “I started off with selling omlettes only. Gradually, I started preparing other dishes as well.” At this stall, you can get an omelette for rupees 70, for half fry, they charge rupees 80, rupees 75 for egg curry and for a double egg sandwich, the price is rupees 100. There are several loyal customers of the stall who have been going there for years now. Many stall owners nearby are also regular customers of Ravinder. Ravinder stays in Ghaziabad in a joint family with about 26 members.
Every morning, Ravinder wakes up and starts preparing things he needs for the stall. Alongside, he takes care of his extensive family. His elder son, Suraj, helps him in the chores related to the stall while his nephew, Rakesh looks after the business bit.
While things were going well for Ravinder and his family, a big hit came during the pandemic. Their business was severely affected and there was no other source of income. Ravinder’s willpower was shattered as the entire nation went into lockdown. He says, “I was very hopeless. I didn’t have any idea of when things will get back to normal. My daughter was in college while my son was in school and I had to pay their fee and other expenses while there was no source of income.” However, things gradually changed again and Ravinder did make a comeback after pandemic. Today, his stall is stormed in the evening with the admirers of his egg recipes and more than that, he has earned the love and respect of the people of Ghaziabad and that’s what makes Ravinder really happy and hopeful.