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The Steel City of India, Jamshedpur, is changing in ways that go beyond its industrial dominance. The city is quickly becoming known as a centre for food. A broad variety of palates are catered to in Jamshedpur, from indigenous Jharkhand food to exquisite international cuisines. There are plenty of cafes, restaurants, and food trucks in the city. You can find anything from gourmet dining experiences to local street cuisine well known for its taste and authenticity.
Ranchi is the capital of Jharkhand. The city has a major influence on the development of the state's food scene. The city has seen an explosion in food-related enterprises due to its growing population and rising disposable income. The state's varied cuisine is further promoted by the city's thriving food culture and students/Gen-Z population.
While in conversation with Slurrp, Tao Bao cafe owner Abhishek Mishra opened up about the food business and possibilities. “People outside the state do not realise the potential of the food business in Jharkhand. The student preferences in major cities of Jharkhand are the same as metropolitan cities; giving birth to new businesses”, he said.
Another astonishing fact about the state of Jharkhand is that introducing newer foreign cuisines completely depends on the market demand as people want to explore new food choices. It is the same with Korean food, as the influence of Korean culture is huge in India, especially in the younger generation.
Get to know about Tao Bao Cafe and Boba Labs as they successfully enter the competition with Korean food, introducing new cuisine to the population.
Korean Hangout Destinations: Tao Bao Korean Cafe, Ranchi And Jamshedpur
Tao Bao Korean Cafe in Ranchi and Jamshedpur were the first outlets to sell Indo-Korean cuisine in Jharkhand. The young generation following Korean culture, specifically Korean-pop and Korean dramas, are well attracted to the food shown on various occasions. Introducing vegetarian items with authentic Korean flavours made the cafe well-known in Jharkhand for Korean cuisine.
Abhishek Mishra, the owner of Tao Bao cafe, was as well-fond of Korean culture as most students in his college days. "I loved how the food looked in serials and various web shows and always wished to taste it", he added.
He worked as a government employee in the agriculture department, studying the food market closely. "Once, I was ready to take the next step, with the support of my wife. I decided to open Tao Bao Cafe for students to experience what I missed in my college days, leaving my job", he quoted.
The success among the crowd of Jamshedpur and the craze of Tao Bao as a new taste made it possible for the owner to open up three new locations in Ranchi and Jamshedpur.
The menu features lots of Ramen, which is authentically made with perfection. You can try Japanese Shoyu Raman, a variety of corn dogs, and even rice cakes, which are only exclusive to the place in the whole state. Upon asking about the challenges of selling new dishes, Head Chef Soma Dogra added that she always looks for dishes that are similar and popular to the Indian taste palette.
"Fish cakes and broth soups are some things from the cuisine that may be bland to people here. We always try to elevate our dish to first introduce the specific with proper market research. Miso Butter Kimchi Ramen is the perfect example of how we serve Indo-Korean to the crowd with the taste they like", she added.
Drinks On The Go: Boba Labs
Another example of how the student crowd makes a perfect opportunity to introduce Korean food and drinks in the state, with the strong influence of Korean culture through entertainment media, is the success of Boba Labs.
Three childhood friends who grew up in Jamshedpur opened one of the first Boba drink carts in Jharkhand. The three musketeers, Aditya Kunwar, Tushar Kumar, and Kunal Jha, being together from school, college, and even jobs, got into work designing kiosks suitable for the crowd to access Korean drinks below 100. "For our love of anime and for everyone's love of Korean/Japanese drinks, we started to sell, and it was a huge hit among crowds", Kunwar added.
@BobaLabs was the first to introduce Korean Street beverages below the price of 100 with the availability of mocktails and thick shakes. More than 30 variants are carefully tried and tested by the owners to serve the best taste to the anime-loving crowd. Also, the drinks are instagram-worthy. The popularity was evident with a huge line and waiting time of more than 30 minutes to get a drink.
While talking to Slurrp, Kunwar added, "People shouldn't forget about anime lovers even with the huge wave of Korean culture. Boba drinks are also regularly featured in various manga and webtoons, creating a varied fanbase".
Early Adversities While Introducing Korean Street Food In The Crowd
Even with the rise of the influence of Korean and Japanese culture, the crowd is reluctant to try authentic Korean and Japanese food. The founders of both places have admitted that some initial challenges are crucial to opening a food venture in places that follow specific eating habits.
According to Chef Soma Dogra, "2nd tier cities where street food is not something you eat out on a daily basis but only on occasions like birthdays and night outs; people are very choosy to try something new."
"The Korean food market is heavily influenced by the younger crowd leaving out the people above the age of 30, along with the parent section of the group to let their children try something new is also very challenging," Aditya added.
These places were the first to introduce the idea of Korean food to the Jharkhand population. Along with popular street food/ drinks and collaborative efforts of the whole community, the new ventures have been fruitful in results, facing this challenge and conquering the success.
The introduction of Korean foods; creating curiosity and demand through various trends/entertainment media has not let the crowd down. The whole state awaits more locations that encourage Korean food and other foreign cuisines.
