Happy Independence Day

We had long ago established that the 15th of August would be the launch date for what would become Horn Ok Please.

In truth it took a long time to come up with this particular trading name. It began life as Aloo Gobi, followed by Chai Chaat Chat, Roadside Romeo, MiChai etc etc. Who would have thought coming with a name would be such an ongoing point of discussion between Gaurav (G) and me, but eventually we settled on Horn Ok Please. We wanted a name that was synonymous with and reflected Indian Street life and more importantly Indian Street Food. After all we are bringing Indian Street food to the Streets of London.

So what does Horn Ok Please actually mean? Here is a Wiki link that will explain it all a lot better than I ever can: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horn_OK_Please

From the beginning we set it as our goal to bring forward the best of street food experience from all corners of India - which sees families sharing plates of hot and spicy snacks on the beach in South India, business men grabbing a sweet cup of chai on their way to work in Pune, students gathered around enjoying a cool drink under the hot sun in Delhi or the secret couple in Mumbai sharing a coffee and plate of snacks in-between work and returning home.

So with the name in hand and the concept clear in our minds, G and I have been spending the last couple of weeks trying out various menu items on willing friends, contacting market stalls throughout London and getting our licences and certificates in place. So watch this space as we develop our ideas (and cooking techniques) all in the name of Horn Ok Please.

Jai Hind