Yummy chaats at your service

Ask old Bangaloreans about some of the best chaat places in the City, and Gullu’s Chaat would certainly pop up in most people’s lists.

The modest store in Kumara Park West, buzzing with customers all day long has been there for almost three decades.

Says Jitendra Kumar Garg, the owner of the store, “Though the shop started in 1989, we have been much older in the business.” It was Jitendra’s father Hukum Chand Garg, who came up with the idea of a chaat place.

“So, we started off with a push cart service near Kumara Park, selling the usual pani puri, masala puri and bhel puri,” he adds.

Jitendra and his brother Girish, whose nicknames are Gullu and Dablu, came to be known as the ‘Gullu Brothers’ in the area. That’s how the name of the store came up.
“We have had new additions like pav bhaji and katori chaat since the store has come up. Otherwise, the basic chaats remain the same.”

The most recent addition to the menu has been the kaati rolls. But it is the age-old, mouth-watering pani puri and the spicy masala puri that are undoubtedly the customers’ favourite.

Just one visit to the store is enough to assess its popularity amongst people of all ages.
The dahi puri, cutlets, samosas and sev puri sell like hot cakes, as the hardworking staff churn out the yummy stuff at the request of the customers putting any new-age DJ to shame.

The store has its own innovative items as well, like the two-in-one items.
“These include different combinations that the customers can choose from, like the masala puri and samosa, the masala puri and cutlet, or the bhel and samosa,” says Jitendra.

Not to mention the car service that the shop offers. Some of the regular celebrity clientele of Gullu’s Chaat includes popular singer-actress Vasundhara Das and Kannada actor Chetan.

Fans of the store are in for some good news as Gullu’s Chaat plans to expand in the coming month, and have a seating arrangement. “We are also planning to introduce fresh fruit juices,” says Jitendra.

“I come to Gullu’s Chaat almost every other day,” says Akansha, a regular, who resides and works in Kumara Park. “My favourites are their masala puri, bhel puri and pani puri. I just love sitting outside Kumara Park and savouring the chaat items.” The prices of all the items range between Rs 15 and Rs 25.

Gullu’s Chaat is open from 11 am to 10 pm on all days.