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Boomtown
Roy, I m going to make you an offer you can t refuse.
I can t marry you, JJ. It would ruin our friendship.
JJ laughed. Very funny, but no, I m going to start a restaurant chain. I found this amazing cook in Chandni Chowk...
Jacob James - JJ - eccentric idealist and scion to a wealthy family, is determined to make it big on his own. A chance meeting with Jaaved, an innovative young chef at an iconic Old Delhi restaurant, triggers an idea. What if JJ set up a chain of fusion restaurants, spinning new-age twists on traditional recipes?
As JJ embarks on his grand entrepreneurial journey, he convinces two others to join him Roy, a disgruntled engineer, and Sheetal, a feisty single mother who works in the hotel industry. Join the team as they travel from the crumbling Mughlai kitchens of Chandni Chowk to the trendy upmarket eateries of Gurgaon, from the corporate corridors of venture capitalists to the crummy offices of property brokers.
Will they realize their Great Entrepreneurial Dream? Or will Khan Mian, legendary chef and Jaaved s grandfather, hell-bent on protecting his heritage and his traditions, thwart their plans?
I can t marry you, JJ. It would ruin our friendship.
JJ laughed. Very funny, but no, I m going to start a restaurant chain. I found this amazing cook in Chandni Chowk...
Jacob James - JJ - eccentric idealist and scion to a wealthy family, is determined to make it big on his own. A chance meeting with Jaaved, an innovative young chef at an iconic Old Delhi restaurant, triggers an idea. What if JJ set up a chain of fusion restaurants, spinning new-age twists on traditional recipes?
As JJ embarks on his grand entrepreneurial journey, he convinces two others to join him Roy, a disgruntled engineer, and Sheetal, a feisty single mother who works in the hotel industry. Join the team as they travel from the crumbling Mughlai kitchens of Chandni Chowk to the trendy upmarket eateries of Gurgaon, from the corporate corridors of venture capitalists to the crummy offices of property brokers.
Will they realize their Great Entrepreneurial Dream? Or will Khan Mian, legendary chef and Jaaved s grandfather, hell-bent on protecting his heritage and his traditions, thwart their plans?
- GenresFiction
312 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
3 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 3, 2013
Boomtown by Aditya Mukherjee has been a breezy read. Being a foodie, it was like I could almost visualize Jaaved in the kitchen modifying age old recipes of his illustrious grandfather Khan Miyan who has a famous Indian eatery in Delhi's Chandni Chowk. I simply enjoyed reading this book and honestly if you are a food lover you would not want to read this book at night, for it is sure to induce hunger pangs.
http://esotericphoenix.wordpress.com/...
http://esotericphoenix.wordpress.com/...
February 19, 2020
Its a crazy crazy tale about love, business, friendship and guts! I loved it!
July 28, 2013
My review here: http://www.booksandalotmore.com/2013/...
I wanted to read this book for namely two themes that I am always interested in- food and entrepreneurship.
Boomtown by Aditya Mukherjee is a book about JJ, Roy, Jaaved and Sheetal, young people who get running to start a chain of fusion restaurants. This is a story of these folks and the problems each of them face in accomplishing the same. Much of the book revolves around food and life in the Delhi region.
JJ is eccentric but an endearing character. The credit for successfully starting the venture ought to go to him, as he is the one who recognizes Jaaved’s potential and bring all of them together. The last chapter where he is the sole actor is emotional although very short. I thought it could have been better.
Jaaved never fails to surprise. As the plot develops, you realise that he is not your simple boy from Chandni Chowk. He is rebellious but controlled, a contradiction itself.
Roy is the archetypal Engineer who doesn’t know why he studied engineering, with archetypal parents who believe in white collar jobs and how only professions like engineering, doctor, MBA, etc can bring success and respectability for a person in society.
Sheetal is a brave single mother, who is bored of her job and begs to do something different. She appears confident but in the end, seems quite desperate for some happiness in her life. And starting this venture is exactly what she needs.
Although the plot is quite predictable, it is funny and a light, breezy read that does not fail to entertain. People in the Delhi Metro (that’s when I get the most time to read) stared at me when I would frequently smile or laugh a little bit too loudly, quite frequently, I might add.
This book is full of lovable characters, especially Dara and who walks in and out of the book repeatedly and JJ’s cousin who doesn’t seem to have enough clothes (or doesn’t seem to want to wear them, anyway). Shareef bhai has impeccable comic timing and you can’t help but love Saraiya, Sheetal’s mother. It is aptly named ‘Boomtown’ as it also silently pokes fun at hurried development in a city like Gurgaon. On the whole, it reminds you of how you need to follow your instincts, sometimes. It makes you think of that idea you always had for starting your own business but never quite got around to doing something about it.
I wanted to read this book for namely two themes that I am always interested in- food and entrepreneurship.
Boomtown by Aditya Mukherjee is a book about JJ, Roy, Jaaved and Sheetal, young people who get running to start a chain of fusion restaurants. This is a story of these folks and the problems each of them face in accomplishing the same. Much of the book revolves around food and life in the Delhi region.
JJ is eccentric but an endearing character. The credit for successfully starting the venture ought to go to him, as he is the one who recognizes Jaaved’s potential and bring all of them together. The last chapter where he is the sole actor is emotional although very short. I thought it could have been better.
Jaaved never fails to surprise. As the plot develops, you realise that he is not your simple boy from Chandni Chowk. He is rebellious but controlled, a contradiction itself.
Roy is the archetypal Engineer who doesn’t know why he studied engineering, with archetypal parents who believe in white collar jobs and how only professions like engineering, doctor, MBA, etc can bring success and respectability for a person in society.
Sheetal is a brave single mother, who is bored of her job and begs to do something different. She appears confident but in the end, seems quite desperate for some happiness in her life. And starting this venture is exactly what she needs.
Although the plot is quite predictable, it is funny and a light, breezy read that does not fail to entertain. People in the Delhi Metro (that’s when I get the most time to read) stared at me when I would frequently smile or laugh a little bit too loudly, quite frequently, I might add.
This book is full of lovable characters, especially Dara and who walks in and out of the book repeatedly and JJ’s cousin who doesn’t seem to have enough clothes (or doesn’t seem to want to wear them, anyway). Shareef bhai has impeccable comic timing and you can’t help but love Saraiya, Sheetal’s mother. It is aptly named ‘Boomtown’ as it also silently pokes fun at hurried development in a city like Gurgaon. On the whole, it reminds you of how you need to follow your instincts, sometimes. It makes you think of that idea you always had for starting your own business but never quite got around to doing something about it.
August 22, 2013
Mukherjee has captured the feel of the places – Bangalore, Old Delhi, Gurgaon – beautifully.
His characters are finely drawn, from the eccentric JJ to the mousy Roy and his stolid, old-fashioned, middle class parents; and feisty yet vulnerable Sheetal. Jaaved, especially, as the young Old Delhi boy who is passionate about food and wise beyond his years, is a lovable fellow. Deeply thoughtful, he’s the glue that binds the friends together as their plans seemingly unravel. And his innate wisdom just shines off the page.
The dialogues are believable – a very important point for any intelligent reader that particularly hit me when I read the awful dialogues in Tarquin Hall’s The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken – and witty.
Full review here: http://peddlerofdreams.wordpress.com/...
His characters are finely drawn, from the eccentric JJ to the mousy Roy and his stolid, old-fashioned, middle class parents; and feisty yet vulnerable Sheetal. Jaaved, especially, as the young Old Delhi boy who is passionate about food and wise beyond his years, is a lovable fellow. Deeply thoughtful, he’s the glue that binds the friends together as their plans seemingly unravel. And his innate wisdom just shines off the page.
The dialogues are believable – a very important point for any intelligent reader that particularly hit me when I read the awful dialogues in Tarquin Hall’s The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken – and witty.
Full review here: http://peddlerofdreams.wordpress.com/...
July 26, 2013
My review: http://bit.ly/1brs0op
This is one of those brilliant debuts! Quick read, and engaging read for that matter! Right from the prologue, you are drawn to the impeccable quality of writing that makes it so easy to imagine the actions of the characters. The characters are well thought of, and just crazy enough to think of such an idea. But it's more than just a story of dreams, it has a touch of romance, a touch of societal opinions and views and the development of the plot is detailed to include all the obstacles and politics one would face in such a venture! I absolutely enjoyed the read, and this is one of my favorite reads of the year so far! Kudos!
This is one of those brilliant debuts! Quick read, and engaging read for that matter! Right from the prologue, you are drawn to the impeccable quality of writing that makes it so easy to imagine the actions of the characters. The characters are well thought of, and just crazy enough to think of such an idea. But it's more than just a story of dreams, it has a touch of romance, a touch of societal opinions and views and the development of the plot is detailed to include all the obstacles and politics one would face in such a venture! I absolutely enjoyed the read, and this is one of my favorite reads of the year so far! Kudos!
November 6, 2013
When I saw the back cover of the book & came to know that the writer is from IIM, I thought this book would be another love story or writer's struggle to complete his MBA in IIM .But when I read synopsis of book I found it different and interesting. So I bought it. The book is good, often takes you to old Delhi, charms of chandni chowk. Story is about four young people and their idea of starting a chain of authentic Indian food. Book is all about food and entrepreneurship journey. I like it.
February 11, 2014
"Adding a touch of innovation to the core of authenticity". the book has food, art, feelings, dreams.
A dream of adding a little innovation to the Resturant and make it a chain of restaurants,
An art of adding innovation to the authentic recipe and make it yet another tasty dish,
Feelings, love, emotion and Gurgoan and Dehli :) . All the things come together and gives us a more modern indian enterpreneural dream come true.
A dream of adding a little innovation to the Resturant and make it a chain of restaurants,
An art of adding innovation to the authentic recipe and make it yet another tasty dish,
Feelings, love, emotion and Gurgoan and Dehli :) . All the things come together and gives us a more modern indian enterpreneural dream come true.
January 15, 2022
It was a quick and a good read.
February 6, 2014
the charm of old Delhi and love for food. nothing great, but ok. you would not feel like asking the author for refund after finishing the book.
May 31, 2015
Another novel, trying to capture a slice of young Indians' life weaving through societal pressures, personal relationships and attempts to create an identity.
Enjoyable read, but not a must-have.
Enjoyable read, but not a must-have.
February 16, 2014
Nothing really great about it. Predictable story line and average narration.
March 29, 2017
A fast-paced read on a bunch of oddballs starting a restaurant in Delhi NCR. The settings and dialogue are very real, the characters just the right mix of heroic and real, the events crazy yet relatable and the climax a good mix of filmi and earthy.
And the descriptions of food are brilliant!
And the descriptions of food are brilliant!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews