For Vaibhavi, a big-time foodie from Indore, trying out scrumptious street food came pretty naturally to her. People would ask her opinion on different eateries and like a true blue food connoisseur, she would lead them to places that were culinary heavens of delicious local delicacies in Indore. This is how  “IndoriiFlavours” came into existence. “I started my journey at the tender age of 18 and it all happened by accident. We, the people of Indore, are hardcore gastronomes, and this reflects in our food. I have been a foodie all my life and appreciated good food since I was a kid. I loved exploring new places and tried out new dishes wherever I went. I gave reviews and shared my opinions on cafes & restaurants on Zomato and Google and these reviews garnered a lot of attention. People valued my recommendations related to food and this led to the genesis of ‘IndoriiFlavours’. Her persistent hard work and dedication towards expressing her love for food paid off and her Instagram page stockpiled a huge number of followers. 

Things took a turn for the worse during the pandemic as all the cafes, eateries and restaurants shut down and she couldn’t continue her work on her page. But what followed was her steely determination to not let the bad times get the better of her and come out a winner. “Initially, it became very difficult for me to run this page. I had almost given up. But then I thought to myself, I'm a food influencer and my work should not be restricted to cafes and restaurants only. That is when I started cooking food at home and shared the recipes on social media and this is how I overcame my challenges and stayed in touch with my Instagram family. I learned new recipes and cooking techniques during the lockdown and now I can call myself a neat little chef!”

What sets her apart is her passion for showcasing the varied flavours of Indori food. She wants the world to know how vibrant and delectable Indore’s food is and all the drool-worthy pictures are a testimony of the same. As per Vaibhavi, “The 56 (Chappan) Dukan Lane is the cleanest street in India, where you can count more than 56 shops that serve a different variety of food items. The ‘Khopra Patties’ at the Vijay Chaat House is a revelation.” She further adds, “ Sarafa Bazaar, a lane full of jewellery shops in the day time and a bustling street food market at night, boasts of serving 50-plus mouth-watering dishes and the food there is to die for. Dishes like the Shahi Chole Tikiya, Dahi Vada, Pav bhaji, Gulab Jamun, Faluda, and the humongous Jaleba are some of the mighty dishes that pack a solid punch.”

Her personal favourite is the Sikh Mohalla Wali Chaat Gali where she regularly devours appetizing dishes like Dahi Puri, Pani Puri, and of course, the Paneer Hot Dog. A true Indori will swear by the ever-so-fresh and flavoursome Poha Jalebi and that, there is no breakfast like the Indori breakfast in the whole wide world. She feels it is the most wholesome dish out there and it might as well win all the best food awards while we are at it! “Headsahab ke usal pohe, Ravi Alpahar, Apna Sweets, Saini ke usal pohe and Murliwala Sweets are the few places where I like to have Poha Jalebi, and the way these people make it, no one else can.”

She concludes by adding, “Meghdoot Chopati serves some delicious parathas, chole bhature, momos, dosa, chaat, shakes and food galore.

Now that she has established her page on Instagram, she plans to expand her work on other social media platforms. She further elaborates and sheds more light on her future plans. “I have started doing video blogs on Youtube and recently launched my official website as well. I want to grow my portfolio and start indulging in events and spread the word far and wide that, “There’s no food like Indore Street Food.”

She ends the interview by congratulating all the aspiring food bloggers on their journey and wishes them well. She adds, “You need to give your absolute best, whether it be vlogs, influencing, blogging or creating food in your cloud kitchen. You have to practice patience because it takes time and hard work to establish yourself in the food industry. Try to make as many connections as possible and maintain healthy relations with your customers, clients and followers.”