Hey!!!
I’m very excited about this newsletter installation. I had planned to write about something else this week but I couldn’t wait to share a recent aha moment I had.
I had written about First Principles before but a recent discovery/ analysis prompted me to add the revelation I’m about to share to my growing catalogue of the First Principles analogies.
While away on a work trip, I had a few “run-ins” with some supposedly best places to eat. After a few of days crappy food I became antsy because I would get hungry but not look forward to eating.
My colleague (a local) then took us to a Bukka-a roadside/street restaurant (why he didn’t take us there sooner I wonder) that was the best meal I had had till. He then outdid himself when he took us to another “scruffy” place. The food there was sooooo "sweet". We had to come back the next day.
While eating and tapping my legs to an invisible beat (the food was that good), I took a look around my very basic surrounding. The place took no-frills to another level. It hit me that “this”- the no-frills, was the reason that the food is so good.
This is how I came to the realisation( the said aha moment) that street food follows First Principles because they are all about foundational thinking. Which asks the question; what is it that once taken out of a thing, makes that thing no longer that thing or whatever it claims to be? Once you have identified what that thing is, you have identified the First Principles that holds it up.
No Where to Hide
If you remove “sweet” food, emphasis on sweet or delicious, the restaurant ceases to be a restaurant. By the way, restaurant here is used very loosely as some of these places barely qualify. It might be more politically correct to call them food sellers.
The owners of these places know that the only reason anyone will come in there is based on the quality of the food. The sole reason they “are” is the food. Their raison d’etre is the food and as it should be too.
They have nothing to hide behind. No posh location, ambience, or bragging rights that you have been to xxxx place, you are not taking photos of the plating or space to post on social media.
If the food is not good you are out. The people will move on. This is street justice at its best. No time to waste. My colleague and I would always joke that the streets are unforgiving. They have no loyalties.
A lot of bigger fancy restaurants can afford to hide behind fluffy stuff. I’m guilty of going to trending restaurants just so I can say that I have been there.There are different things that might get people through the door at first e.g. trend, environment, bragging right, social media content, etc. I have also been to places because I liked the environment, their plants or how serene it is. They can hide behind these things till they can’t anymore and they shutdown.
They often get carried away by look and feel of the space that they forget the First Principles of being restaurant. If you took the quality of food out, will it still be a restaurant?
If they thought this way they will know to focus on the most essential thing. Isn’t it alarming the rate at which restaurants open and shut down. Like fashion, one minute you are in, the next you are out.
May be they need to pass their food through “street justice”. See how they hold up.
We need to put everything we are doing through the lenses of the street justice too. Will your venture whether personal or corporate pass the street test? We should have no where to hide too.
Does your business pass the street test?
Do your relationships pass the street test? (What are the things that if removed from your relationship mean that it’s not a relationship anymore)
Do you pass the streets test as a parent or boss or employee?
Can these be “naked” and unashamed when put through the “streets test’?
I’m by no means saying that people shouldn’t pay attention to niceties, by all means but not at the expense of the fundamentals.
Keep going,
Ije
PS: for the rest of our trip we didn’t set foot into any other “posh” restaurant. Our diet was almost 100% street road; mainly roasted corn and akara & bread, kunu.
Here is the restaurant with the “sweet” food. If you are ever in Jos, Plateau State you should most definitely drop by.
De Billyz Restaurant on Old Bukuru Road.
I agree that First principal is very important especially in a world where many of us are swayed by fluff.
Troubled marriage move to a bigger house or kid not doing well in school then move to a fancier school rather than getting to the crux of the problem.
Thanks for sharing and yes to mama-put and bukka food any day. I think their un hygienic ways add to the "sweetness" of the food. 😀
Without street food, many of us would have been in trouble ! 😁 akara,fried plantain,yam & potatoes... etc. In this area we have : Olaiya, Honeyfoods & Co. Tasty stuffs ... weldone Ijay ! Keep it going .......