The late night food crisis, which often hits the nocturnal workers and students, has forced many to make those small unwilling trips to the refrigerator and kitchen cupboards. If it’s your lucky day, some leftovers from lunch or from next-door neighbour kids’ birthday party buffet (that you never went to but the kid’s mother was kind enough to send some grub) will be the saviour. If not, then open those storage containers with the cookies or namkeen which also make you hate yourself later because of the mindless munching.
Still not satiatedIJ Well then fear not, there are food chains out there that care. They might not offer you the 30-minutes or free deal but let’s thank our stars for them delivering piping hot food even at 3 am. Plus some are not only expanding and experimenting with their food menus but also working towards providing other basic items and services.
One of the pioneers of this service is Batman Delivers (from 7 pm to 5 am) which covers Gurgaon and south Delhi. Food might be their USP but they also have essential goods like mosquito killers, stationery, ice cubes, et al. and will soon offer groceries including fresh fruits and veggies. Also the rumour that their delivery boys dress up in Batman costumes were laid to rest.
Co-founder Raghav Negi tells us, “The philosophy is to provide every single thing at the customer’s doorstep. We’ve also tied up with private agencies to send plumbers and electricians if someone needs help fixing something in their homes. We can also get your prescription drugs if you send us a
picture of the medical receipt and
for that we are in talks with prominent hospitals.”Batman Delivers menu is restricted to the ubiquitous Indian and Chinese dishes like the biryani, veg/non veg curries with breads, et al. but Negi says the reason behind the limited food option is “to maintain the quality of what is being served.” He informs, “We do food polls on Facebook and get an idea of what the customers want. That is also how we included Chinese food in our menu.”
With two service kitchens in Gurgaon and one in south Delhi, along with a the team of about 100 people, the venture plans on covering the entire NCR by the end of 2015’s financial year. They also take bulk orders and cater to weddings and other parties. Arrrr, is the sound that resonates in your head when you click on Captain Grub’s Facebook page. With the hook hand and pegged leg, the pirate raises his sword in the air with a treasure chest under his foot, probably laden with some delectable chow.
Captain Grub is the brainchild of three friends — Karan Nambiar, Rachit Goel and Ashwin Venkatraman — on a lookout for some good American food. They deliver to all south Delhi locations and Gurgaon.“We have so many Indian options but nobody really offers you the perfect American food. Initially we thought of starting a food truck but we backed out due to some issues,” Karan tells us.
It is also Delhi’s first late night gourmet food service. You can pick some macaroni and tuna salad or a beanie weenie which is baked beans and sausage in Worcestershire, garlic powder and parsley.For mains you could pick a cheese crusted lamb bolognse with garlic rice, crumbed fish and potato wedges or a veg pillaf.
We are told that their burgers are the best-sellers and its burger galore when you check out their menu. Order yourself a sloppy joe which is mutton mince cooked with fresh herbs and red wine served with some fresh lettuce and cheese in toasted buns.Captain’s love seems like another creation we would surely like to bite into. Some shredded pork, ham slice, bacon topped with cranberry sauce, fried egg and cheddar cheese, sounds just perfect and would taste even better.
“Captain’s Grub is all about food and nothing more. From the beginning we knew what we wanted in our menu and experimented with the meats and other ingredients. We also have no minimum delivery order since the focus is also on individual customers,” Karan explains.They also make their food delivery routine fun and quirky. “We have lED delivery bikes and the delivery boys dress up as pirates on Halloween. We also give discounts to the single people on Valentine’s Day,” he adds.
The hunger pangs also strike even after we might be returning from a fun night-out where we might have gorged on large portions but wouldn’t mind a quick bite. Roti Boti, by Yassir Bilgrami and Jatin Khatri, is another newcomer which started operating over a week ago in Vasant Kunj. From their shawarmas, to kebabs and tikkas, these guys have kept it desi with all its fiery goodness. They start their delivery services between 11am and 3 am and you can also drive by and grab yourself a falafel roll or a kakori kebab. Wash it all down with a glass of their Aap Ki Pasand Ki lassi, if you must.
