One can dig into world cuisine, bend grammar and go for a crazy twist at food trucks, says Priyanka Joshi
It’s six in the evening and colourful trucks have started lining up on one side of a park. lighting strobes and cool graphics draw one’s attention as eyes wander from one truck to the next. But it is the food that these offer out of their roll-down windows that makes people stay and become regular customers. I am waiting for my serving of vegetarian Manakeesh from a lebanese counter, a spongy, spice-crusted bread for any season.
Though I am not a big foodie, thanks to my husband I have experimented with a variety of flavours and cuisines. This quest for good food has made me realise that it is not dependent on location. It is as easy or as difficult to find at a fine dining restaurant or a roadside vendor. It was this search that found me one day making my way to Gurgaon, which of late, has become synonymous with food trucks. At the happening Sector 29, there are 60 vans as compared to last year, when the number was much lower.
But what is it about the food truck that makes it stand out from the food vans of yoreIJ Space, hygiene and cleanliness, things which often fell by the wayside in vans, are essentials here. And there is more. Subhasree Bhaduri, owner of Romeo, which serves English food, says, “Earlier we had Chinese food vans which were very simple. People didn’t modify them as we do now. A smart and modern stainless steel kitchen is a must for the kind of fare that we prepare.”
While the food truck business is not a new concept, a whole new spin has been added. While countries like United States, China, Australia, England have a large number of food trucks, in India a clutch of entrepreneurs has come up with different ideas to attract people and serve a variety of food.
Satya Pratap Singh owner, The Rolling Kitchen, “My partner Gaurav Rathi and I got together a year back to start this business. Initially, we bought a second-hand truck and painted it. Then we decided to do something different and opened a lebanese food joint so that our menu is different from the rest. Many of our customers tell us that we are the only ones who offer authentic lebanese in Delhi NCR.” The employees of The Rolling Kitchen, just like their cuisine, stand out, thanks to their chic uniforms.
Regular customers vouch for the food that they serve. Sunil Kumar, who used to work in Gurgaon, often made his way to The Rolling Kitchen but since his shift to Greater Noida, the visits have become infrequent. “Whenever I am around, I make sure to have Chicken shawarma.” The speciality shawarma and fish are their specialities. The Rolling Kitchen also has rolls, mezze platter, hummus pita and kebabs. “Not only that, we are the only one who serve Manakeesh with zaatar and sumak spreads which we import from Dubai,’’ says Satya. The Manakeesh is a crispy and a little chewy lebanese round dough that is filled with different spreads like zaatar, cheese and vegetables. It is baked in a traditional open flame oven. One bite and I was a convert for life. For now, if I had to pick just one food to eat for the rest of my life, Manakeesh it would be!
Not just lebanese, you can dig into Thai cuisine, savour wood-fired oven pizzas, Indian and even speciality ice creams. There are various Asian cuisine outlets as well as those with American burgers, hot dogs, salads and fries. The latest champs are different latin and South American dishes and nouvelle attempts at fusion.
Anup Sharma and his partner Abhijan came from Guwahati and decided to stir up the market with something different. They started Freeze Up, which serves ice-cream rolls and nitrogen ice creams. “The concept is from Thailand. We use the cream as the base on an extremely cold steel surface that resembles a pizza pan. Metal spatulas are then used to chop toppings on the base and scrape them around to beat in air. Once the base is frozen solid, it is spread thinly and scraped at an angle to create the magnificent rolls of ice cream. The rolls are then placed carefully in a cup and topped with items of your choice and flavour.” Within a month, people have started placing orders for events and wedding orders with them.
Manish Trivedi started New Your Pie-Zzeria six months ago. “We realised that there is no wood fire pizza oven here and decided to fill the gap. Another thing that is different is the use of Indian flavour in the pizzas,” he says. The wood-fired oven is superior to other ovens as it can reach the soaring temperatures required for a properly cooked, slightly charred and crusted Italian-style pizza.
Another truck called Menu started its operations recently in June. Yogesh Sharma, owner, says, “Earlier I have worked in the real estate sector and then followed it up with mobile. If this works out, I will follow it up with a restaurant, which needs more investment.”
Clearly, the concept of food trucks has found favour with the customers. Says Rashmi Shah, a regular visitor, “I love to eat out and head to the food trucks at least once a week. I mostly prefer fusion food because it’s a creative process of blending elements and practices of different regions around the globe. Every time I come here, I try something new.”
Not just customers, the food truck business is a win-win situation for the owners as well. For many would-be restaurateurs, they are a slightly less expensive way to test waters. Building a successful restaurant brand takes time and a wrong turn makes the journey even more circuitous and longer since re-branding takes time.
Prateek Khera, owner of Me So Hungry, says, “I started the food truck one year ago with Thai cuisine and also ran a catering business. Right now, I have one truck and in two years I see myself going up to eight to ten trucks.” Khera is not keen to open any restaurant as the costs involved vary based on concept, atmospherics, design and the signature menu. Opening a high-end dining establishment can begin at Rs 30 lakh and run into the millions.
On the other hand, a food truck with an identical menu can cost as little as Rs 2 to 3 lakh. “By starting small, you will learn many of the same lessons in a truck as you would in a restaurant. Operating any food service business is risky but if your idea fails, you would rather have a smaller investment to lose than a much larger one,” says Khera.
With the growing number of trucks and realising that the business is here to stay, a licence is now essential to start your window to the world. A local inspector can drop in anytime. And the lure of food them will not be good enough!
Photo: Pankaj Kumar