Meals on wheels

Every evening, a parking lot in Gurgaon turns into a food truck hub

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It's a pleasant Tuesday evening, with just a hint of nip in the air - perfect for a stroll and a quick bite. And what better way to enjoy both than to flock to the long line of food trucks, parked near the bustling neighbourhood of Sector 29, Gurgaon. Most throw their trucks open only post 6 pm and are just switching on the lights, firing up the stoves and getting ready to welcome diners as I walk by. The last one year has seen the food truck fad in Gurgaon grow by leaps and bounds. Today, 15 to 20 trucks line the area.

Most food truck owners have a day job and this format allows them to test waters in the food business while staying financially secure. For instance, Rahul Sharma, who runs Sadda Adda, a truck focused on Indian street food, is a chartered accountant by profession. Bhuvan, the founder of Yolks on Fire, is a financial consultant by day. "If the food truck business is successful, I will leave my day job and take this up full time," says Bhuvan. The food truck format allows these young entrepreneurs to enter the food industry without having to carve a hole in their pockets. "Setting up a restaurant requires huge investments. Compared to that, a food truck is a more viable option," says Sharma, whose daily overheads range from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000.

Drifters Café

Even in this small set, it is those that have a clear USP who are doing well. Megha Badjatia, who recently shifted from Indore, started Dilli Metro barely a month ago. A caterer by profession, she wanted to expose diners to Indian fare not usually found in restaurants. The kathal biryani and soy ka rogan josh are just some of the fastest selling dishes at this all-veg food truck. "We will have a new menu in winter, which will include undhiyo, badaam ke aloo and bajre ka khichda," she says. Eggjactly is hugely popular for its egg combos. People swear by the ham and cheese omelette and the smokehouse egg combo. Similarly, the wasabi prawn sushi and asparagus sushi do well at the Sushi House Mafia.

Rolling Kitchen famous for its Manakeesh, chicken shawarma and falafel rolls

On any given day, people can be seen lining up outside Droolfi for the all-natural gulkand, anjeer, falsa and jamun kulfis. For a taste of authentic Lebanese, head to The Rolling Kitchen where the Manakeesh, chicken shawarma and falafel rolls are the fastest selling dishes. "The response we have got is overwhelming and we are extremely excited about expanding our business," says Gaurav Rathee, who started The Rolling Kitchen along with Shakti Pratap Singh in June this year. At any of these, a meal for two would cost between Rs 250 and Rs 400. Most get 50 to 80 diners on a weekday and nearly 100 on a weekend.

Sadda Adda that focuses on Indian street food

However, there are some who believe that Gurgaon's food trucks have a long way to go, when compared to the ones in San Francisco and Bangkok. The ones abroad, such as Roy Choi's Kogi Korean Taco truck, are the hub of culinary innovation."Internationally, the food is cooked on the spot by chefs using fresh ingredients. In Gurgaon, the food trucks are getting precooked dishes and simply reheating them. It goes against the concept," says Pawan Soni, founder of the food network, Indian Food Freak, which has more than 100,000 members across the world.