Food trucks are the latest rage to have burst onto the Hyderabad food scene. One can find them in the evenings, in several parts of the city, quite noticeably in the areas around Hitech City and Gachibowli. Its practically a night-time 'mela' with all kinds of food trucks dotting the length of the road serving a variety of cuisine, snacks & other assortments. The rates charged though are tantamount to the QSRs (Quick Service Restaurant), and not very different. They are doing brisk business and people from all walks have taken to it with full vigour. You can find Zomato listings of food trucks and even startup apps that are built around locating food trucks in your area.
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| A food truck (source:Hindu) | the busy 'eat street' in Madhapur |
This has not always been the case, atleast in the southern parts of the country where, unlike Mumbai or Delhi, 'street food' was never celebrated. Food trucks used to be a 'cheaper' & 'quicker' option, but not a palatable one for most people. People had their qualms about standing and savouring these options, or atleast a stigma attached to being seen eating out in the open. Ofcourse, there have been noticeable exceptions, like the famous 'ram-ki-bandi' in Nampally area of Hyderabad, which boasts of a celebrity clientele. However, these have been few and far between and acceptance was generally low. Its nice to see this change now, for the good.
My experience with food trucks started during my Engineering days in Karaikudi, where a Chinese-cuisine serving truck aptly named 'Huang Suang' was a rage in the campus. Located in the middle of the city, this was frequented on a daily basis by the students & 'masses', but the other locals and 'classes' generally stayed away. I've continued eating 'out' through my stints in Delhi and during my travel, so we recently checked out one of these food trucks in Hyderabad. The 'Superman Dosa' truck served piping hot 'pizza dosa' and 'schezwan fry idli', while the kids enjoyed the experience!
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