BHUBANESWAR: Savoury food, reasonable prices and street ambience are drawing foodies to the barbecue bikes that have been launched in the city recently. Two brothers have crafted a new usage for the Royal Enfield bike by attaching a barbecue grill as a side car. Yes, it’s a food bike.
The elder brother Chef Zakir Shaikh was inspired of the idea of a ‘Barbecue Bike’ during his stay in Bangalore. He said that the idea of a barbeque bike was never applied in the city before. “This can be a great way to pursue the passion of food and do something unique. City folks have always been willing to experiment with food,” he said.
Without wasting any time, he bought two old Royal Enfield 1976 model bikes and renovated it into Barbeque vehicles by attaching a sidecar. It was then modified into a stylish cooking station with a grill, a tava and storage for charcoal, spices and meat. On the bike’s fuel tank, a wood-framed menu announces grilled chicken varieties and mounted atop the sidecar is a black umbrella branded in bold white letters ‘Bbq Bhubaneswar’. Renovating old bikes was apparently more cost effective than owning a truck.
The endeavour was launched last year in February in Infocity and KIIT area. The initiative was halted for some months due to the restrictions for Odisha hockey world cup. However, the Barbeque bikers are back and have setup their inventory in Rasulgarh area. Their items include Jungli wings, Bhati da murg, Panjabi paneer tikka, Hariyali Kebab, mini Indian and Chinese combos , Hydrabadi lungi chicken biryani, Boneless whole chicken breast, Shawarma, Kebabs and Lollipops among others.
Zakir said, “With the mushrooming of food trucks in the city, the competition for customers is heating up. However, people are coming to us in large numbers thanks to our unique style. We have plans to open another one at the Ram Mandir area and Satya Nagar.”
Younger brother Rizwan Shaikh said, “Barbecue has caught the imagination of foodies. We wanted to tap into its potential. However, we wanted to stand out among the growing number of barbecue restaurants. We felt that Bullet Bbq Ride with its unique look, presence and taste was a good option. It’s working out pretty well so far.”
We prepare 90 percent of dishes from our hotel. This is followed by grilling at the barbeque by adding charcoal which gives it a smoky flavor. The method is quite simple. We source around 15 kilos of chicken every morning; marinate it for five hours before setting up shop in the evening. Grilling is a healthier method than frying in oil and people lap it up; we have been able to sell out all of the procured meat for the day, so far. We have been also invited to various events at hotels and restaurants.”
The team is planning to recruit more staff for expanding the franchise in Cuttack and other places. Ashok Pradhan, a student, said, “I and my friends eat delicacies from various places. However, eating from barbeque bikes adds a touch of classiness due to the charm attached to bikes.”
arindam ganguly, op
