Move over food trucks, here comes mobile barbecue. If you happen to be near Sasthamangalam junction after 6 pm, this Royal Enfield Classic 350 cc parked by the road side with an umbrella stand ought to catch your attention. Come closer and you find that the two-wheeler comes with a sidecar. Open the sidecar and there you see the grill.
Barbecue being prepared
Named Rider’s BBQ, the barbecue on wheels was launched a couple of weeks ago by three friends — Harish KH, Ajas K Jaleel and Hayas Aboobacker, based in Thrissur. “We are foodies and explore all kinds of food. The concept was inspired by Bengaluru-based BBQ Ride India, considered the first food bike in India, which has now branched out to many cities the country. I have enjoyed their dishes in Chennai and wanted to do something like that,” says Harish, an engineering graduate.
Harish KH
The trio then got together to come up with their own version of “bullet barbecue” and made the sidecar on their own in Thrissur. “The bike was brought here because we wanted to start our venture in the capital city itself,” says Harish. While Ajas, also an engineering graduate, owns a company in the city that offers a certification programme for “safety engineers”, Harish manages the venture and Hayas, an MBA holder, helps them out.
Ajas K Jaleel
“This is something we do after our office hours. We had a 10-day promotional event during the Onam festivities on the Kanakakunnu premises and the response was overwhelming,” says Harish. He adds that Rider’s BBQ is different from BBQ Ride India. “For example, while the latter uses LPG, we have a charcoal grill. Also, we keep experimenting with the dishes and the flavours,” he adds.
Regular items on the menu are chicken strips, chicken tikka, drumsticks and seekh kebab, with the items priced ₹99 onwards. Riders Kofte BBQ, which has ground beef and cheese, is available Monday to Wednesday. Chicken wings, tuna and prawns are also served. The vegetarian spread is limited for the time being with grilled paneer, mushroom, pineapples and apple.
Hayas Aboobacker
In addition, different combos are available, such as strips and chappathi (₹159), seekh kebab-drum sticks-chappathi (₹255), chilli chicken-strips-tikka-chappathi-kuboos (₹222) and chicken manchurian-strips-tikka-chicken lollipop-chappathi (₹249). “Usually, we buy 10 to 15 kilograms of chicken daily for various dishes. We use imported seasoning and oil. Initially, we three manned the barbecue. Now we have a trained chef,” says Harish. You can either take a seat and have the food by the road side or can opt for a take away. “We plan to introduce items such as sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs and tandoor items in the near future. Four more such bikes will be launched,” Harish adds.
Except for rainy days, the bike is stationed daily from 6 pm to 12 pm. But better be an early bird. Contact: 9645558888
