Double-decker bus converted to a restaurant at Rajender Nagar in New Delhi. (Photo| Parveen Negi, EPS)
Most of us may have had dreams of feeling like Harry Potter, bowling down the streets of London on the Knight bus. Imagine being on a similar vehicle - one that's bright red, a double-decker, and in Delhi. Tejas Singh and Arushi Singh, decided to make this dream a reality.
In an attempt to introduce a unique dining experience, this brother-sister duo from Rajendra Nagar recently launched Delhi's first-ever double-decker bus that doubles up as a restaurant. The Food Bus of India is about giving Delhiites the ultimate hop-on, hop-off experience, while enjoying comfort food.
From vision to reality
Tejas, who is an architect by profession, created the structural design of the bus body, and commissioned its construction from scratch to a vendor at an outstation location. Collaborating with Surjit Singh, the co-founder of restaurants like Lord of the Drinks, Imly, and Open House Cafe, this bus serves as a restaurant and a tourist attraction.
Giving an elevated experience to street food, the unique selling point of this property is the fact that it is right at Gate No 2, Rajendra Place metro station. Talking about the innovative experience, Arushi, who quit her job as a lawyer for this project, said, "You get off the metro, hop on a bus, get a meal, hop off, and carry on with your day."
From the time they rolled into the capital on September 18, the Singh siblings highlight that the bus has been an instant hit. "We've been getting so much response that people have been waiting outside," said Arushi.
With the one at Rajendra Nagar as their flagship restaurant, the duo plan to launch more such buses in neighbourhoods such as Lajpat Nagar, Kamla Nagar, Green Park, and even Gurugram and Noida. Accommodating customers amid the pandemic has been challenging at a place that is comparatively smaller than most restaurants.
However, the novelty of dining in a double-decker bus trumps the wait. Central Delhi resident Kunal Gupta (23), a customer we met at the restaurant on Tuesday afternoon, mentioned that this was a novel idea and a unique experience. In a similar vein, Saksham Sharma, a 21-year-old student from Najafgarh, noted that it was a great ambience for young people.
Foods of delight
You will find a fusion of iconic street foods from all over the world at this restaurant. "We bring to you the capitals of the world to the capital of the country," stated Arushi. The food is pre-prepared at their main kitchen in Naraina with special touches added to it at the modest kitchen on the bus.
One of the specialties of this restaurant is their handmade pizza, prepared from scratch by their chef. The array of thalis served as breakfast, lunch, high-tea and dinner, is yet another delicacy. The patrons are also served a variety of Indian street snacks such as vada pav with gunpowder chutney made using garlic, chillies, coconut and the chef's special spices.
Although the thalis will be staples on their menus, the Singh duo plan to keep changing a few dishes according to the location of the bus. "I was amazed to see the end product. We were so tired by the end of the journey. But seeing the bus finally in place and ready to accept customers was very rewarding," concluded Tejas.
