Truckloads of good food

A true Mumbai foodie will know that several food trucks have taken to the streets of Mumbai in the past few months, replicating the Western concept of food on wheels. And no, we’re not talking about the roadside food carts or thelas. On May 21 and 22 Mumbai’s favourite food trucks will gather at the High Street Phoenix courtyard for a two-day food truck festival, the first of its kind to be held in the city.

Bombay Food Truck, Yummy Wheels, Panario and Snow Birds, Sweetish House Mafia, and about a dozen other trucks will be lining the Phoenix Mills courtyard, their yummy offerings ranging from healthy fruit juices and smoothies to burgers and fries.

Why a food truck festival According to, Ashish Sajani, owner of the Bombay Food Truck and founding member of The Food Truck Association, a ‘food truck culture’ is essential for a metropolis like Mumbai. “Boston, London, New York and all the major metropolitan cities have it. Why not Mumbai ” According to Sajani, food trucks are a healthier option for those who eat at street-side thelas. “It’s much more hygienic than your regular street food and cheaper than restaurant dishes.”

President of The Food Truck Association, Shubham Chaudhuri also believes that the food truck culture needs to be promoted and hopes that this festival will go a long way in doing so, “This festival was conceptualised to serve as our mouthpiece to pledge to Mumbai’s law bodies that Food Trucks are safe, valuable and here to stay.”

Founder of Mumbai Foodie and co-curator of the festival, Ronak Rajani, explains, “We look for food ideas that are off the beaten path and co-curating this festival gave us the perfect platform to bring that belief to reality. Food trucks are fast changing Mumbai’s dining scene we are going to do our best to bring visitors the best of our city’s food-truck culture.”

Rajendra Kalkar, president of the Western division of Phoenix Mills added, “We like to think of unique ideas for festivals and events, so when the idea for a the food truck festival was suggested, we decided to run with it.”

The organisers are hoping for a good turnout given that there are more than 7,500 likes and check-ins on the event’s Facebook page since the announcement was made. “I posted the event on my Facebook wall,” says Kalkar, “and within a day, it had more than 500 likes. The topic really seems to be buzzing on the social media sites.”

Although the focus of the festival is food trucks, food is not all that is on offer. Musical gigs by bands like Grey Area and Tapi Project will be held on the courtyard stage while FA Cup matches are shown on a giant outdoor screen. There will also be a graffiti wall where visitors can help one of Mumbai’s renowned artists create a masterpiece.

On May 21 and 22 at High Street Phoenix