Campus Edibles

One to Go!

Sumaiya Ahsan Bushra
Photos: Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo

How often do we find red and yellow carts, which are actually hygienic, in the middle of a street in Dhaka? Well surprising enough, these carts are slowly and steadily dominating some of the prime areas of Dhaka, like Gulshan, Banani and Dhanmondi. As these are some of the major residential and occupational locations, people from all walks of life, flood in between 11:00 am to 9:00 pm, to stop by and grab a hotdog from 4sHotDogs.

Hot dogs have always been a favourite amongst young people. And 4sHotDogs, is a concept that emerged as a dream come true for four friends, Hasib, Shumon, Maksud and Shiblee. They found such portable food stalls abroad and wanted to introduce this idea to our country as well. At times, when you are stuck in traffic and you have something like this around, you can easily grab one on your way home.

The hot dogs range in size and price. 'Uno', the smallest, sized 6 inches cost around 60 takas. 'Alto', 7.5 inches, is a medium size for those who love to eat. It costs around 80 takas and the largest 'Presto' which is around 9 inches in size is 100 takas. Apart from the size of the sausage used in 'Uno', the quality of the sausage also varies. While, Zabiha Halal, a Canadian brand is used in the smallest hot dog, other types, use White Hen Gourmet sausage, which is a local brand.

“We wanted to revolutionise the concept of street food. My friends and I often go out of the country on tours and we depend largely on street food abroad. However, in our country, such options aren't even there as we barely have any food carts here, other than the chotpoti stalls, which are not always that hygienic. We plan to bring unconventional food items and sell them in the streets under a more hygienic environment,” says Hasib, one of the founding members.

Abdus Shahid, the man who literally stands behind the wheels to sell the hot dogs in the Banani section, says, “This hot dog is different from others because of its freshness and taste. We make it at a daily basis and none of it is sold stale. For us, quality is the main priority.”

“What makes this business an even bigger success, is the home delivery services, which are available free of cost. All you need to do is dial the numbers assigned for your locality, and you will have the food delivered at your house,” explains Laila Alamgir, a student of Bangladesh Medical College, also a regular customer.

This cart can be seen in Banani, Road 10, opposite the Banani mosque. And for Dhanmondi dwellers, the cart is seen in road 14A, opposite Bangladesh Medical College (BMC). By now most of you have familiarised yourself with the locations of this cart in your cognitive maps, so do not delay, go grab your hot dog!