NOVANEWS
Captain Dan Hanley – Islamabad, Pakistan
(May 19, 2011) – While many foreign travelers may shudder these politically troubled days at the thought of enjoying a great meal in Islamabad, Pakistan at phenomenally convenient prices, one of my favorite haunts for exquisite ethnic cuisine is the Kabul Restaurant in Sector F/7 in the heart of Islamabad.
Located conveniently on College Road in the Jinnah Market, the tantalizing aroma of fresh skewed kebab roasting on an outside open grill alongside other Afghan delicacies captures your attention even before you enter the premises. Housed on two floors, the prompt service, ethnic atmosphere and especially the scrumptious cuisine offered on the menu puts this restaurant at the top of my list when dining in Islamabad.
The main dining room is located on the second floor and, adorned with long tables surrounded by intimately snuggled side table seating, on any given evening one may find it always crowded with Pakistani, Afghan, embassy workers, and many tourists. Outside seating café style is also available along College Road.
Service is prompt and courteous despite the overburdened waiters who eagerly satisfy your every need with a simple wave of your hand in their direction.
By western standards, the huge portions of delicious mounds of rice laced with meat and vegetables compliment the warm toasted roti and mouth-watering tender meat offerings at this quaint restaurant. A wide variety of beverages are also available.
For those unfamiliar with roti, the flat bread offered at most restaurants as standard bill of fare, it is a large round flat bread prepared with flour and water and toasted warm on a flat skillet that could serve as a meal in itself with the proper condiments.
At Kabul Restaurant, this warm bread is served hot out of the mud ovens to your table along side mounds of rice the size of the Margalla Hills, the Himalaya foothills adjacent to Islamabad and a great tourist location to be discussed in a future column.
The specialty of the house is their beef and chicken kabob served in overly-generous amounts on skewers at your table. Waiters will gladly unskewer the meat for you with one slide of the knife down the the skewer and onto the plate.
Few realize that over 1.6 million registered Afghans have fled their native land to settle in Pakistan to open various businesses with their families. In spite of heightened political tensions in the region, patrons of the establishment have always received our family with reserved, but warm reception, which is not uncommon throughout Pakistan in these troubled times.
With regard to family closeness and values, the rich Pakistani culture is mainly unique compared to the hustle-bustle two-income earning families of the west. Heartwarming to say the least, the sight of a large Afghan or Pakistani family sharing a friendly meal on austere budgets at the large tables of this restaurant as compared to a fast swing through the local McDonald’s for a Big Mac, as we see oft times in the west, serves as an example of what has been lost in the global economy throughout the world.
For a family of four, you can hobble out of this restaurant with an overstuffed belly and a fat wallet for around 2500 rupees or $30 in U.S. dollars. Tipping is generally offered at 10-15% to waiters.
But don’t take my word for it, experience it for yourself! For those more serious, less daring and timid souls who might be reluctant, as an admired poet once said:
“Life is too important to be taken seriously.”
~ Oscar Wilde ~
Most all believe that we only get to dance down the path of life but once, so dance, live, learn and love. Lighten up; be daring…visit the Kabul Restaurant on your next visit to Islamabad!
Captain Dan Hanley resides with his Pakistani bride, Huma Hashmi-Hanley, and their two children in Islamabad, Pakistan where they are currently launching an NGO in hopes of heightening global awareness while providing relief to the ‘forgotten ones’ in the flooded areas of the country and other locations elsewhere in southwest Asia.
