Taste of Lahore opened on Shepherd's Bush Road earlier this year
Zohaib Malik (left) with his kitchen staff in Taste of Lahore, Hammersmith
May 11, 2023
Restaurateur Zohaib Malik believes he saw a gap in the market when he realised that he was travelling to other boroughs to get good Pakistani food.
He therefore decided to open Taste of Lahore earlier this year, a restaurant that specialises in traditional, homemade Pakistani food. It can be found on Shepherd’s Bush Road, a short walk up the street from Brook Green.
41-year-old Zohaib said, “My family and I love the borough – but to get good Pakistani food, we used to have to travel out to Harrow, or Wembley, or Tooting.
“So we picked Hammersmith because there weren’t any local Pakistani restaurants where we could sit in and eat. Now, it’s available to anyone in the local area and my children are so excited. They come over every evening.”
The family-run restaurant is the newest in the Taste of Lahore franchise, started by Zohaib’s uncle in 2004. Before opening the Hammersmith eatery, he worked in the Harrow branch for four years.
“I like working in restaurants because you meet new people every day, when you’re serving your delicious food, and you become part of the local community.”
The Taste of Lahore restaurant on Shepherd’s Bush Road
The restaurant offers fresh, made-to-order food. Including vegetarian dishes, such as vegetable samosas and paneer tikka masala, and well-known classic meat recipes like tandoori lamb ribs and karahi chicken.
“Everything is prepared fresh on the day. So, if a customer wants to change a menu item or order something special, we can do that,” explained Zohaib.
“There’s lots I’d recommend off the menu. The butter chicken, the peshwari naan, and the biryanis are all really good choices. And my children, they love the kebabs and the grilled chicken,” Zohaib said.
“Butter chicken is a fusion of Pakistani and Western tastes. It’s very mild and very creamy, and great for someone new to Pakistani cuisine,” explained Fatimah, Zohaib’s partner.
“My favourites from the menu are the saag paneer and the gosht. It reminds me of Pakistan and of my homeland. The taste and smell of the dish reminds me of my country,” she added.
Taste of Lahore has a new weekday lunch menu available from noon to 4pm including a large kebab roll for £6.50 and a chicken karahi for £9.99.
Online customers can get 20 per cent off a first order through the Taste of Lahore website. https://www.tasteoflahore.co.uk/?l=en
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