Entice your taste buds with Zaoq Restaurant

Qatar-based fine dining eatery serves Pakistani cuisine

KARACHI: Zaoq Restaurant, a Qatar-based fine dining place that serves Pakistani cuisine, opened its doors to customers on Friday evening.

It promises to offer mouth-watering delights and satisfy people's taste buds. The restaurant is located on the second floor of Dolmen Mall, Clifton, sandwiched between Fat Burger at one end and Sindbad at the other.

Talking about the restaurant, CEO Ahmad Hussain said, "We believed there was a gap in the market as far as fine dining restaurants of Pakistani origins are concerned. Besides, Pakistani food has so much to offer, Indian cuisine doesn't come even close to it. So, we opened our first outlet in Qatar in 2008. It is certainly not just business, it's more of a passion that we are pursuing."



He added that the fact that the restaurant in Qatar was doing so well and the persistence from their family and friends made them realise that they should now come to Karachi and open their doors here.

When asked about their menu, Zaoq Restaurant director Ammar Hussain, son of Ahmad, remarked they are serving 'a combination of Pakistani cuisine, ranging from Sindhi Biryani to Chinnioti Mutton'.

"I am on the lookout for the highest quality of meat and seafood in town that is mandatory to keep up with the quality and refined taste aesthetics of our menu," said Ahmad. This is also something lacking here in Karachi."

He also talked about the importance of hygiene in restaurants. Zaoq has glass windows separating the kitchen from the seating area, showing customers their food being prepared. "We believe in transparency," remarked Ahmad.



Commenting on the name, Ahmad said his daughter-in-law, Mehreen Ammar, suggested it. The word has the same meaning in both Arabic and Urdu, he said.

The décor of the restaurant is quiet elegant with beige flooring comfortable sofas, brown wooden walls and crockery set in the backdrop.

It has been designed by Mian Yasir Rafiq, said Ahmad. "I explained to him about how I want the place to be and he translated it."

Sharing his future plans, Ahmad said that he will soon open outlets in Lahore and Islamabad and expand his chain to Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2016.