A restaurant that promises a taste of something different

Pangaea Grill formally opens its doors to the capital.

ISLAMABAD:

It is time for some cuisines of the pacific, a menu featuring an assortment of dishes from Indonesia, Malaysia Thai and a dash of Vietnamese. The newest entry to Islamabad’s food scene, Pangaea Grill, was formally launched over mocktails and hors d’oeuvres at a jam-packed red carpet here on Friday night.

Pangaea — one world — is an idea, culinary and geological, that has more relevance today than it ever did before, when there were no continents, as geologists believe. Technology brings cultures ever closer, amalgamating them into one whole. This is the idea behind Pangaea — a place that brings together cuisines from a number of countries.

The brains behind the restaurant are also the owners of House of Bombay, which is right next to the newly opened restaurant on the Margalla Road in F-8/3.

Nida Amir, who is managing the restaurant, said, “I think the city needed a big change from the usual run-of-the-mill Italian and continental cuisines. We’ve tried removing the usual typical sweet and sour dishes and want to introduce new dishes that will create a whole new experience for food lovers.”

She said that they will introduce new dishes gradually to allow customers to become accustomed to the new cuisines.

The front of the restaurant evokes the feeling of a club, with comfortable seating giving it a casual outlook. The ground floor has sturdy sofas and tables in faun and brown. The first floor houses off-white oriental sofas against a backdrop of light green walls. It can also be used to host private get-togethers. The basement is fully equipped with audio and visual equipment that can be rented for board meetings and conferences.

“It’s interesting how well they have utilised space, which should increase their revenue,” said Hira a visitor at the red carpet event.

The event was handled by Rezz Aly Shah and hosted by Roshanay, a model.

Back to food, the raison detre for the restaurant, the owners swear by the Pangaea’s special crispy chicken and lime fish. For the daring, they recommend trying the Laksa on the menu.

If you’re bored with your usual pastas and steaks perhaps it’s time to try the Far East cuisines.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 9^th, 2012.