Print

    Shacking up with Food at Purple Junction!

    Written by: Aiza Azam
    Posted on: February 04, 2014 |

    Descended from Kashgari and Turkish blood, and boasting a culinary heritage that combines cuisines from the Middle East, South India and Central Asia, Sameer and Numair Manzoor Khan are bringing healthy, home cooked food to the capital in a big way: the Food Shack way.

    Kunafa
    Kunafa

    Branching out from the parent entity Purple Junction, Food Shack opened as recently as mid December 2013, but it already has a loyal customer base that is expanding as you read. With a menu featuring beef burgers loaded with the choicest cuts, shawarmas of delectable chicken wrapped inside soft pita bread, Kunafa interlaced with luscious cream that’s thick and still feels light, and the most authentic tasting Hummus that begs you to remember the Arabian desert, the first-time eater has trouble justifying going elsewhere. The delicious food alone doesn’t make that choice for you; it’s also the low prices, and the fact that every dish is made from scratch in the healthy confines of their home kitchen, under direction from Head Chef Mrs. Manzoor Khan.

    In answer to my question of how it all started, I’m told, “With a website for an Afghan company called Wahid Wahidi.” But we come to that a little later.

    Tasting menu prepared for Youlin
    Tasting menu prepared for Youlin

    Sameer and Numair moved back to Pakistan for good about eight years ago. They’d lived in Dubai as children and had spent their high school years in Canada. When they moved to Islamabad they felt that the city, in stark contrast to Lahore and Karachi, did not afford much variety of reasonably priced eateries, particularly if you got hungry at an unconventional hour late at night. The lack of real choice made them consider providing it themselves. “We thought about what kind of food we could offer and what would appeal to people; and while having decent menu options was key, the one thing we wanted to focus on was a quality product at affordable rates. So it was about combining great food with great prices.”       

    Purple Junction was already up and about at this time, having been launched in June 2013 with money Sameer made from the website he designed for Wahid Wahidi. Described as ‘Your junction for all art!’ Purple Junction specializes in custom ordered T-shirts, posters and wall hangings. You sit down with the Purple Junction team to discuss or show them precisely what you want made and they will recreate it on your medium of choice. When they began, advertising was done entirely on social networking websites and by word of mouth, but a regular clientele picked up rapidly. The foundation for Purple Junction and the projects that followed lies in a love of art in all its forms. Food seemed the next logical direction to take, particularly because they believed they could offer what the city didn’t yet have.

    Shacking up with Food

    Their recipes, right down to the sauces (the mint chutney and spicy mayo dip are highly recommended!) are entirely original; family secrets, if you will. Mrs. Manzoor had studied culinary arts from “all over the world”, as her sons put it; so in crafting the menu, they drew on her experiences from living in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, the training for desserts that she had undergone in Australia, and the South Indian food which was her own mother’s native cuisine. The team wanted to begin initially on a select menu with a Middle Eastern accent. With Rs. 30,000 worth of groceries and another 14k for printing flyers, Food Shack was born.

    Purple Junction artwork
    Purple Junction artwork

    The brothers stocked menus at the D Watson chain in the city and told their friends about the venture. Here, Numair credits a loyal base of close ones who helped spread that initial word. “We’d get them to try our food in the beginning, but the reason they stayed and then kept coming back was because they genuinely enjoy what Food Shack is producing.” With all ingredients coming in fresh daily, and recipes honed according to customer feedback, business is brisk.

    Sameer deals with customer orders and runs the social media; Numair takes on delivery and spreads the word through his personal social network. The only drawback they feel is that they have a small team at present. In addition to the assistant chef from Dubai and a kitchen helper or two, it is entirely a family outfit. A number of times, they’ve even had to decline taking orders from insistent customers because they don’t want to sacrifice quality for quantity. They take pride in the fact that they’ve never lost a customer. “That’s a testament to the food we’re making; people have been promoting our food on their own because they believe in it!” Sameer enthuses, and Numair agrees, “Our experience is that people here are very discerning about what they eat; they have genuine appreciation for healthy, quality food.” 

    Sweet Edge, the official dessert arm of Food Shack, will be launched soon. The planned menu features cakes and cupcakes, traditional Middle Eastern desserts like Ligamat, Tulumba and Basbousa, and a rather interesting variety of cookies.  

    What else are they planning on doing?

    With Food Shack, they’re now considering moving to a proper outlet and would like to gradually expand the menu to include Mexican, Turkish and Kashgari food as well. At present though, they’re in discussions with a certain educational institution for a project that will incorporate learning with a healthy food menu, as well as an international airline carrier for their in-flight food service!

    But the overall direction, the end goal they explain, is essentially a cultural enterprise that incorporates aspects as varied as films, art, theatre, and even body care products. But that’s quite a ways down the line, they say, and right now they want to focus on improving and expanding the projects on hand. What really stands out is their creativity and the passion with which they’re pursuing their ideas.

     

    For more on Purple Junction:  https://www.facebook.com/PurpleJunction

    To order from Food Shack: https://www.facebook.com/FoodShackpk


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021