Amidst Polo and seasonal festivities the rush of tourists has increased by numbers in Lahore. The demand for multi-cultural cuisine is high giving little importance to fast food restaurants. The recent culinary and hospitality market has seen comeback in South East Asian cuisine with emphasis on Thai and Japanese that is new to common public. Aarzoo Naeem, an online food critic said the opening of Thai and Japanese restaurants have helped develop taste for other South East Asian cuisines besides Chinese. She further adds, “Love for food is embedded in our soul, and its must for us to test our taste buds. What’s enthralling is how we Lahoris develop taste for variety of food. There was a very good Japanese restaurant Shun-Bar, and it was amazing to see how crowded it was. It gave an equally good quality food, like Fujiyama, and in affordable price. But we’re glad to have Opium Thai which is easily accessible for regular diners.”
Uptown restaurants such as Opium Thai and Hong Kong are amongst the fewest South East Asian restaurants competing against fast food and continental ones in Lahore’s most happening lifestyle market on M M Alam Road. The increasing demand has reached the streets. Five star restaurants have become secondary options due to high priced menu and the complicating procedure to make reservations. “We often come to Pakistan during Polo season, and it’s good to find new restaurants offering Mediterranean, Italian and South East Asian food. The variety and quality of food offered at Opium Thai is amazing, especially because it’s affordable and the ambiance is quiet relaxing. It’s the kind of environment we bag packers love,” said Isabella Cristen bag packer from Austria. Fabian Nikolai, fellow bag packers further on added, “I am not sure if there are many restaurants offering food that is typically Thai. I was surprised to see the Buddha figurine complimenting Thai culture, and the use of Bamboo which is Thai’s specialty in interior décor and design.”
For the South East Asian community in Pakistan revival of South East Asian cuisine comes as a blessing. “The Chinese are the oldest foreign community in Pakistan. Our ancestors migrated during the early years of Pakistan, and since then we have offered the best and most authentic cuisine to people. The South East Asian food was losing its significance since international fast food restaurants opened their franchises. A couple of new restaurants have opened up since a year ago, and that has helped revived South East Asian cuisine culture,” said Michael Chu the successor of Hong Kong – oldest Chinese restaurants in Lahore. The recent years have redesigned the culinary and hospitality business. Fine dining and multi-cultural cuisine is no more limited to selected elite. More and more people are willingly to test their taste buds. Lifestyle and travel logs available online and offline are educating people to adopt a stylish lifestyle, and for Lahoris it begins with food.
South East Asian cuisine makes a comeback
