Is ostrich meat Islamabad's latest food trend?

A new restaurant in Bahria Town is offering ostrich meat for the first time in the twin cities.

.#Tag has been set up to give a very cabin-in-the-woods feel with cosy gazebos lined with homely wood furniture. The gazebos are decorated with colourful Turkish lamps.

“I am a foodie and I love trying new dishes. I decided to start a restaurant which offers something residents of the twin cities did not have and came up with the idea of basing the menu on ostrich meat,” said Ahtesham Chaudhry, the owner of the eatery.

The restaurateur explained that ostrich meat costs about Rs1,800 per kg and that the meat is liked across the world for its taste and high nutritional value. He said ostrich meat is gaining popularity with his customers and that the menu also contains chicken, beef and mutton variants of the dishes.

The bill of fare includes the chunky ostrich, which is a grilled ostrich burger, steaks and burgers. The Chunky Ostrich patty is made with ostrich meat mixed with just olive oil, salt and black pepper. They come in double deck and single patty servings and are sandwiched between thin burger buns.

The steaks come in Gun Smoke, Wolf Gang and Wild Hunter each varying in level of spice, gun smoke being the hottest of the three. The steaks are grilled on an open spit and are juicy and flavourful.

The restaurant also offers chizza, a pizza with a chicken base instead of a dough one. The chicken meat is layered with cheese and toppings including onions, garlic and olives. The dish is slow baked and then brushed with olive oil before being served.

The French fries at the restaurant are a treat due to their large size and all dishes are accompanied by a complimentary 750ml glass of soft drink.

A resident of Chaklala Scheme-III, Zubair Ahmed said he had found ostrich meat “incredible”.

“If you want a different burger, then try the ostrich meat burger,” he said.

“Chicken had taken the market over from mutton and beef and I have a feeling ostrich meat will take over the market from chicken. It is sold in supermarkets now as well. I am a regular visitor to the restaurants across the city and I found ostrich meat quite different. It is also a healthier meat option and is very easy to digest,” said Abdullah Malik, a customer.

Originally published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2018