Forbes covers Pakistan’s most famous food influencer Adeel Chaudhry
Thirty-something restaurateur and food connoisseur, Adeel Chaudhry, food-obsessed ever since he was a child. Chaudhry has been born and raised in Lahore, the popular food influencer reveals that his love for good food comes from his family. Adeel Chaudhry broke the news via his Instagram account. He is also the owner of Lahore famous Junoon Restaurant.
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“My mother has always been a good cook and my father loves eating, so it was a winning combination from the start,” he chuckles, while sitting in his restaurant, Junoon, in Lahore. “My mother would prepare lots of rich Pakistani food on a daily basis for our family and I think that’s where my taste and appetite for gastronomy developed” he told Forbes.
Producing social media content through his Instagram page that focuses on Chaudhry exploring the best local cuisine spots in the country, he says that his foremost passion lies in fusion food and giving Pakistani food a bit of an edge.
“I love playing with spices and bringing a little enhancement to what’s standard in the preparation of a local dish,” he says, adding that he often tinkers about in his pastry lab in the restaurant where he and his chef experiment with giving local desserts an international spin.
However, he admits about the subjectivity and diversity of food that it isn’t always easy to convince the local audience when it comes to fusion food.
“Taste is subjective, some may like fusion food and others may not. I feel in Pakistan we’re still a bit cautious when it comes to food innovation. Particularly in the Punjab province, there’s a strong sensitivity when it comes to attempting to alter a recipe,” he states.
“I remember once putting up a fusion recipe that some of my followers got very offended by. Even though there’s resistance to innovation, it’s slowly changing in Pakistan. And that’s a good thing because restaurateurs in Pakistan need to now keep an eye on what’s happening abroad. We have to be both relatable and stand out.”
Adeel Chaudhry has also been ranked as one of the top five Muslim food connoisseurs in the world in 2019. Chaudhry continues to be a part of food festivals in Dubai, where he lived for over a decade during his career in real estate.
“I found real estate very boring, I never enjoyed it” he says, mentioning that he’d go to different restaurants as an attempt to connect with his passion. He further added, “It was then that he began developing a strong urge to launch my own restaurant in Pakistan”
“I noticed that the restaurants in Dubai made their dishes visually very tempting. Even if they were serving a simple drink, they’d make an entire experience out of it. For example a server would dance before putting it on the table. I realized that the entertainment aspect creates value for what the customer is about to consume. Food needs to look delicious for sure, but the theatrics are important and fun too. Look at Salt Bae. Given the competition, you need to find more innovative ways to sell your food. And I’m trying very hard to develop this in Pakistan. Customers need to connect with what’s on their plate so that they have a desire to eat it.”
Forbes covers Pakistan’s most famous food influencer Adeel Chaudhry
With plans to launch Junoon’s second branch in Lahore’s Old City, next month, Chaudhry reveals that he wants to continue showcasing Pakistani cuisine – which plays a “huge role” in local culture – to foreign audiences.
“Pakistani food doesn’t get the credit it deserves and I want to change that. Our cuisine is not only original, it’s also evolving. Besides, it gives outsiders an insight into what we’re like as people: friendly and very hospitable.”
