RAWALPINDI: A three-day food festival titled ‘Pindi Eats’ commenced in the garrison city on Friday, bringing famous foods of the country under one roof.

Commissioner Saqib Manan, along with Hashoo Group Chief Executive Officer Haseeb Gardezi, Pearl Continental Hotel Rawalpindi General Manager Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi and Mohammad Farooq Dar inaugurated the festival. The event was largely attended by diplomats and residents of the twin cities.

Traditional cuisines besides Chinese, Kashmiri and Mughlai were available at various stalls and special traditional sitting areas were arranged in the lawns of the hotel.

There are live traditional food stations at the festival where delicious delicacies, soups, salads and desserts were being served. Along with delicious cuisines, there was live performances by Rahim Shah, Drum Circle and also a Qawali Night in which performers enthralled the audience. A jumping castle, face painting and a magic show was set up for children.

There was something for everyone who likes spicy food and for those who like less spicy food; traditional dishes like qorma, pulao, biryani, haleem, sajji and dum pukht were available at the festival.

The Chinese food stall seemed to be the most popular with soups and other chicken and vegetable dishes. Different salads and desserts likesuji ka halwa,gajar ka halwaand continental deserts were put in separate stalls.

“The beautiful outdoor setting, coupled with delicious food offerings from our acclaimed hotels, includes dumpukht from Pearl-Continental Hotel Lahore, Kashmiri cuisine from Pearl-Continental Hotel Muzzafarabad, Khyber Hujra from Pearl-Continental Hotel Bhurban, Tai-Pan, Jason’s Steak House and Bukhara from Pearl-Continental Hotel, Rawalpindi,” said one of the organisers of the event.

“This festival is the presentation of the culture and cuisines of all regions of our country, portraying authentic rituals and giving the world a message of peace and festivity,” he said.

Through the food festival, he said that we intend to welcome the cold and chilly winter and signify appetising cuisines for families so they could cherish these memories.

He said that the great response from the city’s residents showed that locals were enthusiastic about food, culture and traditions and wanted these things preserved.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2022