​It has been a long time coming, but Cambridge finally gets its first-ever Pakistani restaurant.

For those of you wondering about the difference between Pakistani and Indian food, you only need to look at the abundance of meat – predominantly grilled lamb. With lamb being my favourite meat (while I am also in the midst of a twenty-five-year love affair with spices 🤣) this got me very excited.

It was also my first visit to a Pakistani restaurant in 11 years, the last being Tayyabs in Whitechapel, London. I was foaming at the mouth to explore this cuisine further again and learn a bit more about what it has to offer.

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The restaurant has a casual café vibe with a large screen TV playing Pakistani pop music. There is a long counter at the back with a selection of dishes on display. It was a Monday night, so the restaurant was mostly empty, but I was pleased to learn that it is open seven days a week, making it a suitable choice for any time.

Watch out ⚠️

Bottles of water are left on the table. Be careful, as we later learned that opening these results in a £4 charge added to your bill. I haven’t seen this sort of sneaky behaviour since Chutney Joe’s in Cambourne back in the 2010s. I could see no indication that the bottle was for sale in any way, shape, or form…

Swings & Roundabouts

…Despite this, I wasn’t too angry because the team brought out some papadum and naan kulcha ‘on the house’. I didn’t ask for them for it and they didn’t appear on the bill, so mathematically I was still up. I presume this comes with every meal.👍

We were given a single papadum each, along with a miniscule dollop of mango chutney and mixed pickle. I could see that papadums were on the menu for £4, if this was presented to me for that price I would have been incredibly disappointed but as it was complimentary, it was a very welcome surprise (I am interested to know whether the chutney and pickle portions are bigger if you pay for them? – if anyone finds out, make sure to report back to the Cambridge Foodies).

Lamb Chops

Lamb chops are one of those things you simply must try at a Pakistani restaurant. Four pieces were £15 from their starter menu.

The lamb arrived beautifully presented on a wooden board, garnished with coriander leaves and a light sprinkling of yoghurt. The chops were a fair size and quite meaty. I thought they were perfectly cooked with a healthy brown colour and a slight char. Delicious!

Karahi

If you find yourself at Nawaab, I highly recommend you try one of their Karahi platters. This popular Pakistani dish is essentially a stir-fried curry. It is brought out in a wok-like bowl and is large enough to serve 2–4 people. The menu warns of a 40-minute wait due to everything being made fresh to order – I couldn’t resist, especially with lamb as an option!

The Karahi came out in good time with the lamb served on the bone, allowing for maximum flavour. Silence filled the table as we both chowed down on this incredible dish. The chunks of lamb fell to pieces and melted in the mouth. This oil-based dish had everything – flavour, a mild spicy heat, and a portion big enough to satisfy even the biggest appetites.

We ordered a kulcha naan, which is similar to the classic naan we know from Indian/Bangladeshi restaurants. This was great for mopping up sauce and wrapping up chunks of lamb then devouring. The pilau rice was a generous portion and brightened up the table with some much-needed colour. Once everything was out on the table it looked absolutely superb!

Lassi

My guest ordered a lassi. This popular yoghurt-based drink is great for taming a fiery beast and is something we order frequently. Unlike many others I have had, this was served with a layer of cream on top and was much thinner than a traditional lassi. It was served in a huge jug, proving to be a ginormous portion big enough to share.

Cambridge gets more diverse

It is always exciting to see a new type of restaurant in Cambridge. We have been overdue for a Pakistani joint in the city for some time. I highly recommend giving the Karahi a try; it turned out to be the standout dish of the evening. The restaurant makes for a convenient option for diners while also being an exciting, spacious, and pleasant place to be.

Thanks for reading