- Read the story of how Pakistan embraced an all-American favorite.
A hearty roll, loaded with thinly sliced beef and drenched in cheese sauce. You know it, you love it — it’s the Philly cheesesteak.
Yet, as yummy and iconic as the cheesesteak is, it’s also equally American. Despite the cheesesteak’s popularity stateside, it’s virtually unknown (and more often than not considered unappetizing) outside the U.S.
But there’s always an exception. The most unlikely corner of the world has fallen in love with the cheesesteak.
That place is Lahore, Pakistan.
The cheesesteak is a popular treat in the second biggest city of Pakistan, located in the country’s northeast. Available in many different variations, everybody seems to love it — from penniless college students to swanky rich folks.
How did this happen? Why is Pakistan out of all places going ga-ga for a quintessentially American fast food meal?
Let’s find out!
Same but Different
We don’t have to travel too far back in time to discover the cheesesteak’s origins in Pakistan — only some 40 years. There’s a simple reason for that.
Before the 1980s, processed cheese — a key ingredient in a cheesesteak — was virtually nonexistent in the country. Small amounts of it were imported, but it cost a fortune.
But as the ‘80s rolled in, they brought with them the first local Pakistani processed cheese producers. At the same time, due to the better-than-average U.S.-Pakistan relations, young Pakistanis began arriving in America to study.
One of them was Khurram Chaudhry, a current IT professional. He went to high school in NYC in the late ‘80s, which is also when he ate his first cheesesteak.
To his surprise, the sandwich seemed strangely familiar. He realized that Sizzler, a restaurant his family owned in Lahore, was already serving something similar.
“It wasn’t called a cheesesteak, but for me, it was a Philly cheesesteak that was being offered at the restaurant,” he told Philadelphia magazine.
Yet, for the time being, processed cheese remained expensive. Sizzler’s early “cheesesteak” sandwich was a pricey meal, reserved only for those well off.
The High-End Cheesesteak
Things began to get more accessible as the ‘80s turned into the ‘90s. Travel from Pakistan to the U.S. increased significantly as the turn of the millennium got closer, whether for study, work, business, immigration, or leisure.
Many Pakistanis had their first taste of good ol’ American fast food — and they liked it. Scratch that, they loved it.
This sparked a veritable fast food boom in Pakistan, with burger joints and sandwich shops popping up across Lahore. Among them were restaurants offering a now more authentic cheesesteak.
One of the earliest vendors is a restaurant called Zouk. Launched in 1995, it claims to be the one to introduce the cheesesteak to Lahore.
Of course, Sizzler’s sandwich already existed at that point. But since it wasn’t called a “cheesesteak,” Zouk can claim to be the first.
“We have offered the steak sandwich since the first day, and it remains the hottest item on our menu,” said Zouk’s general manager Faisal Ilyas.
Competition soon followed, though. In 2001, Freddy’s launched its cheesesteak, while CTC started operation in 2003.
Yet one thing connected all these new competitors. They all sought to keep the cheesesteak as an upper-class, exclusive meal (despite it being dirt cheap here in the U.S.).
It would take one more player in the game to democratize the cheesesteak.
An Instant Hit
In 2021, a Philadelphia man traveled to Lahore to meet with Mazhar Hussain, a local chef. He showed Hussain a video of a cheesesteak being prepared.
The chef had worked for many high-end restaurants but had never seen a cheesesteak before. Yet, he liked what he saw in the video.
“I saw the amount of meat and cheese being put in it and knew instantaneously that it is going to be a hit,” said Hussain.
Soon after, Hussain opened Philly’s Steak Sandwich restaurant in Lahore’s Johar Town neighborhood. But his establishment is a bit different from its competitors.
Hussain serves the cheesesteak to everyone. People from all walks of life line up for his sandwiches, available in three flavors — pepper, jalapeno, and fajita.
“The steak sandwich is extremely popular with everyone,” Hussain said.
Yet, local college students make up the majority of his customers. They can enjoy a tasty meal for cheap, a bit over two bucks.
Philly’s Steak Sandwich has also embraced another American invention — the drive-through. Many of Hussain’s customers pick up the sandwiches to eat in their cars.
One of them is schoolteacher Sana Batool, who purchases the sandwiches for her children. “This is their weekend treat,” she explained.
Local Twist on American Favorite
But what did Philly’s Steak Sandwich do differently than its competitors? Apart from the lower prices, there’s another important factor in the restaurant’s explosive success over just two years.
They localized the flavor.
Many of the higher-end cheesesteak restaurants prepare their sandwiches as closely to the American originals as possible. But Hussain’s joint does it a bit differently.
They start marinating their beef early every morning in local red chili powder and tikka masala spices. By the time the restaurant opens at 4 p.m., the meat is bursting with flavors that Pakistanis are used to.
“In my first meeting with the [restaurant’s general manager], it was decided that we’re going to add our unique spices to the steak sandwich,” explained Hussain.
“I believe a major factor behind its growing popularity is this merger of the flavors of Philadelphia and Lahore.”
And the popularity is indeed growing. The general manager, Adil Mehmood, has been featured on both television and newspapers, detailing his and Hussain’s plans to expand their restaurant into a franchise.
Perhaps Philly’s Steak Sandwich has put its own twist on the Philadelphia original. Yet, their product is and has always been a true cheesesteak at heart.
And the people of Lahore can’t get enough of it.
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