‘Khayaban’ brings authentic Pakistani cuisine to Sri Lanka

A new authentic Pakistani restaurant has opened at Food Studio at the One Galle Face Mall.

The restaurant, ‘Khayaban’, serves diverse flavours from Pakistan with a myriad of dishes inspired by the country’s rich history.

Khayaban’s legacy dates back to the late 90s. The restaurant was originally located in Colombo 3 and has now reopened as a joint venture with Food Studio, Sri Lanka’s only food court management company whose outlets span all the high-end malls in Colombo. Khayaban indefinitely stands out as the only authentic Pakistani restaurant in the country today. 

The all-new restaurant was ceremoniously inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by High Commissioner of Pakistan Major General (R) Umar Farooq Burki, HI (M) on 14 March, in the presence of Deputy High Commissioner Wajid Hassan Hashmi and other dignitaries and VIP guests from the diplomatic community, senior government officials and the business community. The inauguration lunch was hosted by Khayaban with the presence of the Directors of Khayaban and Food Studio.

“Pakistan and Sri Lanka have always enjoyed a strong relationship. We are currently celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations between our two countries. Therefore, it is our pleasure to collaborate with the Khayaban restaurant and Food Studio in launching this culinary journey for Sri Lankans,” said the High Commissioner. “The sharing of food and drink is an intrinsic part of both the Sri Lankan and Pakistani cultures. And I’m confident that every guest at Khayaban will appreciate the delicious cuisine on offer and have a memorable experience. We highly appreciate the venture and efforts taken by team Khayaban and Food Studio in bringing and promoting authentic Pakistani cuisine in Sri Lanka,” the High Commissioner added.

Some of the must-try dishes at Khayaban include the Karachi Biriyani, which is considered to be the king of South Asian cuisine and a loved-by-all dish, and a crowd-favourite – the Pulao Rice. The restaurant also serves a variety of unique Pakistani curries and dishes such as Karahi and Nihari, Tikka, Malai Boti, Reshmi Kebabs and Machinic Handi as the perfect accompaniments to your meal! Guests can enjoy watching their Tandoor orders been prepared in a show kitchen located by the counter. What’s more, two Pakistani chefs have been specially flown down by the company to ensure the authenticity of all what’s on offer. 

“We are delighted to partner with Food Studio to present this wonderful culinary destination to the Sri Lankan community. The nature of Pakistani hospitality has inspired the dishes to give epicureans a culinary adventure of a kind,” said Khayaban Director Naufer Cassim. “The main draw is the type of food we serve—there are no other dine-in Pakistani restaurants in Colombo,” he averred. Opening a restaurant to fill this gap in Sri Lanka has been a goal for Naufer and Husni Mohamed, who have been friends for over 20 years. They co-own Khayaban with Food Studio.

“The purpose of Food Studio is to expand Sri Lanka’s food culture. Our objective is to bring together the right mix of eateries, with the tastiest ranging from the adventurous to the nostalgic, from street food to fine dining. We want to create different types of cuisines for consumers whilst also trying to change the tastes and eating patterns of the multitudes that come into the malls,” said Food Studio Ltd. Director and CEO Nadeem Rajabdeen.

“Our objective is continuously focused on developing a space where we can bring like-minded restaurateurs and individuals together to showcase dynamic and novel cuisines, and Naufer and Husni helped us in this journey by partnering with us to introduce yet another one-of-a-kind food concept that is not seen anywhere else in Sri Lanka.”

Khayaban is now open to the public at Food Studio, One Galle Face for both dine-in and takeaway. They are also available for delivery via direct orders, and on UberEats and PickMe Food.

Pix by Ruwan Walpola