I’ve always found that one of the best things about food is the sheer variety of types there are. An amazing feeling is trying out a cultures food for the first time and finding that you love it. It’s why I’m constantly trying to get my own family to broaden their horizons. It also why I was glad to find Syracuse was becoming introduced to cuisines that they’ve never had before. The latest cuisine to come to Syracuse comes from Pakistan. Pakistani food is a very aromatic and spice filled cuisine that draws a lot of inspiration from other surrounding cultures food. While very delicious it requires a skillful hand to properly make. It is a good thing that it’s in the hands of local chef Sarah Robin of Punjabi Girl catering who has brought the taste of Pakistan to the heart of Syracuse.
I arrived at the Dunkin’ Donuts on Salinas St. around 5 minutes before our agreed time. I did not have to wait long for Sarah to enter. We shook hands and I had decided to conduct the interview outside since inside was a little too noisy. Luckily this Dunkin’ had a nice patio area for us to sit, and thankfully it was a sunny day. There were only a few random people outside with us as I looked around and it was then that I realized that I surely was not as prepared for this interview as I thought I was. I told Sarah this, but she laughed and said it was alright. My first question was cliché, but it opened up a Pandora’s Box of information about her life:
Me: “How did you get into cooking?”
Sarah: “Always loved to cook, and when I was a kid I cooked with my mother often. Yet, when I grew up I started to make my own recipes, which my mother didn’t like. She wanted me to stick with the traditional recipes, but I wanted to do something different. So that’s how I began to cook.”
She then went into detail about her journey here to the U.S. as refugee in 2012, and that when she arrived she couldn’t find any food of her culture, “I came in 2012 and I couldn’t find any Pakistani food here.” So she decided to start cooking at home more often and trying new things till she eventually met Adam Sudmann, creator of the “With Love,” restaurant, who asked her to cook for some events. It was her first time ever getting any exposure, and it was also the first time trying Pakistani food for many of the patrons. Many said it was similar to Indian food they has tried in the past, but Sarah said that there are some subtle differences like certain techniques used to cook and the fact that Pakistani food focuses on meat more than Indian which is mostly vegetarian. This can be seen if you were to look at many Pakistani recipes like rice and goat curry or lamb and lentil stew. The reason the two cuisines are so similar is because they once used to be joined together until 1947 during the Partition of India when they both became independent countries.[1] From her exposure with My Lucky Tummy she began to cook for more events and eventually for some universities. OCC then offered her one of their first spots in their entrepreneur program where she learned many new skills and gained amazing opportunities that have given her even more exposure.
Me: “Were you surprised that Syracuse has a large group of diverse people when you first got here?”
Sarah: “Yes, but it didn’t matter because at first I was like who is going to come eat my food? But when I started in the restaurant there was always a huge line that had to stretch back to another restaurant. And because the opening times were so limited they would want to take it to-go.”
We then started to talk about her cooking specifically and how her being Christian affects how she makes her food. Pakistan is about 96% Muslim so most of their cuisine is halal, which means that the meat the food is prepared with is permissible under Islamic law.[2] Of course Sarah is Christian and while she did consider the idea of cooking halal food in her restaurant she decided not to because most of her customers ended not being Pakistani or Muslim so she dropped it all together. Of course this was only just one of the many decisions she has to make before finally opening up her restaurant. It is of course very expensive and the process takes a while so in order to not lose her loyal followers she has a catering business that she uses to keep up. Her dream restaurant is inspired by Punjab, a region of Pakistan, and she wants it to convey the feeling of being in Pakistan when people come to eat there. The restaurant will be a sort of doorway into Pakistan itself. Her family, currently in Sri Lanka, knows of her efforts to create a restaurant and have supported her through the process.
Punjabi Girl Catering is a successful and well rated catering service at the heart of Syracuse and it brings authentic Pakistani cuisine to Syracuse residents. The very idea of this business represents everything wonderful about America. The fact that a refugee can come here and work hard to open up her dream business, and not only have it be successful but also bring something new to an area is an amazing thing. Its people like Sarah that keep America moving forward and breathe life into this nation. Through this interview and article I have broadened my own horizons and am now more motivated to go out there and experience not just the food of another culture, but everything else about it as well. If you are in Syracuse and are looking for something different and delicious then try Punjabi Girl catering, Phone : (315) 876-4580 | Email: punjabigirl.info@gmail.com.
Full Interview audio here:
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