Qudratullah Syed, proprietor of Bhabi’s Kitchen, on Oakley near Devon, is on a mission.
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Unifying India and Pakistan is a pretty tall order for a humble 24-seat cafe. When Bhabi’s Kitchen opened for business in mid-February of 2002, artillery fire was raging in Kashmir and Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf was asking for U.S. mediation. But Syed had a focus that was closer to home: he wanted his restaurant to be a catalyst for unity in the local Indo-Pak community, which suffers from a division not always visible to outsiders.
Syed’s wife, Qaisera Qureshi–affectionately referred to as Bhabi, or “sister-in-law,” by friends and family–handles all the cooking by herself, 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Her husband helps bake the restaurant’s bread, making 15 varieties (including pistachio and garlic) from six kinds of flour: sorghum, millet, corn, chickpea, wheat, and plain old white. “I do not think you will find another restaurant that serves so many kinds,” he says.
Bhabi’s Kitchen is at 6352 N. Oakley, 773-764-7007.
