“Islamabad is a modern city. But not as modern as Lahore,” say two postgraduate students from Lahore, who are visiting the capital for a few days.

“On the other hand, Islamabad has many other attractions that the other large cities may not have,” they say.

“I love the open space, the greenery and the hills,” say Nabeel Khanis, 26, an engineering student, and Urooj Ashraf, 25, who is a management student, both from University of Engineering and Technology Lahore.

“We found this modern restaurant in the F-6 Super market and decided to come for our breakfast at about nine in the morning,” they say.

“It is already quite hectic here, with locals and foreigners, and it seems many patrons of the restaurant are business people, combining breakfast with a substantive discussion.”

The three women near the window are indeed business women - and friends.

“You might have thought we were housewives,” one of them jokes, “having time for a cappuccino and croissant mid-morning. But we are into architecture and design,” the woman stresses.

“Besides, I have three children who are at school right now and a husband who is a banker. That means that I am also a housewife. Life is busy for women in our time. But I can’t imagine not being a working woman,” says Ameena Hassan, 36.

“I stop more or less every morning at this restaurant for breakfast,” says Saqib Fazil, 28, who is a public relations staff member for one of the federal ministers.

“I like to read the newspapers here in the morning, I drink a cup of tea and collect my thoughts before I walk over to the office,” he says, checking the time on his touch phone and politely saying that he has to leave.

In one section of Jinnah Super market, opposite to the newly opened Safa Gold Mall, there is a quiet row of restaurants, along with banks, telecommunications office blocks and some real estate offices.

The new MJ’s Bakery, with a popular breakfast area, attracts early risers for breakfast, and later, lunch guests from the offices. In the afternoon, the outside space is favoured by several regulars, who come to unwind after work with their colleagues and friends.

“It is a bit off the main street, and that is what I like,” says a British-American couple who often stops by.

“I just come for coffee,” says a retired Canadian engineer, who works as a consultant for a private company in Pakistan. “My colleague likes to take proper breakfast, with eggs and more,” he adds. “And it gives us a great opportunity to discuss issues, away from the hectic office atmosphere.”

“Gourmet Bakers in F-7 are always busy,” says an elderly lady, who has come to collect a big cake and other delicacies in the morning.

“I have come early so that I can have everything planned and under control when my daughter and her children come for one of my grandchildren’s birthday party, in the afternoon,” she says.

Faraz Amin, one of the owners of the shop, explains that the shop only has a few tables so they don’t really have a set-up for breakfast and lunch guests. “But there is enough space for a quick cup of tea or coffee, and we often have Chinese customers who like to do just that, for a few minutes, and then hurry back to work,” he adds.

“In the morning, we sell a lot of lunch boxes for schoolchildren and that is a new development in our business,” Faraz says, as he disappears into the backroom, where the confectioners add final touches to tempting cakes that will go into the display cabinets.

“True, Pakistanis have a sweet tooth,” the elderly woman says. “But many youngsters are very conscious about what they eat and they don’t want to gain weight. So, I think there is a growing market for breakfast restaurants, not only cheap places for labourers and working class people, but also for the middle class. In a fast growing city like Islamabad, with many office workers, bureaucrats, and so on, I believe there is a market for more breakfast eateries.”

“Later in the day, housewives, retired people, artists and others who have irregular working hours, may also want to get out of the house, and have a snack or a meal in a restaurant. The slogan that ‘breakfast can be any time’ is appealing to me,” she says, walking out to her car where the driver is ready to place the birthday cake in a safe place and position in the car.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2014

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