ISLAMABAD: In a welcome change from outlets across the city, Wild Thyme in E-7 has brought Hunza cuisine to the federal capital.

On the inside, the restaurant has been decorated to look like a hut in the mountains. The walls have been made to look like they have yellowed with age and are supported by beams of wood which run across the small room and the ceiling as well. The walls are made of stone and caked with mud, and pictures of the sights and people of Hunza adorn the walls.

The seating space is limited, with one long bench running along the length of the room and catering to all the stone dining tables.

The original names of dishes, as they are called in Hunza, are included on the bill of fare accompanied by detailed descriptions.

The menu starts out with doudo or soups, all of which are served in large, deep stone bowls, giving diners the feel of eating in a little hut in the valley.

The soups include the Garakamuch Chap Xa Doudo, in which pieces of mutton, chicken or potato are cooked in onion, garlic and various spices and boiled with a thin, handmade noodle. The doudo is garnished with apricot kernel oil. The soup is thin, with the distinct flavours of methi and fresh coriander coming through along with a hint of garam masala.

The eatery is perhaps home to the best soup in Islamabad, the Housara Doudo, which is a pumpkin soup for which pumpkin, onions, butter and chicken stock are cooked on low heat. The soup is not flavoured with a lot of spices, allowing the taste of pumpkin to stand out. Garnished with a dash of pepper, this thick soup is perfect for the winter.

Other than various samosas and spring rolls, the appetizer section includes Haakatum Shoro, which are steamed dumplings stuffed with a mix of chicken, onions and herbs.

For mains, the restaurant staff recommended the Quroot Chay Qarqamuch and the Guuh Chay Qarqamuch.

Quroot Chay Qarqamuch is a curry of diced chicken and quroot, which is a bitter cheese made in Hunza. Diced chicken is cooked in a butter and quroot sauce and is served with nuts to make a protein powered curry, which is served with boiled rice.

The curry is not spiced, but is heavy due to the use of butter and cheese. The dish is perhaps better suited to people who have a more active day and not for the sedentary lifestyle of Islamabad, and this goes for most of the food at the restaurant, which has packed its food with various proteins. The food here is loaded with nuts, various oils including almond and apricot oils, butter and cheese.

Guuh Chay Qaramuch is apricot chicken with handmade herb pasta, for which chicken breast is stuffed with seasonal vegetables and spices and grilled in a pan with apricot puree.

The chicken is served with herb pasta and cheese. The pasta is seasoned with salt, pepper and other spices and has a crisp, toasted texture.

The chicken breast is cut into small rolls, and together with the pasta coloured green with herbs, the browned chicken and the various vegetables make for a colourful dish with just as many textures and flavours.

Speaking of power packed food, the restaurant has various fresh juices as well, the more interesting of which is Chahmus, which is a homemade juice of dried apricots.

This is perhaps one of the only times a small serving works because the juice is very concentrated and thick. The flavour of dried apricots is very distinct and it seems like additional sweeteners have not been used.

The coffees include a Shilajit espresso as well. Shilajit has been used in Hunza for centuries and is thought to improve mood, memory, regulate blood sugar and helps with general health. The coffee pairs well with the Hosar Chay Halwa, which is a pumpkin halwa with nuts and butter. The halwa is smooth and is not too sweet but still feels very rich.

This is true for all the food in this restaurant, and the owner of the establishment, Peter Kanaan said the servings have been kept small deliberately because the typical diner cannot finish larger servings.

He said the restaurant has been inspired by the hospitality and hard work of Hunza women and Hunza’s famous walnut cake. He said the head chef is also a woman from Hunza.

“We wanted the place to look like the inside of Baltit Fort,” he said.

“Some of the ingredients, the healthier ones which you cannot find in Islamabad like almond oil, apricot oil and mulberry oil, are brought in from Hunza,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2017