RAWALPINDI: Khiva’s revolving restaurant on top a seven-storey building in Bahria Town offers an array of cuisines and panoramic views of the city which are doubly mesmerising at night.

The menu at the restaurant boasts a mixture of South and Central Asian cuisines and one is spoilt for choice with dishes from Samarkand to Karachi to choose from at one place including Afghan foods, Balochi, Shinwari and Mughlai cuisines along with popular dishes from Namak Mandi and other Pakhtun foods

The decor of the restaurant include tinges of Turkish and Central Asian cultures with Turkish lamps lighting the dining area, the interior of which is inspired by Uzbek interiors.

“Khiva is the name of an ancient city in Uzbekistan. The mother of the owner of the restaurant belongs to the area. The foods she cooked at home became popular with her friends and family after which the owner decided to start up an eatery which specialised in Central Asian foods,” said Sajjad Majid Khan who manages the restaurant.

Mr Khan said that the restaurant was started in 2007 and to make the experience unique, the idea of a revolving restaurant was floated. He said engineers and experts from other countries were hired to construct the revolving dining hall.

“The hall completes one revolution in 40 minutes and we adjust the speed according to the wishes of the customers. The international guideline for revolving restaurants is between 25 and 60 minutes for one completing one circle,” he said.

Because they were not as spicy but still full of flavour, Central Asian foods are gaining popularity with residents of the twin cities, he said.

“Some of the more frequently used spices in our foods are black cumin, red and black peppers, barberry, coriander and sesame seeds. We also use cilantro, dill, parsley, celery and basil in most dishes. The marinades include generous amounts of vinegar and fermented milk products,” he said.

Foods from Central Asia are healthier and do not require as much oil and spices, Mr Khan said, adding that in most dishes, the ingredients only need to be brushed with oil.

Afghan, Balochi and Shinwari dishes, which are also offered at the restaurant, do not require the use of oil or spices and are healthier than other foods in the sub-continent, he said.

“The beautiful views and the healthy and delicious foods make visiting the restaurant a unique experience”, said Mohammad Hassan, a resident of Chaklala Scheme III.

“We usually come here at night to look at the city from the windows of the revolving dining hall, which is a treat in itself. The restaurant would be very popular in sehri and iftar,” he added.

Talking about his first experience at Khiva, Mohammad said his mother had been scared of dinning in a moving restaurant.

“After the first time, she has always wanted to go back. The hall moves slowly so you can enjoy the view outside and the scenery keeps changing. You cannot feel it moving and there are no sudden jerks, like my mother had feared there would be,” he said.

Another diner Ahsan Naeem said he had dined in a revolving restaurant in Dubai as well and was pleasantly surprised to see a similar restaurant in his own country.

Ahsan said what he liked best at Khiva was the patta tikka and mutton dopiaza. Because we eat spicy foods at home, he said, having Central Asian foods every once in a while was a refreshing change.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2016