Is sehri the new iftar

By Samra Muslim

The writer has over 10 years of marketing, PR and communications experience. She has recently started her own blog at www.samramuslim.com

Food has always been one of Pakistan’s favorite pass time – not only do we love eating as a nation … we love talking about food, watch food being made on television, making plans to go out for food and since the advent of social media we love taking pictures of our food and tweeting it, posting it on our Facebook pages and of course via Instagram now!!

Then comes the Holy month of Ramzan … the month where we don’t eat most of the day … but do we plan for the breaking of fast like one, big, happy nation of FOODIES … and of course based on the market’s demands, we have a whole variety of Iftar-Dinner options to choose from during the month.

But what I have suddenly started noticing is a new Ramzan dining trend … the Sehri!

Yes! Yes! Who in their godforsaken minds wants to get up at 3 in the morning and go out to eat?? But as Farhat Rabia said on the facebook group Khana Peena, “Recommended on weekends only… Sehri (out) starts at 12 midnight up till 4 am for us … usually at Burns road … then sleep thru the day till 3pm.”

Another red flag was Abid Hussain sharing his attempt to have a Sehri out in Lahore recently, ”Village Restaurant, Hardees, Pizza Hut on MM Alam Road JAM PACKED at 3am.” (Interesting!!)

A quick look on Google shows that there are actually a lot of places now offering Sehri deals and offers for the food lovers in the Urban centers … from fast food places like Pizza Hut to the big hotels to street dining and even restaurants like Bar B Q Tonight and Gloria Jean’s … there are a lot of options and most places are usually packed especially on the weekends. As for the rest of the week, as Hareem Sumbul said: “…we go for a dinner at 1 am and call it an early Sehri pyaar se ♥ ”

Maybe as Faisal Kapadia says, “It’s just become more hip now but (in Karachi) Burns road, Cafe Laziz and Waheed kebabs were always a staple for Sehri out back in the 80s too …” and also now we have more Sehri dining options to explore too!

To those skeptics of going out for a Sehri meal … here are some great reasons to venture out for Sehri this coming weekend (courtesy Bilal Alvi and Farhat Rabia):

1. Sehri prices are much lower than the Iftar-Dinner deals
2. Restaurants are less crowded than Iftar time (though this is debatable for some places and days!!)
3. Restaurants offer you a better service that during Iftar time
4. Iftar menus are most places are pretty repetitive – while Sehri options more diverse
5. Many people feel too full after an Iftar – but can eat more at Sehri time
6. Roads have less traffic at night than evenings
7. It is a cooler time of the day
8. Most people are fresher at that time, as compared to their lethargic condition at Iftar
9. It’s just super fun to try out fun new things for Sehri.

Yes there will always be non-fans for a Sehri out like Aly Balagamwala who “strictly avoid(s) Sehri outside as the food can cause heartburn, dry mouth and hence a very miserable roza” But the new Urban majority of Pakistan is with Faisal Kapadia … “Sehri is more of an important meal than Iftar any day … plus (we) just need any excuse to go out and feast ”