Khwaja Garib Nawaz Hotel

Down in Sakinaka, right where the 38th Cross meets the 9th Main in the 5th Block, you’ll find us. Khwaja Garib Nawaz Hotel isn't a fancy place with soft chairs and quiet music. It’s a busy spot where people come to get a quick meal and a cup of hot tea. The kitchen is always going, with big pots of gravy bubbling on the stoves from early morning. The smell of frying onions and spices hits you as soon as you get near the door. We have long tables where strangers sit together to eat their lunch. It gets loud with the clatter of metal plates and people shouting orders over the noise of the traffic. My shirt is usually a bit damp from the steam in the kitchen. We don't have a printed menu that stays the same; we just make what’s fresh for the day. Sakinaka is full of workers and commuters, so we try to keep things fast so they can get back to their jobs. Sometimes we run out of bread or rice during the peak lunch hour, and it gets a bit chaotic for a while. We’ve been here for a long time, and the walls show it. They could probably use a fresh coat of paint, but we’re too busy cooking to worry about that right now. It’s a lot of heavy lifting and hot work, but the place is always full. We aren't trying to be a five-star place. We just serve food that fills the belly.