Meraki reopens after six months

Islamabad : Meraki, the federal capital’s fine dining restaurant, has moved from the Jinnah Super in F-7 to the Beverly Centre in Blue Area just a kilometre away.

The need for a better location prompted the move, owner Syed Junaid Ahmad said as the eatery reopened its doors to customers at the new location after remaining closed for around six months.

“Not only has Beverly Centre easy access but it is also fast becoming a food hub,” he told ‘The News’.

The reopening was a star-studded event with the recently-released Sherdil movie’s actors Laila Zuberi, Belal Shahid, Kashif Khan and Malik Aqeel, and director Azfar Jafri, TV artist Alamdar, and producer Omar Khalid in attendance.

Fashion model Natasha Hussain hosted the red carpet, where food lovers from showbiz, corporate sector, hotel industry, and bureaucracy showed up in large numbers.

Owner Syed Junaid Ahmad called the restaurant his family’s baby project and said he, his sister and parents teamed up two years ago to begin the food business, did all they could to offer the best possible food from around the world, and got a really good response from visitors.

“The word Meraki best describes our efforts behind the initiative’s success. Greeks use it to describe the outcome when someone puts a piece of himself, which may be soul, creativity, or love in his work,” he said.

General Manager Mohammad Rashid said the restaurant offered an exemplary experience of Arabic, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Thai fast food and fine dining to visitors.

He said Meraki would begin serving breakfast as well after the fasting month of Ramazan was over.

“Since we make no compromise on the quality of our food and service and offer the best possible atmosphere, we’re known far and wide,” he said boasting a large list of exclusive visitors.

Actor Laila Zubiri said she had a good culinary experience at Meraki and liked its ambiance.

“This restaurant’s food is pleasantly different from what is offered by others in town,” he said.

Azfar Jafri, who has directed Sherdil, Janan and Siya movies, declared Meraki one of the finest restaurants in Islamabad and said the lovers of continental food must visit it at least once.

He said his new film, Heer Ranjha, would be screened around the country on Eidul Azha with the help of Jang Media Group promising great entertainment to cinemagoers.

Event manager and CEO of Hasan Interiors and Xanthum Advertising Kazim Hasan appreciated the restaurant declaring it a good addition to the fine eateries of the city and wished it a success at the new location as well.

Hira said she was a regular diner at Meraki as it served food of unmatched quality and taste in an ideal ambiance.