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Last year, Halima Ghumman visited Nishaan, a popular East Village restaurant known for its South Asian spin of New York City’s bodega mainstay: the chopped cheese sandwich.
Eating the widely popular Pakistani rendition, Ghumman, the 21-year-old behind Kabobeesh’s upgrades and its cafe Karak Cha, thought: What if Philadelphians could experience the gloriously sloppy, spicy sandwich, too? So, when her family’s West Philly hot spot moved to a new address, Ghumman went into the kitchen to experiment.
She took her dad’s — Asad Ghumman, owner of Kabobeesh — chapli kebabs and chopped them “like a cheesesteak” on a griddle, she told The Inquirer, later adding green pepper, onions, a bit of tomato, ketchup, and mayonnaise in a foot-long seeded roll. The sandwich launched May 1 for $10.99.
“You can get a cheesesteak at a million places in Philly, so I was like, ‘let me try this out,’” Ghumman said. “Growing up, my mom would put a kebab in a bun and call it a burger. This is really a unique idea that’s not that complicated at all.”
Ghumman emphasized she was inspired to offer the sandwich because of Nishaan owner Zeeshan Bakhrani’s creativity. “I want to be clear that I take no credit for this sandwich; it’s inspired by Nishaan.”
Traditionally, a chopped cheese is made of burger patties with spices, onions, and American cheese and paired with tomatoes, lettuce, and mayo in a hero or kaiser roll. It’s a staple in New York City’s many bodegas and delis; Bakhrani told Eater his approach to Nishaan’s halal menu stems from his upbringing. “Looking at the dishes I enjoyed growing up as a Pakistani kid and an American kid,” Bakhrani said, and figuring out how to “combine them in a way that honors both dishes and it’s not just two dishes slapped together.”
It’s similar to how Ghumman’s menu at Karak Cha comes to life. Her ideas spark from foods she grew up eating — and online chefs showing the possibilities of combining nostalgia and her Pakistani American identity with food. What helps bring them to life are the ingredients and dishes on the Kabobeesh menu. “If something’s already done at Kabobeesh, I take influence from it, and then use it on something [for Karak Cha],” she said.
Karak Cha’s menu is a playground for Ghumman’s concepts. Take the iced rose Kashmiri chai. “I literally pulled that out of nowhere. I was like, ‘What if I put Kashmir on ice?’” she said. Ultimately, it’s her dad who gives the final approval.
“Everything is Kabobeesh-based — I’d say there’s no Karak Cha without Kabobeesh,” Ghumman said.