After 26 years, this beloved West Philly staple moved to a new address just one mile away
“I wanted to keep a lot of it, first and foremost, Pakistani, but I also wanted to keep it modern,” said Halima Ghumman.
When Halima Ghumman convinced her dad, Asad, to open a chai house adjacent to his restaurant last March, she put all her cards on the table: suggesting renovations, menu additions, and a plan to move Kabobeesh to a new address.
And on April 10, all of the 21-year-old’s suggestions came to fruition. Kabobeesh, which opened its first location in 2000, and its adjacent Karak Cha House cafe at 4201 Chestnut Street closed doors on New Year’s Eve. The Ghummans operated a ghost kitchen for Ramadan catering orders until the grand opening day at the new location on 3748 Lancaster Avenue.
For about 26 years, the West Philly restaurant has been a hotspot on Chestnut Street for area college students, along with loyal patronage from local Muslim and South Asian communities. The decision to move addresses was to be closer to their customers, Ghumman said.
“When we opened Karak Cha two years ago I saw that we had a lot of student clientele that wanted a place to just chill and study,” she said. “But we just couldn’t give it to them, because that [the cafe] was just a vision I had overnight and executed quickly.”
While only a mile away, the new address sits closer to their core demographics, which also includes hospital workers and neighborhood walkers strolling in for their food and drinks, she added. The new space is much bigger — about 3000 square feet with more seating, higher ceilings, and big windows, allowing the Ghummans’ to glow up the restaurant’s look and vibe.
Ghumman worked with interior designers to bring her vision for her family’s new location to life. “I wanted to keep a lot of it, first and foremost, Pakistani, but I also wanted to keep it modern.”
Inside, there’s Urdu calligraphy and a scene of Lahore’s food street painted on the walls, green (an homage to the country’s flag) tiles on the ordering counter, Islamic-inspired art on the roof, green and beige mid-century modern furniture, and plants throughout the space.
There are additions to the menu, too. Asad, the chef and owner, added speciality dishes, including tawa keema (street-style ground beef dish made on a tawa or flat griddle), chicken handi (a yogurt-based chicken curry made in a handi or clay pot), and cheese-filled naans. For Karak Cha, Ghumman added paninis, more pastries, and a sandwich inspired by the Pakistani chopped cheese that’s “been trending in New York,” she said. The restaurant has also forgone serving food in its standard styrofoam plates to elevate the dining experience.
The restaurant and cafe are both under one roof now, which means hours vary for the two menus. Kabobeesh is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Mondays and 11 a.m. to midnight Tuesday to Sunday; and Karak Cha is 4 to 11 p.m. Mondays, 4 p.m. to midnight on other weekdays, and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday to Sunday.
Halima Gumman said it was hard to get her dad on board for the new design and flatware at first.
“He’s so old-school that I had to be like, ‘let me cook,’” she said. “But the thing is I would never be able to keep up the standard of food like my dad does. It’s a good duo, team situation.”
Asad Ghumman says he’s now very happy with the change — and so are the customers. The restaurant/cafe has been packed since opening day, she said, with the same dedicated patronage including Pakistani immigrants who’ve “come out of their way to eat here and say, ‘this is the only food that we find that’s authentic.”
Kabobeesh: 3748 Lancaster Avenue; 215-222-8081; kabobeesh.com; Monday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Tuesday to Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight.
Karak Cha House: 3748 Lancaster Avenue; 215-222-5160; karakchaphilly.com; Monday 4 to 11 p.m., Tuesday to Thursday 4 p.m. to midnight, and Friday to Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight.
