Portable and Affordable, Pakistani Food Cart Karachi Kabab Boiz Is Right for the Moment | Eater NY
"These charcoal-grilled rolls aim to replicate Karachi’s ubiquitous late-night street food: tender, slightly charred meat wrapped in a flaky, layered flatbread, small enough to fit two — or even three — in one hand for the perfect portable snack that stays in transit. Launched by Syed Mushbir Jafri, Azhar Parvez and Kunal Parwani after debuting at the Queens Night Market in April 2023, the cart was born from friends who grew up in Karachi, reconnected in the U.S. after moving around 2012, and “pieced together the business idea, armed with an outstanding family recipe from Parvez’s father.” Every morning, the cart announces its evening location on Instagram; you can typically expect to find the cart in Queens, around Long Island City and Astoria, on weekdays from 2 to 11 p.m. Founder stories and roll culture are central to the concept: “There are people who eat rolls twice a day as meals,” says Jafri, and Parwani adds, “You’d have 15 friends going out having rolls. You would go on dates with rolls. You would have fights while eating rolls,” says Parwani. “[Rolls] bring everybody together, regardless of the situation.” The team emphasizes differences from other kathi-roll–style vendors: they use a homemade pani paratha, a half puri and half paratha mix, for a unique flaky texture, and a charcoal grill setup that “imbues the meats with a noticeably smokier flavor.” The current menu lists three rolls — beef Bihari, chicken tikka, and chicken malai — served with homemade sauce and onions. The chicken tikka, the most popular, is marinated in a spicy concoction of yogurt, chile powder, and spices before getting a smoky kiss on the charcoal grill. The beef Bihari is marinated for 48 hours in a medley of fried onions, chile flakes, and other spices imported from Pakistan so the beef becomes tender: “If somebody’s had our beef Bihari, their pupils dilate, and they’re like, ‘Oh shit, this is good,’” says Jafri. The chicken malai is “creamy with a whisper of spice,” made with cumin, coriander, and green peppers. The founders hope to expand to more diverse chicken parts and more sauce options. Operationally, Jafri and Parwani balance full-time finance and consulting jobs and sometimes commute from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and Boston to help the cart at large events, while Parvez — who has lived in Queens for 12 years — quit his job to manage ingredient sourcing and kitchen responsibilities. The cart’s bright orange exterior and a sizable crowd (including loyal customers who drive from Long Island and New Jersey) draw passersby and newcomers alike; Abeer Minhas, whose family is from Karachi, said, “I am a huge fan of kebab rolls, and my family is directly from Karachi. It’s an authentic kebab roll experience, which is hard to find in New York.” Anecdotal first-time reactions include an MTA worker who stopped for lunch saying, “The elevator keeps shutting down, so we decided to finally take a lunch break. I’m looking forward to the spicy one,” and a passerby who compared the offering to Indian kati rolls: “I know Karachi is a place in Pakistan and these rolls are similar to those I’ve eaten in India,” he said after ordering the chicken tikka roll. “Getting compared to the big brands back home is an achievement,” says Parvez." - Jess Eng
