For twenty one years, at all hours of the day and night (open till 5 AM) taxi's have been lining up, natives of Pakistan, and a wide mix of everyone else has been making their way to this humble rather drab looking restaurant on Ninth Avenue and 36th to enjoy authentic Pakistani Cuisine. The cuisine of Pakistan (which is not that easy to find in the city) is similar to Northern Indian but incorporates noticeable Central Asian influence and is more meat oriented.

The decor is beyond sparse, really nothing at all except the white walls, a long mirror and a TV which always seems to have Pakistan cricket matches on. There is a small prayer rug in the very back of the restaurant. There are eight booths each serving four. The place is usually always crowded with a good portion of the diners dong "take out." You order at the counter as twelve trays are presented broken into "Meat" and "Vegetable."  

Chicken Biryani with chic peas, very tasty and a huge portion. Though you order at the counter they bring the food to you. All the dishes come with an order of nan bread, and a small salad green salad with tomato. The dishes are served on paper plate with plastic utensils.

Chapal Kabab one of the most popular of all Pakistani dishes and eaten in all regions of the country. Minced meat (in this case chicken) with onion, chives and green chilies.  It looks a little grizzly, but don't worry - it is busting with flavor with nice spice bite.

Shaid on the left runs the counter, and Altof is the chef. Both are from Lahore, the most culturally-rich city in Pakistan. Both are animated and generous in their portions they serve.

Kashmir 9 has "Daily Specials" such as Meat balls with eggs on Monday, or White Turnip Lamb on Tuesday. On Friday they serve Haleem, this is one of the most revered dishes in Pakistani cuisine and is not to be missed. (Photo above) Haleem made of wheat, barley, lentils, with meat (either beef, chicken or mutton) a slew of spices (red chilies, mint, cloves, coriander, cumin) is slow cooked for 5-6 hours. It has a sticky almost paste-like consistency.  It's taste is distinct and must be tried.

The Pakistani cricket team is one of the best in the world, and is a constant presence at Kashmir 9. Perhaps their greatest player of all time, Imran Khan in 1996 formed his own political party Tereek-e-Insaf ("Movement for Justice"). In 2012 he was selected "Asia Person of the Year."

Urdo (Pakistan) language lesson - "Hello"  (Assalaam-o-Alaikum)  "Thank you" (Shukriya)  "Delicous"  (Mazadar)

Interesting fact about Pakistan - Pakistan holds four of the fourteen highest peaks in the world, including K2 which is the second highest. The world's highest paved road in the world is Pakistan's Karakoram Highway.

Address - 478 9th Avenue  (36-37th)   (Manhattan)  (212) 736 - 7745