Virginia
4 Modern Pakistani Restaurants to Try in Northern Virginia
Washington’s Pakistani food scene remains one of its most under-sung strong suits, and it’s only getting stronger. Ambitious Pakistani eateries are blossoming in the Northern Virginia suburbs—and plotting expansions across the District and Maryland.
With them, they’re bringing fried puris ballooned up beside buttery chickpeas and cardamom-scented semolina halwa; sizzling chicken and lamb in wok-like karahis topped with slivers of ginger; and chargrilled chapli kebab patties studded with whole coriander and chilies.
This new class of Pakistani eateries, clustered in Fairfax and Loudoun counties, serves uncompromising food in polished, contemporary spaces.
“Just selling halal food isn’t the benchmark anymore,” says Suhail Kamran, who owns Cha Street Food, in Tysons and Sterling. “It has to taste amazing, and your space and customer service needs to be complementing it as well.” Here are four favorite new-wave Pakistani spots.
Chaska
location_on 45630 Falke Plaza, Sterling
The second-story open-air terrace has such a commanding view of Dulles Airport that you can make out the logo of each landing plane while you eat. At first, it didn’t occur to owner Waqas Shah, who also runs a pizza shop downstairs, to open a separate restaurant in the space. But Shah—who was born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, but grew up in Loudoun County—had been dreaming about opening a serious Pakistani grill.
“We’ve been eating this food since I was little,” Shah says. “Basically, we wanted to offer that to the community, to bring back memories for the folks that are here.”
Although Chaska’s menu incorporates dishes like karahi and even burgers, kebabs are the thing to get. The bright-orange marinade of the chicken tikka permeates the meat, and Shah’s grill cooks also work magic with ground beef, in the form of tubular seekh kebabs and burger-shaped chapli kebabs. The mixed grill offers a chance to try them all, supplemented with fragrant long-grain rice and slow-cooked chickpeas.
Chaska’s lofty location presents challenges—delivery drivers often give up on finding it, and diners have to climb a long flight of stairs—but Shah and his five brothers have worked to make it as welcoming as possible. Inspired by Pakistani truckers’ tradition of decorating their rigs with psychedelic colors and quotations, they emblazoned each step on the staircase with sayings in Urdu. “It’s hard to go to a restaurant where you have to go up the stairs,” Shah says, “so we try to engage people while they’re coming up.”
Namak Mandi
location_on 5884 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church
Veteran nightclub owner and restaurateur Sami Khan’s previous projects all have their charms, but most are undistinguished—a lounge in DC and a few Mediterranean and Mexican spots around Virginia. It’s when he chose to focus on something closer to his native home that he created one of the region’s best South Asian restaurants. Namak Mandi, which opened in 2020 on a busy stretch of Leesburg Pike, is named after the historic salt-market district of Peshawar, a crossroads of Afghan and Pakistani cuisines. “People go from all over the country to eat there,” Khan says. “Their karahi is the most special thing.”
Fittingly, karahi—a thick, tomato-based curry—is also the most special thing at Khan’s restaurant. It hits the table sizzling-hot, a fiery chicken stew reduced down to a concentrate at the bottom of the steel karahi pan, which also functions as its serving dish. As important as the karahi, though, is the bread that accompanies it. The oblong naans, fresh from the tandoor, arrive speared on hooks atop wooden pedestals that Khan has fashioned himself, inspired by Peshawari restaurants he’s visited in the UK.
This summer, Khan opened a second location, in downtown DC (1030 15th St., NW). At the Falls Church original, which is decked out with sofa-like seating upholstered with Pashtun tribal patterns, Khan says his clientele is still 80 percent Pakistani. At its newer sibling—which serves an Indian-accented weekday buffet along with Peshawari specialties in a more modern space—Khan is hoping to introduce his food to a new audience.
Cha Street Food
location_on 8056 Tysons Corner Center, Tysons; 45633 Dulles Eastern Plaza, Sterling
This mini chain has already transformed from a food truck to a storefront in Tysons Corner mall boasting a friendly indoor-outdoor space strung with lights and colorful hanging lamps. Next, owner Suhail Kamran wants to expand his “pandemic idea” into DC and Maryland and eventually up the East Coast.
Kamran says he and his family missed the tea houses of Pakistan—here there’s no obvious American equivalent—and initially called the business Cha Tea House.
“The Indians and the Pakistanis got it, but everyone else thought we’d just have a bunch of tea,” he says. “In Pakistan and India, a tea house has a lot more than just tea.” Cha Street Food certainly does. Its menu hops back and forth between the continents, from paratha rolls to masala-spiced fried-chicken sandwiches.
Kamran, a second-generation Pakistani American with kids born here, wanted to incorporate traditional flavors into familiar American formats. He makes Kashmiri pink chai into a milkshake, loads French fries with spiced keema (minced meat), and flips chapli kebabs and masala potato patties onto hamburger buns. Falooda ice cream is another crowd-pleasing treat. “For our kids,” Kamran says, “I had to make it easy for them to understand.”
That’s not to say the food doesn’t draw heavily on tradition. Before opening Cha Street Food, a few of Kamran’s business partners flew to Karachi with one purpose: to learn the art of paratha rolls from a street vendor. “I don’t know what got into them, to be honest,” Kamran jokes. Clearly, their trip was fruitful: The parathas—wrapped around kebabs, crispy paneer, or grilled chicken—are supple and pleasantly flaky.
Desi Breakfast Club
location_on 83065 Centreville Rd., Herndon
Even if you’ve never tried halwa puri before, it might become a breakfast craving that never leaves you. For one thing, with this typical Pakistani morning meal, you don’t have to choose between sweet and savory. Use a crispy, air-filled puri, puffed up in the fryer, to scoop alternating bites of halwa (warm, sweet semolina pudding) and masala chickpeas. If you eat meat, opt for a third add-on: chicken keema with green peas.
“If you go to Lahore on Saturdays and Sundays in the morning, halwa puri is on everyone’s mind,” says Malik Ahmad, who opened this all-day-breakfast restaurant in 2021.
While Ahmad was in high school, his parents opened Charcoal Chicken, an exemplary kebab shop that still operates in nearby Chantilly. His love for their cooking traditions, and his American childhood, inspired him to open Desi Breakfast Club, which he thinks of as a kind of diner.
“Diners are everywhere,” Ahmad says. “They’re the backbone of America.”
Ahmad’s place has a sizable menu. Nihari, one of the world’s heartiest breakfasts, is great here—a slow-cooked, gingery beef stew with a slick of orange ghee floating on top. Chai is hot, cheap, and nicely spiced. French toasts, bagels, and omelets are available. But the halwa puri is the destination-worthy plate.
Now Ahmad manages both his parents’ restaurant and Desi Breakfast Club. He’s a testament to the changing nature of Northern Virginia’s Pakistani dining scene. “Charcoal Chicken was a hole in the wall,” he says. “My parents didn’t do any marketing, it was just word of mouth and their hard work.”
But Ahmad, like the proprietors of Chaska and Cha Street Food, is part of a new wave of Pakistani restaurants harnessing social media, coming up with fun fusion dishes, and creating cool design elements to attract new customers. “It’s all these second-generation kids,” he says.
This article appears in the November 2024 issue of Washingtonian.
The New York Giants will be forced to hold their 2026 training camp, the first with John Harbaugh as head coach, out of state.
Per a report from the New York Post, the Giants will hold what will likely be the first two weeks of training camp in West Virginia at the Greenbrier Resort, located in White Sulpher Springs.
Part of the reason for the move is the fact that World Cup games will be held at MetLife Stadium this summer. There is also ongoing construction at the Giants’ facility at 1925 Giants Drive. The Giants are expanding their locker room, weight room, dining facility and office space at their headquarters, constructed in 2009. That work began before Harbaugh was named head coach.
NFL teams have used the Greenbier extensively since 2014, when it was first established to host training camp for the New Orleans Saints. The Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns have held training camps there, and other have practiced there during extended road trips.
The facility has two grass fields and a FieldTurf field, as well as all of the other accommodations an NFL needs.
The Giants have trained at their own Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, N.J. since 2013.
Exact dates for NFL training camps have not yet been set, but the starting date is generally some time in late July. Per the Post, most practices at the Greenbrier are expected to be open to the public.
RICHMOND, Va. (WSET) — As the legislative session in Richmond comes closer to an end, lawmakers are still hard at work hammering out the budget for the year ahead. This year, the Senate has approved a pay raise for lawmakers after tabling bills that would have provided larger pay increases for teachers.
With the cost of living rising, teachers across Virginia have been watching the proposed budget closely and hoping for higher pay.
In February, a bill that would have raised teacher salaries by 4.5% each year until reaching the national average of $77,000 was tabled until next year. The decision left some educators disappointed.
“It’s definitely disappointing. We’re at a time where we are struggling to keep highly qualified staff in the buildings and in the profession, to be quite honest, because we have to compete with other industries,” Karl Loos, president of the Lynchburg Education Association, said.
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There is still a 3% increase for teachers included in the proposed Senate budget, and a 2% increase in the House of Delegates’ proposed budget. But Loos said a 3% raise only matches the rate of inflation, and will likely not be appealing enough to fill vacant positions.
“I think certainly teacher pay is a deterrent for a lot of people, especially as they see the amount of work that goes into it and the compensation for that work,” Loos said.
The Virginia Education Association also advocated for the 4.5% pay increase. Chad Stewart, the interim director of Government Relations and Research, said they believe budget uncertainty may have made lawmakers hesitant to commit to long-term increases they might not be able to sustain.
According to the State Fiscal Impact Statement, seen below, it would have required an additional $159.0 million in 2027, and increasing amounts for the next couple of years to meet the goal of reaching the national average.
“We’ve seen commitments going back decades from previous governors who have all stated they want to get the national teacher pay average, but no governor has ever delivered on it,” Stewart said.
Stewart said the average national pay for teachers they are hoping to meet is $77,000, and that the current average salary for teachers in the Commonwealth is around $70,000. He said ultimately it comes down to the budget, and he hopes in the following years teachers will receive that larger pay increase. Stewart said the organization hopes Gov. Spanberger will be the first to follow through on that promise.
Meanwhile, legislation that would increase pay for state lawmakers was passed in the Senate on Thursday. Republican Del. Tim Griffin of the 53rd District said he voted against the measure.
“I was outraged last week when they raised their own pay. I voted against it,” Griffin said. “When you run on affordability, I think people expected it to be more affordable for the people that live and work in Virginia, not for ourselves. It kind of defeats the purpose.”
When asked about the proposed pay increases in the House and the Senate, Campbell County Superintendent Clay Stanley said in a statement, “I am praying for 3%. Our teachers, at minimum, deserve a raise that matches the cost of living increase.”
ABC13 reached out to local Democratic lawmakers for comment on the teacher pay raise legislation, but did not receive a response.
First grader Ruston Revell is pressing Virginia lawmakers to pass a bill that he argues will make schools safer for kids with diabetes.
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Why a 6-year-old with diabetes is pushing for change in Virginia
Speaking in front of Virginia lawmakers, 6-year-old Ruston Revell needs a wooden stool to reach the microphone for his testimony about diabetes.
Dressed in his blue suit and red tie, he’s there on a mission.
“Living with diabetes isn’t easy, there are lots of ups and downs — just like my blood sugar,” Ruston told legislators in the Virginia General Assembly.
The legislation that brought Ruston from Prince William County to Richmond would update an existing law to specify how Virginia schools handle accommodations for students with diabetes.
“When I’m at school, my nurse and all my teachers help me when I need it, but not all kids like me are that lucky,” Ruston told WTOP. “These bills change that, so kids with diabetes can be safer in schools.”
He’s testified before committees in both chambers as corresponding bills move through the Virginia General Assembly. HB1301 and SB122 have both earned support in their respective chamber.
“Although, I’m small, my voice is big and it can change the world,” Ruston said.
In his testimony, the first grader clearly explained the care he requires to manage his Type 1 diabetes during the school day.
“He just pops up on his little stool and takes control of the room,” said Kelly Revell, Ruston’s mom. “It’s usually a little quiet, and after he finishes, he gets a whole room full of applause.”
Today, Ruston enjoys playing baseball, swimming and spending time at the playground.
But things were different before his diagnosis five years ago.
A life-changing diagnosis at 15 months old
During the summer of 2020, Kelly said her son started showing signs of diabetes, such as extreme thirst — symptoms she recognized because her father had been diagnosed in his 20s.
“He would just lounge around the house and have no interest in playing with his sister,” Kelly said. “He stopped eating, so he was eventually airlifted to Children’s National in D.C., where he was admitted to the pediatric ICU for nearly a week.”
At just 15 months old, Ruston was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Kelly said that news was life-changing.
“Now, in order to keep him alive, we have to hurt him multiple times a day, by giving him four to five shots and even a dozen finger pricks just to make sure his blood sugar is in range,” she recalled.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks cells that make insulin. A lack of insulin can lead to high blood sugar, which could cause serious health issues or be deadly.
“We had to wake up at 2 a.m. every night for six weeks, before we started utilizing technology, just to make sure that he was safe and healthy with his blood sugar,” Kelly said. “A lot of times, it resulted in phone calls to the hospital because he was at a dangerous level, and then we would be up for hours making sure he was back in range.”
For the Revell family, managing Ruston’s diabetes looks different nowadays.
(Courtesy Kelly Revell)
Courtesy Kelly Revell
(Courtesy Kelly Revell)
Courtesy Kelly Revell
(Courtesy Kelly Revell)
Courtesy Kelly Revell
(Courtesy Kelly Revell)
Courtesy Kelly Revell
(Courtesy Kelly Revell)
Courtesy Kelly Revell
How a 6-year-old handles his diabetes
Ruston knows how to prick his finger to check whether his blood sugar is in range.
“My mom and dad help me change my insulin pump every three days, and my CGM every 10 days,” Ruston said, referencing his continuous glucose monitor, known as a CGM.
“It hurts, but at least I don’t have to do shots. They’re the worst.”
Living with diabetes, Ruston needs to calculate the number of carbs he’s getting to determine his insulin dose, which is administered automatically through a pump.
“He is a pro at using a food scale,” Kelly said. “If he wants to eat anything, apple slices, we cut them up, and he puts them on the food scale and determines how many carbs are in that.”
Halfway through his interview with WTOP, Ruston’s phone beeped, flagging his low blood sugar and triggering a quick juice-box break.
That’s the kind of intervention he could require at school.
“When I’m low, Nurse Barnes tells Ms. Grant for me to have a juice box or gummies,” Ruston said, describing a snack to correct his blood sugar.
At his current school, Kelly said Ruston has had all his medical accommodations met since his first day of kindergarten.
“He gets so many hugs. Everyone knows him. He walks into the front office every day to visit the clinic, and they just they really take care of him,” she said.
Things were more complicated before Ruston began kindergarten. Kelly said the family was initially told that the accommodations requested by his doctor would not be allowed.
“What was most difficult at the time was the thought that a kindergartener would be responsible for alerting adults if his phone signaled a low or high blood sugar, rather than having trained staff receive those alerts directly through available technology,” she told WTOP.
The situation was resolved, but it drew Kelly’s attention toward legal protections for kids with diabetes.
What Kelly and Ruston are asking Virginia lawmakers to do
For the past several years, Kelly has been involved with an advocacy group, FOLLOWT1Ds, which argues that unclear or inconsistent school policies can create stress for families and put kids in danger.
“Prince William County has updated their diabetes policies recently, so more students with diabetes across our county are better protected,” Kelly said. “But that’s not happening everywhere in Virginia.”
The bills moving through the Virginia legislature would require school systems to create a divisionwide plan for supporting students with diabetes.
That would include making sure school staff are trained to follow through with a child’s medical orders.
“You really have to put in all of your trust in your school,” Kelly said. “This is a life-threatening disease, and if they forget to give him a juice box when he’s low, that can result in him going to the hospital, or it could be fatal.”
The legislation would also require schools have procedures for administering insulin and glucagon.
Families who have students with diabetes would send schools medical orders from their doctors that outline the child’s needs.
“A lot of times, the schools will either deny or modify these accommodations, even though they’re medically necessary,” Kelly said.
The statewide regulations haven’t been updated since 1999, Kelly said.
“While we’ve had all of these technology advances, like the insulin pump and the CGM, Virginia still hasn’t advanced their laws to align with standard methods of care that we’re using today,” Kelly said.
Ruston doesn’t receive insulin shots anymore. But Virginia law is behind on that front, according to Kelly and other advocates.
“Right now, the policy in Virginia, if his pump were to fall off while at school, they would, instead of reinsert the pump, they would give him a shot,” Kelly said.
In that scenario, Kelly said the school employee would have to calculate how much insulin to dose.
“I wouldn’t even know what to dose him, because with the pump, it’s automated nowadays,” she said. “It would require an immediate call to his doctor for guidance.”
She worries that it could lead to a miscalculation and health complications.
Kelly said the lack of consistency can impact older students, too. She said some high schoolers have gotten in trouble for having their cellphones at schools that ban the devices.
But those phones let students monitor their blood sugar, communicate medical treatments and administer insulin.
It’s the second year in a row that advocates like Kelly have asked legislators in Richmond to approve revisions to state law.
This time, Ruston is joining the push for change by sharing his story with lawmakers.
“I want to make sure other kids in different schools can have more help with diabetes,” Ruston told WTOP.
Anyone interested in following the legislation or submitting a comment to lawmakers can find more information on FOLLOW T1Ds’ website.
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