Lahore is generally known for its traditional foods, heritage, and culture. However, some Western cuisines with a local touch are now breaking the norm in Pakistan’s second-largest city and Philly Cheesesteaks is one of them.

The sandwich, which became hugely popular in 1987 in Philadelphia, is now melting down the taste buds of Lahoris. It arrived in Pakistan way back in 1985. Since then, it didn’t get full exposure to a wider audience until a chef in the Provincial capital tweaked it a bit with Pakistani touch.

Mazhar Hussain, a chef based in Lahore, replicated the sandwich after watching the video. He shared his success story with Kunwar Khuldune Shahid – a Lahore-based correspondent for The Diplomat and a contributor to Foreign Policy, The Spectator, and Haaretz.

“Re-creating anything is never an issue, but I wanted to check if it was going to be popular,” Hussain told Philadelphia.

Hussain currently offers the sandwich in three flavours – pepper, jalapeño, and fajita. He customised the original recipe with a Pakistani touch by adding local red chili powder and tikka masala spice.

“In my first meeting with General Manager, it was decided that we’re going to add our unique spices to the steak sandwich,” Hussain said. “I believe a major factor behind its growing popularity is this merger of the flavours of Philadelphia and Lahore.”

The idea was shared by Adil Mehmood’s cosine, who came from Philadelphia and showed the video to the chef. Mehmood is optimistic to expand the franchise to other parts of the city.

Currently, they are located at Johar Town’s main food centers, atop a hair salon. The sandwich is available for just Rs 579.

The sandwich is not new to Lahoris as three food chains Café Zouk, Freddy’s, and CTC all have this on their menu.

The cheesesteak was offered simultaneously by CTC and Freddy’s in the early 2000s, while Café Zouk, launched it in 1995. All of these cafes kept it close to its authentic recipe.

However, Pakistan and Indian cuisine touch make Johar’s Philly Cheesesteak unique.