Zeeshan Bakhrani introduced his Pakistani-American fusion concept Nishaan to the New York market last summer at Smorgasburg Williamsburg. Since then, Bakhrani has brought the popular pop-up to cities across the U.S. — even going on a food truck tour — and now the concept is back in town to stay. Nishaan will open in a 600-square-foot space at 160 First Ave. in the East Village later this summer.
A Chicago native, Bakhrani’s goal through the concept is to introduce people to Pakistani food through fusion with familiar American dishes.
“Familiar foods will have a Pakistani taste to it,” Bakhrani told What Now New York. “So if you’re a new customer who has never had Pakistani food, you can find something that sounds familiar — something unique but familiar.”
Bakhrani has created his own selection of Pakistani-American street food, with menu items like a Pakistani chopped cheese and bihari barbacoa tacos. He describes it as “fancy fast food,” and he envisions his spot in East Village as becoming a good late-night hotspot as well as a destination spot.
He was attracted to opening his first brick-and-mortar location in the East Village because of the diversity of flavors found there.
“East Village is known for dishes that are always unique, and I bring that flavor profile to it also,” Bakhrani said. “I wanted to open up somewhere that’s like a foodie heaven.”
For Bakhrani, the fusion of the Pakistani flavors and traditional American fast-casual dishes is an art form. He hopes to showcase the thoughtfulness that goes behind crafting his fusion dishes — and he thinks the New York market is the perfect place to experiment with flavors.
“I’m not just slapping two dishes together — I’m really thinking about how we can combine the dishes,” Bakhrani said. “I think New York allows that because people are really open to trying stuff. New York sets the culture and people pick it up from there.”
The design of the space will feature vibrant, fun colors, creating a retro atmosphere with Pakistani decor.
Right now, Bakhrani is focused on opening this location successfully, but he sees the brand growing into something much bigger down the road. Eventually, he sees himself taking it to New Jersey and other hotspots like Chicago, and expanding out in various markets. “Nishaan” translates to “mark,” and he hopes to leave his mark on the food industry across the country.
“I want these dishes to be dishes that people crave and that people can find easily everywhere,” Bakhrani said.
