Islamabad-Rawalpindi: Late night eating out: The changing habit of twin cities

[Naveed Yaseen]

Saadia Khalid
The trend of late night eating is fast gripping the twin cities, as eating outlets in Rawalpindi and Islamabad offering sumptuous and delicious foods are pulling large crowds.

Gone are the days when the sister cities, especially the metropolis, used to appear deserted in late hours, with hardly one or two shops open - that too mostly chemist shops in order to deal with the urgent need of medicines. Over the past few years, the lifestyle of the residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi has witnessed a rapid change, especially in their eating habits, as eating out has not only become a trend but eating at late hours has also become quite a routine for many.

Crispy ‘parathas’, spicy barbeques and other traditional food items besides fresh juices and ice cream are easily available at all major spots of the metropolis where shops remain open the whole night catering to a large number of customers, mostly the business class.

“It’s right that eating out in late hours has become a popular trend, as I keep my shop open till Fajr time and people keep coming to enjoy the food,” said Murtaza Alam, a shopkeeper near Chandni Chowk.

Alam said that there was a time when he used to close his shop at 11p.m. sharp but now his business starts after mid-night. “The trend of eating out in late hours has fast gaining popularity, especially during summers when people enjoy the food in comparatively pleasant weather,” he said.

Not only individuals but a large number of families also visit the eating outlets to tantalise their taste buds. “Sometimes we go out to eat just to have a break from the routine homemade food and also to get relief and some times, we have it just for fun sake,” said Jamila Sultan, a housewife and mother of three kids.

She said they have not made the practice of eating out in late hours their routine but do it only on weekends.

It’s mostly the business class that visits the eating outlets during late hours, as they have no issue of waking up early in the morning such as in case of office goers. “Our shops also remain open till 11 or 12 at night after which we often visit these food outlets to have some food,” said Mumtaz Aslam, a trader, adding that they usually open their shops after 12p.m. in the afternoon, so they could easily enjoy food till late at night.

According to the health experts, eating at late hours is not good for health, as the food is unable to digest properly and cause morning gas and stomach cramps. “Some people, who complain about bloating, never realise that it’s a result of the gas and food particles left over from improper digestion. This can be avoided if one cuts down late night snacking,” said a health expert adding that eating late at night also forces the body to consume its energy for digestion.

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