The Sunday Lunch Problem in Islamabad — Five Ways Out of It
20 September 2026
Sunday in Islamabad has a shape. A late nashta that runs into noon. Somebody's cousins deciding at 12:30 that they're "bas thori dair ke liye" coming over. A quick family meeting in which everyone agrees that ghar ka hi kuch bana lete hain. And then, at four o'clock, one person standing over a degchi while the rest watch a match, and the day is gone.
There's nothing wrong with cooking at home. But if the point of Sunday is everybody in one room, the kitchen is the one place nobody should be trapped. Here are five ways families around us actually solve it, with the prices we publish so you can pick before anyone starts chopping onions.
1. Just us — six to eight people, one dish done properly
The simplest Sunday. One rice, one raita, done.
2 kg Chicken Pulao — Rs. 4,000. A kilo feeds three to four people, so two kilos covers six to eight comfortably. Swap in Feast Tikka Biryani at the same Rs. 2,000 per kg if the house votes biryani, which it usually does.
That's around Rs. 500 to 650 a head for the main event, with nobody in the kitchen. Add a kilo of Chicken Karahi at Rs. 1,800 if you want a proper salan on the table.
2. The cousins announced themselves — twelve to fifteen people
This is the one that ruins Sundays, because the count doubles after the shopping is done. Don't scale the kitchen; scale the order.
Dawat Package 01 — Rs. 15,000 for 12 to 15 people. Beef Kunna, Chicken Degi Qorma, Beef Pulao and Matanjan, with raita, salad, roti naan and mineral water included. Worked out per person that's roughly Rs. 1,000 to 1,250 for a full spread with dessert — and the kitchen stays closed. All five packages, from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 25,000, are on the menu page.
3. Match day — the evening turns into BBQ
Nobody wants a heavy plate at 4 pm before an evening match. They want things to pick at.
- Chicken Boti, 12 pieces — Rs. 1,000
- Chapli Kebab (chicken) — Rs. 1,600 per kg
- Chicken Sajji — Rs. 1,400 full, Rs. 750 half
All three together comes to Rs. 4,000 and feeds a room. The full BBQ list, with reshmi kabab and steam roast, is on the menu — and you can set the quantities and send the whole order in one WhatsApp message from that page.
4. Somebody's birthday, and it's not a "function"
Half the birthdays in this city are not events. They're a cake, the immediate family, and a table that should look better than a Tuesday.
Platter for 4 — Rs. 5,000. Chicken handi, malai boti, seekh kabab, chicken tikka, boti for four, pulao kabab, cold drinks, raita, salad and roti naan on one tray. Add 1 kg Khoya Matanjan for Rs. 1,500 and dessert is handled too — Rs. 6,500 for a table that looks like effort.
There's a Platter for 2 at Rs. 2,500 as well, for the Sundays when it really is just the two of you.
5. Mehmaan aa rahe hain — the Sunday that has to impress
Rishta, in-laws, the uncle who compares every meal to the one he had in Lahore. This is the day to put a dish on the table that people remember.
1 kg Chinioti Beef Kunna — Rs. 4,500, with 2 kg Chicken Pulao — Rs. 4,000 and naan from your own tandoor. Rs. 8,500, and the conversation is about the kunna instead of the traffic. Ours is slow-cooked by a chef from Chiniot, which is a whole story of its own.
When to actually order
The single mistake that spoils a Sunday plan is the timing, not the money.
- Order the night before if you can. Saturday night for Sunday lunch means your degh is on the plan, not squeezed into it.
- Before noon at the latest. Smaller weights can usually be cooked the same day if you message in the morning; a big degh deserves a day.
- Give the eating time, not the arrival time. If guests sit at 2, say 2 — we plan the route backwards from that.
- Count the children as guests. They eat less each and multiply faster than anyone expects.
Our kilo guide has the full table for ten, twenty, fifty and eighty people if you'd rather do the maths once and keep it.
The fine print, in plain words
In the neighbourhoods around our kitchen — Soan Garden, PWD, Bahria Town, DHA, Korang Town, Jinnah Garden, Pakistan Town, DR Colony, Gulberg Greens and Airport Housing Society — you can order from 1 kg per dish. Everywhere else in Islamabad and Rawalpindi the minimum is 3 kg per dish. Packages and platters have no such condition.
And if you'd rather collect it yourself on the way back from wherever Sunday took you, the kitchen is on Street No. 1, Block D, Soan Garden Markaz, opposite Palace Bakery, open 11 am to 11 pm.
Questions families ask on a Sunday
How late can I order for the same day? Message before noon and we'll tell you honestly what the kitchen can still do. For a big degh, a day's notice is the difference between good and rushed.
Degh or boxes? For a family table, the degh or a serving tray keeps everything hot. Boxes make sense when food is being sent to more than one house — which on a Sunday happens more often than you'd think.
Do you send raita and naan? Packages and platters include them. With a per-kg order, say the word and we'll pack raita; tell us if you need naan too.
Do you deliver in Rawalpindi on Sundays? Yes, same prices — the route list is here.
What if it turns into a proper dawat? Then it's a different plan and a better price per head — the dawat guide covers 20 to 60 guests, and the degh deals live on the event menu.
The point of Sunday
Nobody remembers who cooked. They remember who was at the table. WhatsApp 0315 9093990 with the number of people and the time they'll eat, and take the afternoon back.