Albaik, the Saudi fast-food brand known for its spice-injected broasted chicken and nuggets, has never been to Karachi. Yet people talk about it as if they have been parched for it for years, sometimes imploring their cousins or friends coming from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan to bring back the coveted chicken nuggets.

Some also fall victim to deceptive online pages, claiming to be “bringing Albaik to Karachi”, which later turn out to be resellers selling days-old chicken nuggets.

Karachi is not short of its own fried chicken options. There are local brands such as Kababjees, which has branches dedicated to just their fried chicken menu. This is despite Kababjees having a broader menu that includes chicken paratha rolls, pizzas, burgers and more. Then there is OPTP, which initially started off as a brand selling just French fries but now has a dedicated menu for fried chicken options, including nuggets and broasts.

When it comes to nuggets, one would be remiss to not mention international franchises — both McDonald’s and KFC — that have a strong customer base in Karachi. They have cultivated this base over the years, sometimes by localising their menu and often by announcing “deals”, which smaller local........

© Dawn (Magazines)