Frequently asked questions

It scales with the size of your event: about $60 per head for fewer than 20 guests, $50 for 20 to 30, $40 for 30 to 50, and around $30 per head — typically between $25 and $35 depending on the menu — for 50 and above. That covers the food, foil trays and serving spoons. Delivery and any service fee are quoted separately, and you will see every line before you commit.

We provide the cooked food in labelled foil trays with serving spoons, and we deliver it hot and ready to put out. Chafing dishes, plates, cutlery, staffing and table linen are not included as standard — tell us if you need them and we will price it in or point you to someone who can. For a full-service event, say so on the enquiry form.

Once you accept the quote, a deposit of 30% of the total holds your date. Nothing is confirmed until the deposit is paid, because we turn away other bookings for that day. The balance is due before the event. If you cancel more than 14 days out, the deposit comes back in full.

Yes — that is a large part of what we do. Weddings, walimas, engagement parties, Eid, graduations, funerals and corporate lunches, from ten guests to a hall of two hundred. Ask as early as you can: the more notice we have, the better the menu we can build with you.

Across North Seattle — Lake City, Northgate, Shoreline, Ballard, Fremont and Wallingford — every day we are open, and into Capitol Hill and the Eastside for larger and catering orders. Enter your ZIP code at checkout and the fee, minimum and delivery window appear immediately. If you are just outside our zones and it is a big order, ask us anyway.

It depends on the zone: closer zones are cheaper, and most zones deliver free above a certain order value, which is shown at checkout. Pickup is always free, and on Thursdays you can collect from our stall at the Lake City Farmers Market.

Yes — all of it, without exception. Every piece of meat we buy is halal, and no alcohol is used in any recipe or marinade. You can order for a mosque event, an Eid gathering or a family that keeps halal without having to check first.

Most dishes are mild to medium by American standards: warm and aromatic rather than hot. The heat you do get comes from jalapeños and fresh chutney, and both are on the side or adjustable. Each dish on the menu shows a spice level from none to very hot, and you can ask for a milder or hotter version in the order notes.

Plenty. Bolani, spinach medley, eggplant, bean soup, lentils, salad, veggie biryani, the vegetarian Afghan roll, Kabuli pulao without meat and shor nakhud are all vegetarian, and most are vegan — the filter on the menu page will show you exactly which. For a mixed event we will happily split trays so vegetarian guests are not left with the salad.

Every dish lists its ingredients and its known allergens on the menu page. Tell us about an allergy in the order notes or on the catering form and we will do our honest best to work around it. But we cook in one kitchen that handles wheat, dairy, eggs, walnuts, sesame and soy, so we cannot guarantee any dish is free from traces. If your allergy is severe, please weigh that up carefully before ordering.

Get chilled and frozen items into the fridge or freezer within two hours. Frozen meals, patties and uncooked kabob sticks cook from frozen — instructions are in the bag. Cooked food is best eaten the same day; otherwise refrigerate it promptly and eat it within two days. Rice and meat reheat best covered, in a low oven or a pan with a splash of water, rather than blasted in the microwave.

To-go menu items need at least 24 hours' notice, because everything is cooked when you order it rather than sitting ready. Large trays and platters need 48 hours. Catering needs at least 3 days, and considerably more for weddings and large events — popular weekends fill up months ahead. The checkout will only offer you slots we can actually cook for.

There is no minimum for pickup. Delivery minimums depend on how far you are from Lake City and are shown as soon as you enter your ZIP code at checkout — typically $25 close to home and more for the outer zones. Catering has a practical minimum of about ten guests.

Card (including Apple Pay and Google Pay) through our payment processor, PayPal, bank transfer, and cash on collection or delivery up to the limit shown at checkout. Catering is booked with a deposit — 30% of the quote by default — and the balance is due before the event. Cash is not available for catering.

Yes, free of charge, up to 24 hours before your slot for to-go items and 48 hours for large trays. After that the ingredients have been bought and the cooking has started, so we cannot refund it. For catering, cancelling more than 14 days out returns your deposit in full; between 14 and 7 days the deposit is kept; inside 7 days the full quote is due. Just call or email us — you do not need to fill in a form.

Absolutely. Call the number on our contact page and we will take the order and read it back to you. The website is there for convenience, not as the only way in.