Khanz restaurant has a head chef, who has cooked for royalty and in leading hotels throughout the Middle East. The new Highland Park eatery offers an exciting Middle Eastern
and continental menu to suit all tastes.
Opened just before Christmas, the restaurant is owned by a dynamic young businessman, Kamran Khan, who also owns one of Auckland’s leading meat companies, Premium Meats.
The manager, Bahawal Nawab, says Khanz restaurant is unique in Auckland because it offers a major focus on many styles of Middle Eastern food, with signature dishes from several countries.
Starters include hummus and meat, or hummus and soft Arabic bread, falafel, dolmas/stuffed vine leaves, tabbouleh salad and other options.
The mains feature popular dishes such as sheesh kebabs, lamb kofta with tahini and platters to serve three. Delicious kunafa is the star dessert and highly recommended.
Charcoal grilling with a clever and subtle addition of traditional spices gives the food a truly
authentic Middle Eastern flavour and presentation is superb.
The meals are very affordable with mains at an average price of around $23.
Jordanian-born chef, Ibrahim Al Shatrat, has been in New Zealand for several years, and has the experience of working in many of the Middle East’s lavish five-star hotels. He won third place in the 2000 CBIT ‘Canterbury Chef of the Year’ competition and is now in the selection process for the Master Chef Middle East series filmed in Dubai.
“I have cooked for many wellknown celebrities and was honoured to cook for King Abdullah,
the leader of my own country, Jordan,” he says.
“Our food at Khanz is special because we use only the best fresh meat and produce delivered
each day. Everything is made to order,” he explains.
Mr Nawab is assisted by a staff of five – including three wait staff who are all locals. They anticipate that they will soon be advertising for more workers.
“We have had a good response to Khanz since opening and have had five-star reviews on Facebook. At the moment we are serving lunches at the weekend, while dinner is from 5.30 pm each day, but we plan to extend those hours too,” Mr Nawab explains.
The large restaurant, which seats more than 120, also caters for private functions such as
weddings and special parties. Situated in the hub near Burger King, parking is easy.
All the furniture in the restaurant has been specially imported. Decorated with brass Turkish
lamps, a romantic hand-carved swinging seat, Arabic-style mirrors and hand-painted antique
cartwheels, it offers a welcoming and an exotic ambience.
All clients are given a complimentary cup of Jordanian tea.
And for those who like to eat while seated on the floor (or to be transported back to travelling days in the East), a large raised platform has been provided. It is covered with a fine hand-knotted Persian carpet.
Adding to the authentic Middle Eastern experience, Khanz also has shisha pipes available for
clients to enjoy a variety of flavoured tobacco.
Khanz Restaurant
491 Pakuranga Road, (behind Caltex)
Highland Park
Phone: 533-6330
