Nurturing Culinary Dreams | Zaineb Shah’s Journey with The Fig Tree
In the bustling heart of Lahore, amidst a city renowned for its rich culinary heritage, Zaineb Shah has carved a niche for herself with The Fig Tree, a restaurant that exudes warmth, authenticity, and a love for fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Her journey, rooted in childhood memories and driven by a passion for food, is a testament to resilience and dedication.
"Cooking became a way for me to continue to connect with my mother. Till this day, everything I cook feels like I’m cooking with her."
"Going to the village to stay with my naani, learning how to make roti in the tandoor, and being fascinated by how food was cooked on wood fire," Zaineb reminisces. "Learning how to make makai ki roti from my nani, how to churn butter, and never being allowed to make shortcuts—it was always done the proper way, even if I was only five or six." These early experiences instilled in her a deep respect for traditional cooking methods and a dedication to doing things right, no matter how tedious the task.
Zaineb's mother also played a pivotal role in her culinary journey. "My mother was an exceptional cook. I learned the basics of baking and cooking French and Italian food from her. It was my way of getting to spend alone time with her without my siblings to share the attention. She passed away when I was only 15, and cooking became a way for me to continue to connect with her. Till this day, everything I cook feels like I’m cooking with her."
"The Fig Tree is not a corporate business. I genuinely love food and want to serve it to people."
Growing up in Peshawar, Zaineb was surrounded by a diverse culinary landscape. "Having the UNHCR headquarters in Peshawar when I was growing up, we had people from all over the world living around us. My friends' mothers would cook traditional dishes, and if I liked them, I wanted my mother to make them for me. Eventually, I learned to make them myself. This exposure at a young age broadened my palate and made me appreciate different tastes."
"Being an outsider to Lahore, being a woman, and not being a social one at all have been hurdles I have had to overcome."
Baking became more than just a skill for Zaineb; it was a therapeutic escape. "Baking is extremely therapeutic for me. When I’m feeling low, I bake the most technical breads, dozens of cupcakes, or try new recipes. I get so involved in the process that I forget what was upsetting me. It’s also physically laborious, which probably helps too."
"If you want to do something, do it now. That’s how my journey with The Fig Tree began, and it’s still ongoing."
The dream of owning a food truck in NYC or a bistro in a small European town was always in the back of Zaineb's mind. "Until Covid-19 shook the world to its core, I realized if you want to do something, do it now. Since moving abroad was not an option for me, I decided to open a small restaurant in Lahore, considering it is the land of food lovers. I prayed to Allah for guidance and help and started a small restaurant. A few months later, I had to expand because a bistro-style concept was not really conducive to the market here. And here we are now. That’s how it began, and the journey is ongoing."
"We don’t believe in serving frozen meals; we make most of our food fresh when we get the order."
Zaineb's vision for The Fig Tree was clear from the start. "The Fig Tree is not a corporate business. I didn’t start it because I was bored and had lots of money to spend on a whim. I genuinely love food and want to serve it to people. We don’t believe in serving frozen meals; we use mostly local products, we make most of our food fresh when we get the order. We bake our own bread, make our own cheese, and all our sauces and dips are made in-house. There is a lot of love and effort that has gone into the menu, and I still make a lot of the desserts myself."
Running a restaurant in Lahore presented unique challenges. "Being an outsider to Lahore, being a woman, and not being a social one at all have been hurdles I have to overcome while running my restaurant. I’ve observed that people are not willing to support a female entrepreneur as much as one would’ve thought, and they certainly don’t care about someone sourcing local and fresh ingredients. It’s all about connections and PR and belonging to an elite group. But at the end of the day, it’s the organic customers that make a business flourish, and I have faith that taking one day at a time and with the help of Allah, I will reach my goals for The Fig Tree, Inshallah."
"Perseverance, steadfastness, and a whole lot of resilience will make you reach your goals eventually."
One of the biggest challenges Zaineb faces is maintaining consistency with produce and ingredients. "There is no quality control like in other countries where when you buy something once, you know you’ll get the same thing every time. For example, if I don’t get the same tomatoes I had yesterday, my marinara sauce will taste different, and there’s only so much I can do about it. It’s very difficult to maintain taste consistency because of this. There is always a shortage of something or other, prices keep going up, there is no implementation of government rates. It’s a struggle, and at the end of the day, it is the restaurant which is responsible for putting out a decent plate of food on the table regardless of what issues we might be facing."
"Baking is extremely therapeutic for me. When I’m feeling low, I bake the most technical breads, dozens of cupcakes, or try new recipes."
The Fig Tree’s philosophy is rooted in freshness and quality. "Our food philosophy is, don’t feed the customer what you won’t eat yourself. A recipe might be very elaborate, but if the ingredients aren’t fresh, it won’t taste good and definitely not be healthy. Even a simple dish can taste great by using fresh, good quality produce. We try our utmost to provide the best within the means available to us."
Zaineb's culinary journey has been significantly influenced by renowned chefs. "Growing up, watching great chefs like Madhur Jaffri, Marco Pierre White, Anthony Bourdain, Keith Floyd, Sanjeev Kapoor, and so many more, I was fascinated by how ingredients turn into a work of art. The technicalities of baking are not possible to master without patience and precision. My favorite cuisine, which is French, is so simple yet so difficult. Marco Pierre White has probably had the most impact on my cooking. I always look to Gordon Ramsay when I’m finding difficulty in perfecting something. Floyd and Bourdain taught me how to understand cultures and people through food. Each one has taught me, especially Antonio Carluccio, who showed me that you can make traditional food modern without compromising on its integrity."
"It's the organic customers that make a business flourish, and I have faith that taking one day at a time will help us reach our goals."
In the local food scene, Zaineb admires chefs who have stood the test of time. "I admire the people behind Café Zouk, Rina's, which started as a home-based business and is now one of the most popular places in town, and Cosa Nostra. Florence in Karachi has been inspirational for what she has done over the years, but hands down, my favorite restaurant in Pakistan is Okra. They don’t rely on gimmicks like fancy furniture or a huge flashy restaurant; it’s just good food year after year."
Looking to the future, Zaineb envisions growth and new ventures for The Fig Tree. "I would like to see The Fig Tree expanding. I particularly want to focus on fine dine catering. Our new venture is on the drawing board at the moment. It is too early to say what it’s going to be, so I’ll let it be a surprise. But it’s going to be unexpected and unique."
Her journey as a female entrepreneur in Pakistan has been a testament to perseverance and resilience. "If I can do it, anyone with a passion for this work can do it. Being a woman, every job is tougher in our country, but perseverance, steadfastness, and a whole lot of resilience will make you reach your goals eventually. Do your homework, understand your market, and be willing to sacrifice everything for the first few years at least. If you’re not there to watch over every tiny detail, nobody else will do it for you, and at the end of the day, it’s your name on the line. It’s not something to be done half-heartedly or as a part-time gig. You have to be ready to give it your all."
Zaineb's dedication to The Fig Tree has come at a personal cost. "I have no personal life! What few friends I had are lost to me. I don’t get to go home to Peshawar for months on end. I’m constantly under immense pressure to survive. Basically, my life is The Fig Tree, and I’m okay with that."
"My life is The Fig Tree, and I’m okay with that.”
Despite the challenges, Zaineb remains motivated and driven by her passion. "Frankly, other than maybe 3-4 friends, I haven’t had much help from the people I know. Strangers have been way more helpful and rooting for me. I don’t belong to an elite social circle, which seems to be essential when running a restaurant in Lahore. PR matters, superficial things matter more than the actual food, unfortunately. Mostly, I like to take feedback personally. I interact a lot with my customers."
Through it all, Zaineb's unwavering commitment to her vision and her culinary craft shines through. "With the help of Allah and the support of my organic customers, I believe The Fig Tree will continue to grow and flourish, one day at a time."
Zaineb Shah’s story is one of passion, resilience, and an unwavering love for food that transcends boundaries and creates lasting connections. The Fig Tree stands as a testament to her journey, offering a dining experience that is both heartfelt and exceptional.
INTERVIEW: SUNDUS UNSAR RAJA
PHOTOGRAPHY: Airaj Ahmed