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    Chaaye Khana Peshawar: Keeping the Tradition of Chaaye Drinking Alive

    Written by: Yusra Hussain
    Posted on: February 02, 2017 |

    The inviting neon sign at Chaaye Khana Peshawar

    It is no secret that tea consumption is an essential part of every Pakistani’s life. From waking up in the morning, to office meetings and evening engagements – not to mention the arrival of guests at any home – Pakistanis practically run on chaaye! So when a new branch of the ever-famous Chaaye Khana opened up recently in the heart of University Road, Peshawar, with its inviting neon logo of a steaming hot cup of tea, it was not surprising that Peshawarites began to rush there with friends and family to enjoy hot chaaye in this bone-chilling weather. Following tremendous success in the cities of Islamabad and Lahore, Chaaye Khana has finally made its way to Peshawar, and people in the city are overjoyed at the news.

    Freshly brewed tea at Chaaye Khan Peshawar

    Freshly brewed tea

    Whether you’re going for a full-fledged meal or a tête-à-tête with your friend over a cup of tea, Chaaye Khana adequately caters to both options. As you are seated, you will be served two menus: the Main Menu and the Chaaye Menu. The former is all about the main course, while the latter consists of traditional as well as special chaaye flavours and beverages, along with quite a few unconventional desserts. The perfectly brewed tea is served in ornate kettles of various shapes and sizes. The desserts are equally tantalizing, particularly the scrumptious molten lava, served with ice cream and chocolate sauce that goes well with almost any flavour of tea. The standard of service has also been great thus far, with exquisite presentation and timely arrival of orders.

    The Peshawar franchise of Chaaye Khana is more spacious as compared to that in Islamabad, but retains its popular literary atmosphere, with scores of books on display and Pakistani music playing in the background. Books of all genres including history, fiction, and nonfiction are stacked neatly in the bookshelves by the sitting areas, so you can pull one out at any time and enjoy it with your tea. There is also a separate section dedicated to books that can be purchased by customers.

    The interior of Chaaye Khan Peshawar

    The interior

    The commodious yet cozy interior enables you to curl up and enjoy the expansive chaaye menu. The retired community of Peshawar visits Chaaye Khana rather frequently, either with their spouses or in groups of friends. It’s a joy to see people of all age groups relishing the restaurant’s peaceful environment.

    One of the walls of the restaurant displays a wide variety of exotic chaaye flavors, including Silky Jasmine, Caramel Pear Gold, Piña colada, Saffron White, Blueberry, Wildberry, and more than fifty other kinds, collected from various parts of the world. For most visitors, these flavours are very new, and choosing one from amongst the plethora of options can sometimes become quite a task. However, the waiters are always there to help; they will let you smell a variety of chaaye flavors before ordering, helping you choose according to your preferences.

    The wall displaying over 50 chaaye flavours at Chaaye Khan Peshawar

    The wall displaying over 50 chaaye flavours

    On the whole, Chaaye Khana is a wonderful initiative for the citizens of Peshawar, who have been deprived of places where families and people of all ages can comfortably enjoy breakfast, brunch, or just a cup of tea. “This place was opened keeping the current market dynamics in mind, and knowing that this city needs more such places where people can meet regularly”, says the manager of the restaurant.

    Molten Lava with ice cream at Chaaye Khan Peshawar

    Molten Lava with ice cream

    So let’s clink our teacups, give a cheer to Chaaye Khana, and keep the tradition of chaaye drinking alive!


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021