As versatile as Pakistan’s food market is, in some cases it falls a little short. Look at it this way, Pakistani’s love food and it’s their love for food that makes so many cuisines, dishes and small scale restaurants stand out in this country. However, the huge market has resulted in a loss of aesthetics and soul in our food. It isn’t just about the taste, it’s about innovation and presentation, it’s about being food for the eyes as well. Finding something that appeals to all 5 of your senses is difficult but talented people like Sahr from The Daily Stir (@_thedailystir) are trying their level best to change that notion.

Sahr Hayat (@_thedailystir), who didn’t start out as an avid cook, dipped her toes into the kitchen territory just for fun. She loved experimenting with different recipes, trying out different ingredients and essentially cooking for her friends and family. This happened around 5 years ago, from then to now, she has gone through many changes in her life. She moved to Canada with her husband and after much convincing, applied to work as an official chef in restaurants. Her work experience started from a Mediterranean themed restaurant and she also divulged in a Japanese restaurant. She worked as a pastry chef and understood the importance of creating meals that not only fed the stomach but also spoke to the heart.

She eventually, during COVID, began to blog. She spent hours figuring out the best ways to promote it and it worked out for her. Her food blog (@_thedailystir) took off and through it she created a loyal customer base. When she moved back to Islamabad during COVID the response she got from locals was unmatched. They loved her food especially the way it came so perfectly balanced in creativity and taste. She now works on small pop-up menus that she does for her customers every week and alongside that has a set team in Islamabad that handles everything when she shifts her attention to Lahore. As a well-learned pastry chef, her speciality is 5 star desserts. If you want something instagrammable that’s equally as good in taste, then The Daily Stir(@_thedailystir) has to be on your list of things to try out.

She takes a rich twist on very conventional desserts to make them an Instagram phenomenon. Her aesthetic is truly rustic which is what sets her apart from other food bloggers and chefs. She keeps her desserts very close to her heart and it is that passion that ensures every dessert of hers is flawless. She experiments with flavours like Orange Chocolate, a rather unconventional combination, that is extremely popular and loved by all who try it. She incorporates these into classic dishes like tarts and brownies to make the different flavours less daunting. She has also worked on some very traditional desserts such as Carrot Cake (that has just the perfect splash of cinnamon to set it apart) and Walnut Pies (which she got through a family recipe).

Her most fun flavour, however, is Rose and Pistachio which she has made into a delicious Bundt cake. It’s a dessert that people keep coming back for and who wouldn’t, the presentation and the taste both are absolutely unmatched.

Even though she identifies herself as a pastry chef, she has also mastered the art of savoury dishes. Stuff like Bao Buns, Deep-dish Pizza, and Chicken Pot Pies are available in her weekly menus. She’s also got big things planned. Learning Culinary Management from the best at George Brown in Toronto, she plans on opening her very own restaurant right here in Pakistan. Everyone should be on the lookout for this young food blogger who is going to be sweeping up Pakistan’s food scene into the eye of her culinary storm very soon.
