Naanwich'riz, Arsène Jhangir's Pakistani streetfood restaurant

On the slopes of Croix-Rousse hill, just a short walk from the Hôtel de Ville (city hall), the green and yellow frontage of Naanwich’riz draws in connoisseurs and curious foodies, tempted by the delicious range of Anglo-Pakistani street food on offer. It is the pride of Arsène Jhangir, who is carrying on the family tradition; his father, Shahid Jhangir, owner of three establishments, is well-known on Lyon’s food scene. According to an unverifiable story, he even coined the neologism ‘poulet tandoori’ (tandoori chicken)! Shahid handed down his passion for spicy cuisine and his restaurants to his sons, Nicolas and Arsène. The latter runs Naanwich’riz, while the former is in charge of the nearby Mumbai Café. The two brothers revisit their father’s recipes in their own fashion, bringing them up to date. On the menu of Naanwich’riz, you will find “salad’bowls” (chicken tikka, kofta masala, etc.), rice bowls (Lahori beef, aloo palak with spinach and spices, etc.), vegetable fritters (pakora), lentil dhaals (Arsène’s favourite dish) and lassi drinks, as well as “naanwiches”, the restaurant’s best-sellers named by Arsène. They are based on a concept borrowed from the other side of the Channel. Following a long stay in London, the Lyonnais chef decided to import it to France. In Pakistan and Great Britain, the “naanwich” is a kind of popular sandwich made with oven-baked flatbread. They are generally garnished with marinated vegetables, grilled meat, cardamom (a slightly lemony spice that is widely used in Asia) and a sauce of your choice (curry, chutney, mango, etc.). While pili-pili sauce, a kind of spicy mayonnaise, is popular with Brits, Arsène generally replaces it with a yoghurt sauce: “as the French can’t handle too much spiciness.” Always on the lookout for new flavours, Naanwich’riz may soon expand its menu to include seafood. 

Bio express
1970: Shahid Jhangir arrives in Lyon
1997: Arsène Jhangir is born
2019-2022: Stay in London
September 2022: Naanwich’riz opens