Frontier Karahi House opens in Huntington Station

Karahi may be the unsung masterpiece of Long Island's food scene, and it's the focus of a sprawling new banquet hall in Huntington Station. Frontier Karahi House joins a number of destination-worthy Pakistani spots, including Kababjees and Zaoq 100 in Hicksville, Karahi Adda in Westbury and Butt Karahi House in Valley Stream.

Frontier is owned by caterer Saad Khan, who hails from an iconic food city, Peshawar, in the northwest of Pakistan. The area is known for its barbecue and natural style of cooking that doesn't rely heavily on spices. It's also one of the birthplaces of karahi, a lush tomato and meat stew named after the pan it's often served in. 

"In Peshawar, we don't use any packaged spices, nothing," he said. "So even in barbecue, it will just be salt and black pepper, and you'll taste it,"

Khan was one of the original owners of Sunshine restaurant in Hicksville and Jackson Heights, Queens, but recently sold his share to focus on opening a catering hall that can do large parties. Frontier is in the storied space that's held concepts like Panama Hatties, Cinque Terre and more recently the Peruvian restaurant La Candela. During the month of Ramadan, Frontier put on evening Iftar buffets with 25 dishes. And he plans to keep that spirit going with weekend brunch buffets.

If you're ordering off the regular menu, take a close look at the chef's specials section, which includes a number of Peshawari originals, including the famous chapli kebab, a sizable beef or chicken patty with herbs and spices. You'll also see the Afghan rice dish pulao ($29.95) as Peshawar is near the border with Afghanistan and has a strong shared heritage with the Pashtun people of both nations. (On another note, instead of a kids menu, Frontier has what they're calling a Gen Z menu, with dishes like rib-eye steak, chicken Parmesan and Alfredo.) 

The Shinwari karahi, named after a famous market in Peshawar, is the restaurant's signature dish. You can get it with chicken ($24.95) but I ordered the goat ($34.95) and was pleasantly surprised by how meaty it was with a texture and flavor similar to lamb chops. The meat is cooked in ghee before the tomatoes, salt and fresh, long green chilies are added. The mixture cooks for 20 to 30 minutes and is served in a copper bowl that gives it an elegant feel.

Khan said it's different from other karahis because the ingredients are simpler and he's not relying on spices. Instead, the dish is all about ripping the meat off the bones and marveling in its pure, savory flavor. As the Gen Z kids would say, this karahi is the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of all time.)

Frontier Karahi House, 866 E. Jericho Tpke., Huntington Station, 631-470-0425, instagram.com/frontierkarahihouse. Open noon to 10 p.m. daily.