Alamo Drafthouse Serves Pakistani Menu From ‘The Big Sick’ Star Kumail Nanjiani

Kumail Nanjiani (HBO’s Silicon Valley) and Emily Gordon (author, Super You), the real-life couple behind the new rom-com The Big Sick, have developed a menu of Pakistani food related to the film with dine-in theater chain Alamo Drafthouse. The specials are now being served at Alamo screenings of The Big Sick in San Francisco and elsewhere alongside the theater’s regularly-offered menu.

The Big Sick menu includes dishes that play a role onscreen, like biryani with extra potatoes: Nanjiani’s mother makes that for him in the film in a sign she might forgive him for dating Emily, a non-Pakistani woman. The menu, like the movie, is inspired by the culture clash of the couples’s backgrounds. At one point in The Big Sick, Emily tells Nanjiani that she’s been trying to cook Pakistani food — but either she’s a terrible cook, or Pakistani food is awful.

“When we first started dating, Kumail would take me to Pakistani restaurants in Chicago,” says Gordon, who is played in the film by Zoe Kazan. “I fell in love with Kumail and Seekh Kebab at the same time.” That’s on the menu, served with yogurt and vegetables on naan with fries.

Dining on biryani in the dark might sound strange to someone who hasn’t yet visited a branch of the Austin-based Alamo Drafthouse. To moviegoers who have already been to the SF Alamo, a years-in-the-making remodel of the New Mission Theater completed in late 2015, it’s more likely to sound enticing. The format: Servers take diners’ orders via written cards and deliver food like gourmet popcorn, milkshakes, and burgers to tables between seats during the show. An impressive array of cocktails and beer are also available, and the local Alamo even has a dedicated bar, Bear vs. Bull, for a pre- or post-movie drink.

Check out the rest of the special menu below.

Alamo Drafthouse/Heather Kennedy

Aloo Chaap

Gold potatoes mixed with onions, garlic, and spiced beef, which are then pan-roasted. Served with seasoned yogurt and herbs

Seekh Kebab

All-beef kebab made with chili, garlic, and spices. Served with yogurt and fresh vegetables on warm naan. Served with fries

Potato-stuffed Naan

Gold potato stuffing with red onion, green peas, and chili. With salted butter-brushed naan. Served with herb chutney

Biryani with Extra Potatoes

Yogurt-marinated potatoes roasted in butter. Basmati rice cooked with garam masala, tomato, and turmeric

Gajar Ka Halwa with Kheer

Sweet carrot dessert on top of rice pudding made with coconut milk and golden raisins. Garnished with cashews and toasted almonds

• Alamo Drafthouse Cooks Up Pakistani Feast for Comedian Kumail Nanjiani’s ‘The Big Sick’ [Eater Austin]
• The Alamo Drafthouse Announces Special Menu For ‘THE BIG SICK’ [Birth. Movies. Death]