Filmmaker Yasir Jaswal turns restaurateur with Islamabad's new burger joint Jessie's

Islamabad's hot new eatery Jessie's marks Yasir Jaswal's transition from Jalaibee to burgers.

The filmmaker/musician has tapped into his passion for food — "I'm often found fixing meals for family and friends at home," he says — with his partner and childhood friend Yawar Siddiqui.

After a soft launch last year and three added months of trial and error, Yasir is now officially testing his home kitchen skills on a full-fledged commercial grill.

The eatery can cater to around 60 customers at a time.

Jessie's, which opened its doors at Jinnah Super Market, F-7 last month, boasts a rustic design, which is made special by the inclusion of a balcony where one can see Islamabad's lush greenery and sunset. The eatery can cater to around 60 customers at a time.

What's in a name?

“My friends in high school and my siblings at home always called me Jessie, not Jaswal," reveals Yasir. "So, when it was time to name the joint, my father had the last word and Jessie’s it was.”

However, Yasir had hoped to keep this business venture independent of his media persona.

“I didn’t want people to think that being associated with showbiz I am using my name to popularise this place. I want Jessie’s to be famous for its burgers and not for its owners. I am in the kitchen when the chef goes missing,” he shares.

Jessie's is evidently a labour of love

Jessie's has a secret

Jessie's wide range of burgers has quickly garnered a cult following.

The one-page menu features six different takes on the burgers, ranging from Jessie’s Classic Beef, a 6oz juicy prime beef patty topped with cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and homemade sauce to The Grand Beef, a towering magnificence with a 7 oz beef patty, two slices of cheddar cheese, a slice of turkey bacon, lettuce, onions, tomatoes and beef gravy sauce all buried under caramelised onions.

A popular favourite is Jessie’s The Mushroom, which features mozzarella instead of cheddar cheese. “Mozzarella's subtler taste goes well with the sharpness of the mushrooms,” explains Yasir.

The mushroom burger is a monster

“What makes our burgers different from others is the effort that goes into making them. The marinating process, the quality of beef, freshness of the meat and the amalgamation of ten different ingredients that I have infused in the sauce makes all the difference in our product," he says.

Buns are baked in-house and fresh ground beef and steak undercut meat carefully chosen from Qureshi’s Meat shop, a waterhole for all the restaurant owners of the capital.

“We purchase meat, vegetables and other ingredients on a daily basis. There is no frozen meat or day old vegetables or buns at Jessie’s,” Yawar chips in.