A Taste of Mexican Tacos, Served by means of Karachi’s Crime-Fighting Hero DIG Usman Siddiqui
As Karachi’s skyline dims into twilight and the city’s tempo shifts to an night buzz, an surprising aroma wafts via the salty air at Seaview. It’s no longer the ordinary scent of chai or chaat but the zesty kick of lime, cumin, and salsa. Behind a rickshaw-turned-food cart named Sombrero, stands an not going taco chef: Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Usman Siddiqui, one of Pakistan’s most professional regulation enforcement officers.
With over two many years of carrier struggling with crime, corruption, and narcotics throughout Sindh and Balochistan, Siddiqui’s resume reads like a crime-thriller. From rescuing kidnapped young people to surviving brutal shootouts, he has walked via hearth in the line of duty. But with the aid of night, he’s flipping tortillas and assembling tacos with the precision of a professional chef one who takes place to put on a bulletproof vest by means of day.
The Sombrero Food Call
Sombrero, the vision of DIG Siddiqui and his wife Hubna Usman, provides Karachi residents with a rare and true Mexican street cuisine. On the streets between Bukhari Commercial and Seaview McDonald’s, the food cart has become a local phenomenon, serving up authentic Mexican tacos in Karachi something previously unheard of in the city’s desi-dominated food scene.
We experimented with the recipe at home, and it just clicked,” Siddiqui remembered. Spurred on by means of buddies, the pair opened at the 2022 Karachi Eat festival and the reaction was again overwhelming. The pop-up then evolved into a transport service, and lastly, a cell street cart operating late into the night.
Each night, Hubna drives the truck herself, ensuring freshness and quality. Their commitment isn’t just gastronomic it’s very intimate. “We used to run it ourselves, wait out orders ourselves,” Siddiqui explained. “Now we have trained staff, but I still show up at least once a week.”
From Shootouts to Salsas: A Dual Life of Purpose and Passion
Siddiqui was born in Shikarpur, and his regulation enforcement career began in 2002 and has since taken him through some of Pakistan’s most challenging protection tasks. Having been a previous IG of Balochistan Prisons as well as Director General of Narcotics Control, he has supervised life-or-death missions as well as personally faced private loss including having survived a 2015 shootout that had 9 of his fellow officials killed.
In spite of the violence of his work, Siddiqui finds comfort in cooking. “I can still stay in the kitchen for hours apart from distraction,” he says. “There’s enjoyment in watching any individual just relish your food.”
His passion isn’t necessarily always for cooking per se it’s for getting it right. “You won’t catch me serving rooster tikka tacos,” he grins. “This is around 80 to ninety percentage genuine. We value the lifestyle we’re borrowing from.”
Winning Hearts, One Taco at a Time
Sombrero’s patrons concur. “Their warm shell tacos are incredible,” mentioned Zarian Turab, a typical patron. “It is rare to discover true Mexican flavor in Karachi, and they have succeeded.” Real estate agent Asad Ameen conceded he’d never sampled Mexican cuisine before Sombrero but now he keeps returning.
What makes this endeavor even more specific is the way it’s stored shut to the family. Hubna, once a banker, now navigates the culinary vessel, while their teens have been fretted from day one, helping with logistics, setup, and service.
A Taco, A Story, A Second Act
In a city where roles are rigid and expectations codified, DIG Usman Siddiqui breaks the mold not just with his badge, but with his spatula. Sombrero is more than a food cart it’s a symbol of adaptability, determination, and the beautiful collision of job and avocation.
For these roving Karachi streets searching for something more, something real Sombrero’s tacos offer more than just a meal. They present a tale. One of grit, of taste, and of one man who refused to allow his uniform limit his aspirations.
Stop by Sombrero at Bukhari Commercial or Seaview McDonald’s between 6:30 PM and 1:00 AM and dress the unexpected.
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