Your trusted source for community news
The griddle sizzles as the savory and enticing aroma of Pakistani spices from foods such as beef nihari, lemon chili chicken and chipotle kheema float in the air. These typically traditional dishes are served with an innovative twist, presented in the form of quesadillas, tacos and rice bowls.
Halal Fusionz is a halal certified spot combining elements of both Pakistani and Tex-Mex food that now travels to locations and events all over the DFW area.
The business, founded by Ahmed Siyaji, opened in August 2023 as a ghost kitchen in the Taste of Towerwood food court, located in Farmers Branch. Siyaji began Halal Fusionz with the intention to honor his mother’s legacy after her death in the beginning of 2023.
Siyaji used to cook with his mother sometimes and, ever since he was in high school, would make a fusion of Pakistani food with Tex-Mex influences with her leftovers. “I had more e-commerce experience [than restaurant experience], and so I wanted to get into selling online platforms using the cloud kitchen facility,” Siyaji said. “And so that's where we had started, and I started, in my mom's memory.”
While throughout the next seven months, Halal Fusionz was able to get about 20-30 orders a day, this number drastically increased after a Tik Tok from social media food critic Keith Lee on Jan. 29, 2024. “Absolutely immaculate, if you ask me,” Lee said in his video, which accumulated over half a million likes. “In my opinion, I think [Ahmed’s mom] would be extremely proud [about] the legacy that he’s continuing.”
This shout out brought the ghost kitchen – which could only be ordered online – a large line to the food court, which Siyaji described as an overwhelming experience since he was the only one in the kitchen at the time.
Shaheed Ansari, now a co-owner of Halal Fusionz, was Siyaji’s media team at the time. However, he said that one of his favorite memories was when Keith Lee uploaded his review. Shaheed flew in from Austin to help Siyaji with the increase in customers.
“When I came outside… the whole area was filled with people, and everyone was there for Halal Fusionz,” Shaheed said. “I talked to them at that time, because [Ahmed] was completely overwhelmed with the orders in the kitchen.”
Shaheed had also introduced his brother Hamza Ansari to Siyaji and the two of them joined Halal Fusionz as co-owners in October 2024. “My passion was always to either have a food truck or a small cafe with Pakistani food,” Hamza said. “And when I saw Halal Fusionz, and the concept that Ahmed brought, I was really impressed. And when I tried the food, it was a taste that I had not tasted before.”
Upon the two brothers joining the team, Halal Fusionz took a brief break for a few months, closing their ghost kitchen at Taste of Towerwood for good.
However, the break was simply the three getting ready to take their business to a different level – a food trailer. Multiple people voiced how they wished Halal Fusionz was closer to them so that they could visit or get it delivered to them, hence this solution to access a wider audience. “A new day is a new adventure – different locations, different crowds and audiences,” Siyaji said. “And just getting the feedback from people trying your food on the spot… that's what makes my day.”
By moving Halal Fusionz to a food trailer, the three have been able to attend a variety of events, such as Halal Fest on Dec. 14, 2024, multiple events at the Roots Community Space in Carrollton and one of the most recent being Suhoor Fest in Dallas on March 8.
Halal Fusionz will also be a vendor at the upcoming multicultural celebration Gateway to the Globe at the Farmers Branch Historical Park on March 29 from 3-10 p.m.
“What makes my day is when new customers try our food, and the first initial reaction is something that you wouldn't get anywhere,” Shaheed said. “Even in a restaurant, you wouldn't stand right in their face and look at them eat. But at a food truck… when you first initially see their reaction, and when the taste hits their tongues, a lot of them close their eyes and just enjoy the taste of it. Looking at that particularly just makes the whole experience worth it.”
While the food trailer allows the three to travel to a variety of new and different events, Halal Fusionz still has a “home base,” located at 4488 Spring Valley Road in Farmers Branch, right in front of the ODD Muse Brewing Company. They are open Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 p.m.-9 p.m., and on Fridays from 5 p.m.-10 p.m.
Hamza said that the three hope to open more food trucks in the future and maybe even try a physical location – however they just want to be sure that they are able to find a great location that allows them to provide customers as much as possible.
“It's just incredible when people love the food [and are] able to feel and taste the flavor that Ahmed puts a lot of effort into making,” Hamza said. “Adding up more food trucks and more locations is what our goal is, and you will hopefully be able to see us popping up at other places as well.”
