For Chef Muhammad, food has always been about family, time, and togetherness. As the founder and operator of Moguls, a family-owned restaurant serving Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi cuisine, he has built a space where meals are meant to be shared slowly, surrounded by conversation and familiarity. For many customers, Moguls is not just a place to eat, but a place where people gather, linger, and feel at home.
Chef Muhammad immigrated from Pakistan to the United States in 1997 in search of better opportunities. That same year, his family opened a small restaurant with seating for only about twenty people. Though modest in size, the restaurant quickly gained a following for its authentic Pakistani-style food. Customers returned for the familiar flavors, generous portions, and care put into every dish, allowing the restaurant to grow steadily over time.
From the beginning, Moguls was rooted in family. The restaurant was started by Chef Muhammad’s older brother, with recipes developed by his sister-in-law. Those same recipes have been used since 1997. Chef Muhammad explains that customers are treated “like a family base,” and many have been coming since the restaurant first opened. “When they come, they ask for my brother and me,” he says, describing how guests return with their families year after year, building long-term relationships rather than one-time visits.
Maintaining quality has always mattered more than profit. For Chef Muhammad, cooking comes from the heart, and responsibility to customers comes first. Even as grocery prices have risen, the restaurant has never reduced portion sizes or compromised on ingredients. Dishes like biryani, nihari, and brain masala remain customer favorites, prepared the same way they were decades ago. “We are not running for only profit,” he explains. “We are running as a family kind of thing.”
The restaurant’s role as a community space becomes especially clear during Ramadan. Moguls includes a large banquet hall that can host up to 350 people, where families gather for iftar, prayer, and time together. Chef Muhammad describes how people eat together, pray together, and share the space as a community, with thoughtful arrangements so everyone feels comfortable. During these moments, the restaurant feels less like a business and more like a shared home.
When reflecting on what keeps Moguls strong, Chef Muhammad points to cleanliness, consistency, and respect for customers. Being polite, listening carefully, and maintaining quality are values he emphasizes to anyone hoping to open a restaurant. Through food, family, and community care, Moguls has become more than a restaurant. It is a place where people feel welcomed, connected, and understood.
Chef Muhammad’s story reflects the heart of Restaurant Voices, showing how immigrant-owned restaurants can grow into long-standing community spaces built on family, tradition, and shared responsibility.
