NYC's Most Unique Chopped Cheese: From Laid Off to Sold Out in 2 Hours | Great Things w/ Adrian

NYC's most unique chopped cheese comes when you say YES to everything. This Pakistani twist on NYC's classic chopped cheese at Nishaan wouldn't have existed if Zeeshan Bakhrani had not been laid off in 2024 from his project manager role. After 5 months of unemployment, Bakhrani decided to focus on his side hustle of food content creation. What started as a passion went from a 9-week pop-up at the iconic Williamsburg Smorgasburg to winning The Great Food Truck Race to opening his own restaurant in the East Village. Now, Chef Bakhrani blends his Pakistani heritage with the influences that raised him: Mexican culture from the neighborhood in Chicago where he grew up, as well as his American childhood. In this episode of Great Things, Adrian joins Bakhrani in the Nishaan kitchen to talk imposter syndrome, betting on yourself, and what it actually took to go from laid off to owning one of the most buzzed-about spots in the city. Then they head into the kitchen for chopped cheese, Bihari tacos, and elote chaat. Visit Nishaan 📍 160 1st Ave, New York, NY 10009 🍽 Dine: https://eatnishaan.com/ 📸 Instagram:   / eatnishaan   Follow Adrian   / adrianwilliamsnyc      / @adrianmwilliams   📩 Subscribe to the free newsletter for more GREAT THINGS https://greatthingstaketime.beehiiv.c... #GreatThings #Nishaan #ZeeshanBakhrani #ChoppedCheese #PakistaniFood #NYC #EastVillage #AdrianWilliams #Peloton Key Moments: 0:00 - Intro 0:14 - Meet Zeeshan Bahrani 0:54 - The Perfect Way To Toast Bread 1:08 - How To Make The Iconic Nishaan Chopped Cheese 2:16 - From Tech Layoff to Selling Out Smorgasburg Pop-Up 3:45 - Bihari Barbacoa Tacos 4:27 - Saying Yes To Big Opportunities 6:02 - Elote Chaat