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Food Inc.

By Huma Imtiaz 17 January 2010 7 Comments
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Despite the recession, some restaurants in Karachi have managed to hold on to and gain new fans in the last year. Sadly, some have managed to alienate their customers with bad service and overpriced menus. Newsline takes a look at what some restaurants and takeout joints had to offer their customers in 2009.


Koel Cafe

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A  project of artist Noorjehan Bilgrami, boasting an impressive art collection, an antique doorway to die for and funky interior design, Koel Café offers its customers an eclectic choice of food. From wraps featuring delicious paneer to appetising salads, with some great drinks (notably Fire and Ice), Koel seemed poised to end the search for decent vegetarian fare in the city. Sadly, at least three acquaintances of this scribe have fallen ill after eating there, which has put a slight damper on the festive air that greets one at Koel. Nevertheless, maybe all my friends have weak stomachs, so feel free to chow down on some delicious fusion food at Koel.

Mom’s Kitchen

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Perhaps a telling sign that an increasing number of people have no time to actually eat food made in their mothers’ kitchens – but still crave home-cooked food – is the success of Mom’s Kitchen. Just one takeout option among the many in Karachi, Mom’s Kitchen serves simple and succulent fare: basic vegetable curry, daal, biryani and a variety of Karachi favourite kebab rolls. Affordably priced, Mom’s Kitchen is a perfect option for those who’d rather not clog their arteries – and their chicken biryani is a must-have.

Cafe Alao

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Photo: Courtesy karachisnob.com

Alao is a ‘just-around-the-corner’ quaint little café – the kind that we all wish we could open but never get around to – and a much-needed alternative to a dining scene saturated with expensive food options and declining service standards. With a cosy interior, it’s a perfect getaway from work (or KESC-sponsored blackouts) since it serves great food, boasts comfortable seating and offers free Wi-fi, as well as a selection of shisha. What’s not to love?

The limited menu works in the café’s favour, allowing them to establish the quality of what they have to offer. When you’re hankering for pancakes or pasta and can’t be bothered with reservations, crowded restaurants and crabby waiters, Alao should be where you’re headed.

Thai Express

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For years, Thai food lovers in DHA and Clifton have been raving about Chairman Mao’s green prawn curry and prawn toast, but have also had to put up with high prices and long waits for delivery. Along came Thai Express, a small outlet located at Bilawal Chowrangi, which has tried to change the way Thai food is made in Karachi. My recommendation from their menu is the pad thai, which comes in a sizeable portion, isn’t dripping with oil and is scrumptious. However, their appetisers seem to be sadly lacking in terms of size – considering one pays nearly Rs 200 for their prawn toast, one would expect a little more than two measly pieces that look as if they’ve been barely fried. Nevertheless, Thai Express is great food, has decent prices and is a must-have for those who rely on delivery services for palatable food.

Espresso

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Photo: Talib Qizilbash

If there is one café on Zamzama that has managed to retain its clientele and make a profit, it is Espresso.

Five years after it opened its doors, the café now has three branches in Karachi and one in Lahore, all of which do roaring business at any given time of the day. In 2009, Espresso introduced items like pizzas, fajitas and bread and butter pudding on their menus.

Unfortunately, given the recession and an increase in the price of raw food items, Espresso’s prices shot up and their service went down the drain. Having earlier had some of the best servers in town, one has recently been greeted with inattentive servers, long waits for bills and stale cake to boot. Espresso may still be one of the only places where one can have a decent cup of coffee, but if it is to retain its clientele in 2010, the service and the freshness of the food must be ensured – after all, this is the city where coffee shops are a dime a dozen, and brand loyalties can change faster than you can say lota.

Pompei Station

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Building on the success of the restaurant, Pompei Station’s delivery menu offers the quality of the dine-out fare on a take-out budget. If you’re done with ordering Chairman Mao and other expensive delivery options, Pompei Station is a great respite, serving everything from wood-oven-baked pizza to stir-fried noodles. There are a couple of traditional items on the menu as well, but one doubts Pompei Station would be the first choice in mind for a plate of chicken karahi, particularly when an order can easily set you back by Rs 300, if not more. But this joint’s worth it for their juicy Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich.

Chairman Mao

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Photo: Courtesy karachisnob.com

If the real Chairman Mao had known that in Pakistan his name would be synonymous with green prawn curry, beef chilli and pizza, he might’ve rethought his Pak-Sino friendship policy. Nevertheless, Chairman Mao’s namesake, the great delivery service for Chinese, Japanese and Thai food, has branched out into serving pizza this year. Although Chairman Mao’s claim that it’s serving “Italian wood-fired pizza” should be taken with a pinch of salt, their thin crust pizza is actually quite good. With spicy toppings and a well-done crust, their pizza is a worthy addition to their menu. However, Chairman Mao may want to rethink their prices; their regular-sized pizza starts from Rs 450 and the large size sets one back by Rs 680. Unless the pizza can recite the entire Communist Manifesto, I don’t think it’s worth the price.

Wok in a Box

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Have you ever had Thai food that has made you feel that your next stop should be the ER for an emergency angioplasty? Welcome to Wok in a Box, which should really be labelled “Semi-decent food that’s dripping in a gallon of oil.” A project of the Thai fusion restaurant Sawasdee, which serves decent Thai food, Wok in a Box, shockingly, serves tepid greasy food, which leaves one not just broke (a serving of Thai green curry for one person costs Rs 500), but also makes one wish she had perused the rest of the menus stuck on the fridge door.

Simple Dimple Khaosuey Palace

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I say, you say, we all say, Khaosuey.

Rhymes aside, Simple Dimple Khaosuey Palace has won over this food glutton’s heart in the space of two weeks. A delivery-only service featuring primarily khaosuey with different meats and stir-fries, along with pasta and sandwiches, Simple Dimple Khaosuey Palace is not only cheap food (prices start at Rs 90 for khatti daal) but also really, really delicious food. While the khaosuey is not authentic Burmese, it’s still a decent adaptation, and their garlic prawn stir-fry melts in your mouth. The portions are more than enough to feed one hungry person, and their delivery service is prompt and efficient. The outlet has apparently only advertised via Facebook and word of mouth, but so far we love the name, and we love the food.




Find more articles by Huma Imtiaz
The opinions expressed in this article and the views shared by readers in the comment forum below do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance or policies of Newsline.

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7 Comments »

  • Mudassir said:

    I think I’ll jump in a lake now, because its not worth living in a world where RS.90 for daal is considered cheap

    # 17 January 2010 at 9:45 pm
  • Maha Jawed said:

    with a restaurant opening every other day, one would think that people in Karachi have finally developed some sane taste buds for food that’s not just ”desi”. But the post above fails once again to prove to me that people actually know what good food is. If simple dimple khousuey palace is all the rage then we may as well cook at home. Their beef khousuey suffers from a major identity crisis. It’s not authentic burmese neither is it the famous indian adaptation. What is it? And why is it called khousuey? Boiled pieces of beef in a not so coconut-y broth is certainly not khousuey.
    The Jesse pasta has combination’s that would give a real chef a heart attack on every bite. What happens when one mixes the Mediterranean with the Oriental? A complete gastronomic disaster.

    # 29 January 2010 at 5:03 pm
  • Mehr Hussain said:

    Simple Dimple such a refreshing change, fresh ingredients and the khaosuey bursts with flavour. On the topic heart attacks, got one from trying your spaghetti bolognese recipe, Maha Jawed, u r the girl from Zaiqa TV, rite? Can we have some proof of your luv of food apart from your paunch, please?

    # 1 February 2010 at 5:30 am
  • Maha Jawed said:

    Oh Mehr, this isn’t personal. If you didn’t like the spaghetti recipe it’s your own choice. I wonder why you tried it? Didn’t the ingredients put you off in the first place? As far as proving my love of food is concerned, i go to a culinary school therefore feel i have a slightly better high ground than you to comment about food. Having said that, this is not a fight. I as you, have the right to comment about my likes or dislikes.

    # 11 February 2010 at 9:10 pm
  • noorjehan said:

    [...] Nahin Lagta Gulzar. Ranjish Hi Sahi Mehdi Hassan. Allah Tero Naam Lata Mangeshkar. Lambhi Judaai …Newsline Blog Archive Food Inc.Despite the recession, some restaurants in Karachi have managed to hold on to and gain … A project [...]

    # 11 March 2010 at 9:39 am
  • Bushra said:

    I agree with Maha, Simple Dimple’s khowsuey isnt the best ever. However, their other food items are really good, esp. their dry chicken chilli dry and the jessies pasta and the breaded chicken. heh.

    Bina, im pretty sure thai express was a project of swasdee and not Wok in a Box. Maybe you could check that one. I do however, completely agree with your philly steak recommendation from Pompei express. FABULOUS!

    # 30 June 2010 at 12:31 pm
  • Saqib Khan said:

    Interesting debate. I don’t think there’s such a thing as sane taste buds. Just because the inhabitants of a city are addicted to ‘desi’ taste doesn’t mean they don’t know what good food is. They very well know what good food is to them, it’s just the technically right food critic sitting high on his altar who doesn’t know the indigenous cravings.

    Frog’s legs, in fact the entire amphibian is considered a delicacy in France. Would that pass as good food in this part of the world?

    In the end, it’s all very relative.

    I do understand what Maha is trying to say.Let’s take Chinese cuisine for instance. We have become so accustomed to the desi version that if we were offered the authentic version, we would probably reject it outright. But that doesn’t mean we cannot distinguish between good and bad food.

    The same argument holds true for the simple dimple khousey. Haven’t tried it as yet so can’t comment about the sumptuousness factor.

    So what if it suffers from identity crisis? So what if it isn’t the authentic version. If the majority have taken to it, and it’s good value for money, that’s all that’s needed to classify it as good.

    COming to the list,Chillie Willie located in Dhoraji is missing. A tiny cafe, it’s a must try place.Word on the street has it that is owned by Arizona Grill’s ex-chef.

    # 15 August 2010 at 7:00 pm