Karachi Eats: The Noodle House, Dolmen Mall Clifton

Quite frankly, I love The Noodle House but it is a bit too pricey to be indulged in every now and then. However, their current lunch deal for Rs 799+ tax is quite stellar - a drink, starter and a main makes for a big lunch break. The service was also fantastic in spite of a full house.

Let's start with the starters.

Prawn Bags

Perfectly fried and stuffed with fresh prawns. I say fresh only because it's not rare to find smelly prawns in dishes. But the real perfection was to be found in the sweet chilly sauce.

Chicken Guilin with chilli mayo

This dish was a fantastic surprise. Thinly sliced, deep fried battered chicken served with a chilli mayo. The only trouble was two slivers of chicken does not really qualify to be a starter quantity even. Can we have at least three sliver please?

Thai Beef Salad

I am usually wary of Thai salads as they can be a bit too tangy to finish up. This Thai beef salad was high on the beef and low on the tangy factor - a good thing in my opinion.

Spicy chicken dumplings

I love dumplings which is why I am so scared of getting a set of cold, chewy dumplings. The last time I had dumplings at Dynasty Avari they were a nightmare. But we hesistantly ordered them at Noodle House anyway. Surprise, surprise .... they were soft, smooth and slippery. Two were not enough!

On to the Mains...

Chicken Chilli with Fried Rice

Standard chicken chilli. I have never really grasped the idea of 'chicken chilli.' I suppose each chef/cook can interpret it his/her way. In any case, it's a safe bet here at Noodle House. Not stellar but safe.

Crab fried rice with prawns

I am not an ardent fan of shellfish so I passed up on the crab. However, my sister who swears by her seafood told me that the crab chunks in the fried rice were fresh but the fried prawns on the side....not so fresh after all.

Sweet & Sour Fish with Fried Rice

Big. fat chunks of fish in a sweet and sour sauce that was not overpowering - and we all  know sweet and sour done wrong can be rather nasty.

Cashew Nut Chicken with Fried 

Basic soya sauce stir fry chicken recipe with crunchy cashew nuts thrown was my favorite dish of the day. The cashew chicken is my favorite thing to order at the Noodle House. And it is likely to appease palates that aren't always fond of Asian flavors.

Special shout out to THE BEST fried rice I have had in Pakistan. Soya sauce, egg, chopped vegetables and firm rice fried to perfection. This fried rice had actually been in a wok, unlike most other fried rice served in respectable 'Chinese' restaurants which is just a glorified 'pulao'.

So the final verdict: Noodle House is the closest Karachi has come to South-East Asian flavors. It still remains on the very pricey side of things. This Lunch Deal is good time to indulge in some Noodle House. Would I visit again? Yes.

   

Islamabad Eats: Kabul

Islamabad eats Kabul. Geddit? I will stay away from political commentary and stick to what I know best - food! Kabul Restaurant in Islamabad had been on my 'to eat' list for a while but for some reason, I kept missing it. Luckily, on my last two trips to Islamabad I was staying right next to it and it was kind of impossible to miss it.

Located in F-7 or otherwise known to visitors as Jinnah Super (right?) - Kabul is not fancy but more of an old Karachi style eatery like Subhani Chulo Kabab and the like. Here's what to order at Kabul....

Beef manto! An extension of my love for the Nepali momo! Minced beef stuffed dumplings topped with channa dal and a tangy yogurt. Ask your waiter to serve them hot - because mine were served a bit not-hot-enough. A plate of 8 dumplings go for Rs 300.

The humble 'baingan'/eggplant is my new found love. 'Burani' is very similar to a Pakistani 'baingan ka bhurta'. It is a simple tangy eggplant mash with lots of tomatoes and topped with yogurt. Rs 250 for this plate. Good to be shared between three people as a side dish.

Ah! The legendary Afghani tikka. Sexy, succulent and simple pieces of barbecued meat and.... fat. It is one of the most flavorful dishes I have ever had (and not just at this establishment) - whether it's in Kabul, Islamabad or Karachi. There's got to be a secret to making such great meat! 12 skewers cost Rs 410 - good for two big eaters.

There's also Afghani kababs to be tried. I did not fill up any stomach space with naan - so order bread wisely- the meat is quite stellar. There also seems to be roasted chicken available which looked rather tempting but we were too stuffed to try anything else.

Kabul is affordable and delicious. It's also a fun place to hang out, some how. On my first trip there with a Filipino friend, we promptly made friends with some Egyptian patrons. The next trip was a girly Sunday lunch and the staff was rather helpful with our changing orders and questions.

Don't give Kabul a miss in favor of fancier Islamabad eateries. Kabul is hot, hot, hot.

Karachi Eats: Fatburger

Yayy! Another burger joint comes to Karachi - and this time we beat Lahore to it.

American fast food restaurant chain Fatburger launched it's first Pakistani outlet in Dolmen Mall Clifton, Karachi yesterday (January 4th)  with an invite only/media/celebrity guest list. Located on the top floor of the mall with the rest of the restaurants and food court, Fat Burger was packed! Packed like a can of sardines! I couldn't really get a feel (or a close) look at the decor because of the crowd - so I diverted all my attention to the food....

Skinny + Fat Fries

The Skinny Fries was golden, crisp and just beautiful - is there anything better than the perfectly fried and salted potato chip? I think not. The Fat Fries were a bit too fat to be crispy enough for my taste - but definitely a more bodied chip than the Skinny one. My vote goes to the Skinny Fries!

Onion Rings

I don't like onion rings to begin with. I wish I could enjoy the crisp golden batter with the sweet, most onion in it - but deep fried onions are not my kinda food. 

The main event! Beef Fat Burger!

I can safely admit that I really, really like the Fatburger beef burger. The lettuce was fresh and crunchy, the pickles weren't over powering, the tomatoes were firm and didn't make the burger soggy. As for the beef itself, it was lean and full - just good old fashioned MEAT! I liked the fact that the mustard and sauce weren't dripping out of the burger of my mouth. I hate unnecessarily messy burgers - there is no reason, really. Although, I could have done with more cheese in the burger. All in all, that's a thumbs up for Fatburger!

I picked up a copy of the Take Out menu but sadly there were no prices on it. So here goes:

The Fatburger - Fresh ground, grilled beef with options of single, double and triple patties with a choice of free condiments - lettuce, tomato, mayo, mustard, relish, onions and pickles. It seems you can ask for BBQ sauce, grilled onions and jalapenos 'on request' - not sure what that means? Add ons to the burger include - egg, bacon (I'm assuming beef or turkey bacon), Cheddar or Swiss cheese or chilli.

Jalapeno Fatburger - chilli mayo, lettuce, tomato, jalapenos and beef patty on a toasted bun. 

Jalapeno Chicken - Chilli mayo, lettuce, tomato, jalapenos and crispy chicken patty on a toasted bun.

Western BBQ Fatburger - Beef patty with BBQ sauce, Swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato on a toasted bun.

Chicken Sandwich - choose from a grilled, crispy or a spicy Cajun patty.

Turkey burger - Turkey patty grilled on a whole wheat bun

Veggie burger - Soy patty on a whole beat bun

Sides:

Fat Fries

Skinny Fries

Chilli Fries

Chilli Cheese Fries

Homemade Onion Rings

Chicken Nuggets

Jumbo Chilli Dog

Fatwings

Fat Chicken Salad

Bacon and Egg Sandwich

Chicken Strips

Milkshakes & Drinks:

Ice-cream shakes: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and cookies and cream

Sodas

Lemonade

Hot Tea & Green Tea

Coffee

Phew!

I love American food. I really do. Simple, flavorful and feel-good. And it seems like Fatburger is bringing some healthier options to the fast food scene in Pakistan too with the salad and turkey and veggie burgers. 

I can't wait to try the full menu!

Fatburger opens for public today in Karachi. 

FATBURGER!

Karachi Eats: Gardenia at Port Grand

Port Grand has quite a few eateries that I often walk past and wonder 'I wonder how their food is' but never really to dare to venture in there, especially when they're empty! Gardenia was lucky to catch me at a weak time. I was craving Khao Suey like the deserts miss the rain. Gardenia was serving it. I walked in....

Golden Khao Suey

Isn't that beautiful? After my initial cravings for Khao Suey were satisfied, I was a little bit less impressed. The curry was rich but lacking that extra zing. I wanted more crispy bits served separately - putting them in the bowl makes them soggy in a few minutes. Priced at Rs 350 a bowl, there should have been more chicken and noodles with that curry.

On the upside, this is the only commercial khao suey I've had that's served with boiled egg - like we do at home! Regardless, khao suey is a welcome addition to Port Grand cuisine.

However, the other food served at Gardenia is best avoided. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Crumbed chicken breast

tWhat a disappointing plate of food. The crumbed chicken breast was pretty much just a film of chicken with lots of crumbs. The dipping sauce seemed to be soya sauce. The side salad had an odd slice of deep fried eggplant. The whole thing really confused the kids and myself. Crumbed chicken is so easy to get right and this was all wrong...

Masala Dossa

I know and love my South Indian food. The dossa was not crisp enough - it was stretchy and chewy. It's a dossa, not a naan. And do you see the size of the serving of the chutneys? TOO LITTLE

The service at Gardenia was also rather slow and we were the only people there! Thumbs up for the khao suey on a winter evening by the sea. For anything else on the menu, please don;t do it.

Kabul Eats: Sufi

You can not go to Kabul and come back without eating at/from Sufi. Sufi will find you. Any gracious host in Kabul will make sure that Sufi is one of your first food destinations in Kabul. Sufi also offers catering services around the city so you're bound to run into a Sufi meal at some point in Kabul.

Sufi is located in the Karte Parwan area - which is about 30 minutes away from the central districts of Shar Nau and Wazir Akbar Khan. As with L'Atmosphere, the road to Sufi is long and broken. You will have skip  across a ditch to step into the premises.

The perilous road to great food

Sufi serves authentic Afghan food and culture. There is an art gallery and crafts store on the premises.  There is also live music on some nights. Call them in advance to find out when the shows are. It might also be a good idea to order the food in advance if you are familiar with the menu. We were a group of about 20 odd people and our host had pre-ordered the food knowing that the food takes a while to get to the table.

Hot, clear,chewy soup

The Afghans are very creative with their soups. This soup had a base of chicken stock with diced carrots and potatoes, lots of herbs and whole wheat kernels. The wheat kernels were cooked to perfection - giving them just enough time to dance around on your palate. However, it was the smoky, dried lemon flavor in the soup that excited my taste buds the most. So perfect for a cool Kabul evening!

Hot mess mantu

Dumplings - soft and chewy - stuffed with mutton, chicken and vegetables and stopped off with a lentil sauce and yogurt. The Afghan 'Mantu' deserves as much attention as it's Chinese, Central Asian and Nepalese cousins - it is absolutely delicious! The mantu at Sufi is perfectly crafted but the yogurt sauce was a little too sharp for my taste.

Kabuli pulao (again) with dried fruits this time

You can't go wrong with meat and potatoes

I have admit, I have  been really spoilt when it comes to Afghan food -so I'm going to say that Sufi is worth visiting but may not be the best Afghan food you will eat. The chicken and lamb kebabs you can just keep on eating without any remorse. There is no need for any naan to go with it. However, the fresh juices here are superstars! No sugar, no ice - just pure fruits blended and chilled to perfection. Try the peach and/or anar.

Peach burst!

Sufi is fantastic caterer too as we learnt. They came to the office and set up in 10 minutes flat!

Kabuli pulao (again)

Burani - roasted eggplant with tomatoes and yogurt

Spinach

Chicken Korma

Mutton Korma

Sufi is a safe bet. You should visit it for the art gallery and the live music. A meal with drinks and dessert will cost you no more than USD 15. However, you MUST drink the fruit juices! There is better, cheaper Afghan food out there in Kabul. Keep watching this space for more  of Kabul Eats!

This blog was written as part of the FES Af-Pak Journalism Exchange Fellowship 2012

Kabul Eats: L'Atmosphere

Kabul, like Karachi, has only one kind of nightlife – a foodie kind of nightlife. But it can be a little bit more risqué/fun that Karachi. While Karachi asks you to bring your own, Kabul serves its own.  Kabul has a decent variety of cuisines being served across the city. Thai, Chinese, Indian, Croatian, Middle Eastern and many more. The next few blog entries will showcase some of Kabul’s best eateries. Here’s the first in my ‘Kabul Eats’ series.

 If you look up any travel guide to Kabul, you are bound to come across the name L’Atmosphere - a French restaurant/bar catering mainly to the expat community but locals are served too (there are places where locals are denied entry. Colonial much?). L’Atmosphere has three dining areas – an outdoor area, the bar/pub area with sofas and bar stools and a more formal dining area with tables and chairs.

It is located in the Qalla-e-Fatullah area, about 10 minutes away from the central district of Shar Nau. Don’t let the road to L’Atmo intimidate you – it is under construction and basically a mess right now (think Shireen Jinnah colony or Sohrab Goth 10 years ago). However, no road is too hard for a taxi to get to. Security is a bit more relaxed here – the guards will check your bags and ask a couple of ‘friendly’ questions but cameras are allowed and you will not be asked for identification.

We opted to sit in the bar area which was by far the most popular part of the restaurant – occupied mostly by American and European expats. The menu is surprisingly extensive – with crepes, pizzas, pastas, salads, soups, steaks and desserts. Alcohol is not ‘on the menu’ but it is available – beer, whiskey, rum, vodka and wine.

When dining in Kabul, place your order quickly. The food takes a while to arrive, about 20-25 minutes for the soups and salads and even. We ordered a bunch of starters – fried camembert with cherry jam, chicken salad and French onion soup.

The chicken salad was loaded with a spicy chicken chunks on a bed of ice-berg lettuce, cucumbers and onion and no dressing. Luckily, the chicken was not over-cooked and the vegetables were fresh and crunchy so you don’t really miss out on flavor.

The French onion soup was perfect for the cold Kabul evening. I would have liked a more bodied soup though.

The fried Camembert was a quick reminder that we were in fact still in Kabul. No complaints about the cheese but the sweet, bottled cherry jam gave it all away. The hot cheese on bread still works though.

The Nordic  crepes were STUFFED with lots and lots of salmon – a real treat in a landlocked Afghanistan. The crepe itself was light and soft. My company could not wait until I took a picture, hence, half a crepe only in the picture

. 

Pizza has got to be the world’s favorite comfort food. No matter where you come from and where you are eating, pizza is bound to make you feel at home. L’Atmosphere has a range of pizzas – easily categorized by the toppings/meat on them – chicken, beef, cheese and so on. We ordered the chicken. The pizza was fairly large – to be easily shared between two as a main.

After a really ambitious ‘Western meal’ we ended our indulgence with a chocolate crepe and ice-cream.

The entire meal along with drinks  (including alcoholic ones) cost about  $150 for the four of us. Remember, expat dining in Kabul is expensive as it is limited and exclusive. L'Atmosphere is where the well-heeled expats come to play so you know what to expect.

And a very big thank you to Kabul's finest violin teacher - my friend William Harvey for taking me to L'Atmo (because real expats call it L'Atmo)

AND the biggest thank you of all to the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Pakistan and Afghanistan for letting me bring Kabul that much closer to Karachi - as part of the Af-Pak Journalism Fellowship Exchange Program - Understanding the Neighbour. 

Kuala Lumpur Eats: Kembali Kitchen

I think very few countries in the world can boast the kind of culinary variety that Malaysia enjoys - not just in it's home grown cuisine but also the influences it enjoys from China, India, Middle East and  South-East Asian neighbours. Authentic Malay cuisine might be a little bit jarring to Pakistani tastebuds - with extensive use of shrimps and anchovies both as ingredients and condiments. One needs at least 2 weeks in Malaysia    (3 meals or more per day) to begin to understand Malaysian food. However, hotel food is usually considered a no-go area for me, for anything other than breakfast. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the traditional Malay dinner served at a hotel restaurant ....

This time round in Kuala Lumpur, I stayed at a very new hotel (just 2 months since it opened) - the Best Western Premier at Dua Sentral.  Located about 10 minutes from Sentral station - the transport hub of the city - it's close enough to the central district but still quiet enough to get some down time. They have big spacious rooms with big windows and great views - my standard double room was actually good for four people! 

The view from Best Western Premier 

The Kembali Kitchen is the hotel's signature restaurant and do they know how to give your a crash course in Malay cuisine! Great place to begin your 'jalan jalan cari makan' (let's go look for food) trail in Malaysia. We had a special 4 course traditional Malay dinner served - starters, soup, mains and dessert.

Starters included kerabu (coconut chilli picked fish salad), fried tofu with chilli sauce and rojak (vegetable and egg salad with peanut sauce). The tangy kerabu meets the spicy tofu meets the sweet rojak for a circus of flavors in your mouth.

Fewer things feel better than a big, steaming bowl of 'sup ekor' on a cold rainy day. Ox tail soup is a staple and a delicacy. The ingredients are oxtail (obviously) cumin seeds, anise seeds, corriander seeds, onions and potatoes - simple, hearty flavors. The soup is usually served with thick pieces of bread and garnished with spring onions.

That's me getting up close and personal with some rich 'nasi tomato' or tomato rice. That's rice cooked in a tomato broth and garnished with cashew nuts. This is not a daily dish, mostly reserved for Eid or wedding celebrations at home. 

And that is the main event - the full rainbow of Malaysian curries! From the top that's ayam masak merah (red chicken).  Mutton korma on the right (not be confused with Pakistani korma) is a stew of meat and vegetables including potatoes and green beans. The dark, deep brown curry is beef rendang - one of my all time favorite Malaysian food - a rich, heavily spiced, coconut based curry. Between the beef rendang is the ever popular shrimp curry. To offset the rich, spicy curries there's some steamed vegetables in the center - cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. So rich and colorful, such a pleasure to just look at even!

Red beans and black glutinous rice come together to make one of the most comforting desserts you could indulge in. A sticky, sweet warm soup that you are sure to finish, no matter how much you are served. And with a healthy yet filling dessert like this who needs a main course?

The Kembali Kitchen at Best Western Premier Dua Sentral is not your average hotel-breakfast-serving-room. It is a restaurant and destination in its own right. Do check it out if you happen to be in KL.

For more on my KL experience - go here.