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Meet the Chaza Queen of Karachi and proud owner of Juniper Kitchens, Shama! I had the absolute pleasure of being invited to her home for a lunch that left me in awe of the versatility found in Burmese cuisine. While Shama herself isn't Burmese, her ancestors have had a long-standing history with visiting Burma and adapting their local cuisine into their home. For those of you who don't know, Shama offers catering services and has a devoted clientele for her home-based catering services named Juniper Kitchens. I visited Shama's beautiful home with my friend Lailumah Shah , where we were welcomed with a refreshing hibiscus drink and an assortment of snacks including roasted and salted nuts, dried mango, and spicy tamarind. After a while, the table was laid with an assortment of salads, appetizers and entrees that was too much food for just 2 people. We started with the green tea leaf salad, a spicy mix of crunchy, nutty notes and the subtle fragrance of top tier green tea. I
Recent posts

Hello, Old Friend!

 Wow, it's been a while since I was last here. And so much has happened since then. My life has changed in so many ways, some for the better, some for the worst. Truth be told, I was just going to go to my Instagram and Facebook food pages to write another review I had pending, but something compelled me to revisit and reclaim this space. So here I am. Perhaps I won't start a review from this blog, but this is only to say hello, and I missed you. I miss who I was when I first started this blog. But I'm happy to introduce the new me to you. Stay tuned! Have to write the actual review I came to write first. I'm already a day overdue!

Gwadar - The Perfect Weekend Getaway

The Hashoo Group was kind enough to invite me along with other bloggers and tourism companies to be part of their first travel group to the port city of Gwadar, located on the southwestern coast of Balochistan. Now, before you tell me, I know that there have been many security concerns over the years regarding this quaint city, primarily because of the massive development and tourism potential it holds. With the year 2020 being the year of a global viral pandemic and all travel opportunities effectively shut down, the travel bug really dug its claws into my skin like it had many others who chose to visit the beautiful northern areas of Pakistan. I however, had no companions to tag along for such a trip. So when I received a call from a representative of the Hashoo Group to be part of a weekend trip to PC Hotel, Gwadar, I jumped at it faster than a toddler jumps for candy. Beaches, fresh seafood and luxury hotel? Yes, ma'am thank you very much! I was asked to get in touch with Mr. T

Butterup-Karachi's New Bread Boss

 What's up, butter(c)up? Sorry, I couldn't resist the pun. I'm going to be honest, this new breadtastic venture has been initiated by a friend of mine, which is exactly why my feedback was more critical than others, because I truly believe that honest and positive feedback is what makes a venture succeed. If I were to wax eloquent about everything and set up extremely high expectations, the business would fail faster than you can say 'oopsie'.  Now that that  disclaimer is out of the way, let's get to the bread. There was a variety of breads sent to me, all of which were pretty darn good. The butter bun was pillowy soft, the kind you would eat with softened butter for breakfast. The French bread was just the way it should be, perfect for garlic bread or crostini. Then there was the multi seed bread, which I suppose is the Farmer's Bread on the menu. It was nutty and firm, and would go perfectly with stronger flavors and serve well for dips and cheese as well

Pesto, All Health, All Taste

With the recent spate of health awareness and good eating that has been making the rounds of Karachi, it is no surprise that two friends along with their wives decided to foray into the world of food and take advantage of a space that is sadly still left wanting. From salads to steak, decadent desserts and excellent coffee, Pesto also promises an almost comforting and soothing ambiance to accompany the food they serve, making it a great place to hang out with your friends, or alone with a good book. Having visited the eatery twice, I have quite a few things to talk about, starting from my favorite:     1.   I had almost given up on a proper foam topping my cappuccino in Karachi, and Pesto finally delivered with a nice milky foam on top of my cup with a delicious, mild coffee brew beneath it. I look forward to visiting again for their Americano     2.     For starters I loved the Air-Fried Halloumi Sticks which instead of being deep fried are given their crispy delicious ex

POMO - Withstanding the Test of Time

Before I start, I know POMO has an inconsistent food and service reputation. However, when it's good, it's very very good and my luck has never been short of fantastic in terms of service and food. Whenever I get the craving for a good pizza or pasta, POMO is my go-to place.  My meal started off with the complimentary bread alongside a tinny-tasting tomato puree (I wouldn't call that marinara) and that sauce was perhaps the only slight disappointment. Having made quick work of the delicious fresh bread, I moved on to the tomato soup, which even at half serving was plentiful. The garlic croutons, fresh basil and a small dollop of cream were the master strokes to complete this hearty and flavorful soup. For the appetizer I went with the breaded mozzarella which was the cheesiest mozzarella stick in cutlet form, served with a proper marinara this time. The cheese pulls on these babies is unbelievable!  For my main meal, I shared the Chicken Caramelized Onion pizza wh

Kimchi in Karachi? Ohmami, My My!

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know I've already written about my love for kimchi and how Ohmami has fulfilled that craving for me. In case you have read up on that, just skip on forward to the third paragraph, where I'll be talking about my favorite ways to eat kimchi. For those of you who don't follow me on Instagram, here is how my love story with Ohmami started. A friend tagged me not so long ago on one of those, 'Guess what product we're coming up with' posts which was obviously food-related, and I flat out said it better be kimchi or I ain't playin'. Turns out, I was right and I won not just a jar of free kimchi, but two yummazing chutneys to boot! Now, this seasonal kimchi was meant to be spicy and sour, and of course, crunchy. Thank God it delivered on all it promised to be. The Seasonal Kimchi vegetables variate according to, well, the season. and I got the spring onion, cucumber and mooli mix. A friend of mine got the beetroot m