The Crazy Food Lady

A few weeks ago, I was a bit unsure about visiting New York Cafe for an early dinner and coffee. I'm so glad I went! Everyone has already raved about the ample space and inviting decor, but can I just mention that my friend pointed out how nice and no-fuss the cutlery is, with ample napkins at the table and the comfortable seating. Moving on to the service, the staff was very eager to hear our feedback regarding the food, and the suggestions we offered were well received. The service was prompt, friendly and efficient.   My friends and I also came away happy with the food. I started off with a cappuccino, which was creamy, frothy and delicious. The buffalo wings we ordered were served with a spicy sauce, which is the regular fare at most eateries, but the star was the other dressing; the blue cheese sauce, which my friend enjoyed the most, since she loves blue cheese. The buffalo wings themselves were the perfect crispy skin and tender chicken, slightly spicy and perfectly s

I'm going to be honest. I'm not a fan of going out and eating desi food. I get enough desi food at home. Kolachi however, surpasses all other places offering desi food wherever I've gone. Dare I say *gasp* even BBQ Tonight? Yup, I dared. We ordered chili prawns, ribs, Hunzai kababs, masala fries, Peshawari karahi and zafrani kulfi. This was enough for the 7 of us. Starting with the chili prawns, they did smell of prawns, but it was mild, and wasn't really bothersome. The spices however, were anything but mild. Spicy, garlicky, hothothot! I've discovered something new to love at Kolachi. The fries were as fries should be. The fact that they were super hot and not refried in disgusting oil was a refreshing change from the Chundrigar's Begum Gali. The ribs, soft and succulent on the inside, crispy and crunchy on the outside. There was a chatpatta sa masala with it that served as the perfect contrast to that deliciously flavoured smoky meat. The Peshawari kara

See, this is why I love Cosmopolitan.  David Smith always makes it a worthwhile visit. I had apprehensions about the beef stroganoff because it was in white sauce whereas traditionally stroganoff is in brown sauce. When David recommended I try it, I asked him if he could up the amp on the spice. To be honest, the vegetables on the side were a bit of a useless addition but I enjoy vegetables so I'm not even complaining. The chocolate tart was of course delicious as usual, but there was a surprise. Chocolate soufflés. Not one, two! Let's get real for a minute here. From the top, it was like a soufflé. Inside though, it was a molten lava cake. And can I just say it was like having the best of both worlds? It was gooey, it was chocolatey, it was just...hai, hai, hai. So good! I can't wait to try breakfast there soon ❤️

As promised, here's my review of almost everything I ate in Dubai, with pictures! Please note that since I haven't traveled outside of the country since I was 7, and my last memory is of eating strawberries with whipped cream dipped in sugar with a view of the Eiffel Tower when I was in Paris, my oooing and aahhiinngg over the food in Dubai might be just a regularly normal experience for you. With that out of the way, my first stop had to be Starbucks and Tim Hortons, coffee slave that I am. I definitely found Tim Hortons to be much more satisfying with better options. Although I did have the turkey and cheese croissant at Starbucks, which was lovely the coffee was just...meh. My true love Tim however, had good ol' French Vanilla and somehow their coffee just had more body and flavor. Also, the bagels, biscuits, muffins and can we please not forget the fresh chips? Yum! Next, my cousin insisted we try Laduree (La-dure-ay)'s macarons, which I gotta tell ya, are littl

When I received the invitation for a food tasting session at Mews, I knew it was going to be good. Why? Samar Hussain, that’s why. She’s passionate, knowledgeable, treats her food like her babies and has been consulting for Mews over the past six months. The location is perfect. Right in the beginning of the Xander’s lane, opposite Imperial Tiles and right next to yet another tiles ki building. You can’t miss it. The restaurant will hopefully be open to public end of February.  Upon entering the restaurant, you can tell it’s been a labor of love. The decor is bright, warm, comfortable, welcoming. The seating comfortable for any derriere. The cutlery simple, pretty, bright. Taken on a tour, we were told the breads, beef, sauces, everything is in-housed. I was already in love by that point.  The food itself. There are no words. First came the multigrain and whole wheat bread baskets served with butter and an olive oil-balsamic vinegar mix. We were told there are also walnut an

My friends and I were invited to Pan’Ris for dinner this evening, and minus a few issues which if addressed, can be a great new addition to the Aylanto-classed eateries.  We chose to sit out on the deck, as the weather is as we all know, beautiful during the evening. It’s a lovely place, with a staircase handy leading off it to the main entrance. I have to say, the place is beautifully done.  The order comprised of a Seafood Chowder, Red Snapper with Saffron Sauce, Grilled Lobster, Dijon Steak with a baked potato, and the Smoked Turkey Spaghetti which was originally in a creamy sauce, but they were kind enough to switch it a marinara sauce, as per my friend’s request. For dessert, we ordered the Bread and Butter Pudding and a Blueberry Cheesecake. Our server was polite, efficient at order taking and attentive without being obstructive. We were informed our food would arrive within 20-25 minutes.  The chowder arrived within 10-15 minutes, and during that interval, we we

There are times in one’s life, when words fail to describe the depth and emotion one feels when facing perfection that is awe-inspiring and from the depths of their being, all that comes out is utmost respect and gratitude for the person who provided said object of admiration.  The Poached Pear’s Yasha Siddiqi won my heart with his lemon meringue pie. He took my breath away with the Grand Pavlova.  I had snuck behind my father’s back (Sorry Abu!) to place an order with The Poached Pear for a dinner party tonight, since his love for desi desserts knows no bounds and he isn’t fond of trying new things.  It was delivered via Delivery Chacha, and there was absolutely NO damage done to the presentation. That picture below is what was delivered to me.  Needless to say, this baby left the gajar ka halwa, ras malai and fruit waaaaayyyyyy behind in the dust. No, the dust’s dust. The meringue was light, airy, cloudy marshmallowy soft on the inside and crispy that melts-in-your-mouth on the o

I had read many rave reviews about Evergreen’s sandwiches and was tempted to try them. So off I went to order via Urbanite. Since my office is at Chundrigar and Evergreen at Khayaban-e-Rahat, I had to pay Rs. 150 delivery charges, bringing the Rs. 380 sandwich to a whopping Rs. 530.  It was love at first sight with the packaging. I don’t think anyone has packaging quite like Evergreen’s. It was like a present, especially in my haungry (Hungry+angry) state.  The gluttonous part of me was a bit sad to see no extras or sauce when I first opened the box, but the burst of fresh flavors, the particular saltiness of hoisin sauce, and the juicy tenderness of the chicken was an unexpected delight to eat. However, with the extra 150 rupees delivery charges, I would probably not order from Evergreen at work. As refreshing, delightful and different it was, I’m not ordering just a sandwich for Rs. 530. I will however, be a regular of their salads and sandwiches if I pick t

This wasn’t my first visit to Hoagies and it definitely won’t be my last. Every single experience has been consistently well worth the very reasonable pricing. My last visit was just yesterday with a friend. We ordered the Original Hoagie, Dirty Hottie and Honkie fries.  Now while I have had the hoagies before, the Honkie fries were a first. And oh my days, was it worth the wait. It made me regret not ordering them before. Crispy, curly fries, covered by a generous helping of stringy, hot mozzarella cheese, chunky sautéed onion strips, pitted and sliced black olives and a massive helping of juicy, tender beef strips. My friend and I completely demolished those.   The hoagies were made in my favorite brews, the jalapeño cheddar, which as the name suggests, is flavored with jalapeños and cheddar cheese. The bread itself is a treat all on its own with that brilliant dirty sauce, an original Hoagies recipe. Add to that bread and sauce tender beef strips filled with flavor, chedd

Oh My Grill, oh my daaayyysss! Why had I not visited you till today? I had a tough time deciding what I wanted, but after a discussion with the hands-on owner behind the counter, decided upon the Gourmet Swiss Mushroom Melt. Decided to do a take away since it isn’t too far away from home. The burger itself was heaven in my mouth. Let me count the ways: 1. The burger bun was a solid, reliable, man of a burger bun. Stayed in one piece right till the very last bite. 2. The burger patty was as promised; thick, juicy, well-seasoned 250 grams of beef. 3. The caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms were done to perfection. The sauteed mushrooms were tender, not fried to death till they were rubbery and hard. The onions were caramelized just enough so that there was still a little bit of a crunch, a bite left to them, not a stinky, soft, sweet mush of brown pyaz. 4. On to the star of the show. The Swiss cheese. Allah Miyaaannn, that cheese. Tangy, salty, melted on that burger pa

A-Zouking we will go, a-Zouking we will go, hi ho the cheerio, a-Zouking we will go! And we did! Anyone who was there tonight for iftari, I hope you enjoyed the ‘loud noisy crazies’ ka table this evening :D This was one of those rare occasions where I actually looked forward to rousing myself from my Ramzan hibernation, and going out for iftari with some very close friends of mine. 2 of you were missed, you know who you are! Now, the first thing I noticed was Ramadan Kareem Mubarak k cardboard cutouts all over the ceiling. Oh, bhai, please confused NA HO! Ya toh say Ramzan Mubarak like a good little Pakistani, or Ramadan Kareem like the esteemed Arabs. Lekin please next year, stick to either one, k? Thenks.  Moving on, the CHAIRS! I’ve always had this problem with Zouk. Mai itni choti si nannhi si jaan, upar se pulling back those bhari bhari kursiyan. Lahoolllsss! The table was for 15 people, and the chairs were a bit too close together for my liking, but I was sitting with peopl

Okra has always been a beautiful experience. And when one has the company of four wonderful friends (Missed one), dinner becomes an even better treat. I got there late, as usual, (I sahwy) but was just in time for the bread basket. Saira mixed together chili oil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and the resulting concoction with the multigrain bread and baguette was beautiful! The Mezze Platter I think I’ve had for the third time, and it has been the same deliciousness every single time. I don’t think anyone can make the hummus like Okra makes hummus. There was also a roasted cheese type thing that was salty, tangy and spread on the baguette was a party-in-my-mouth.   Amidst a thoroughly enjoyable conversation came our main courses. Now, I don’t know the exact names, but Saira ordered a gourmet burger, which I didn’t try but the fries were definitely NOT the pre-packaged frozen ones, yet were crispy and salted well, served with a side of mustard and ketchup. Sabeen and I ordered s

I had a breakfast plan with a nayi naveli dulhan friend which didn’t work out because she overslept this time, not me (Yaaayyyy!). So we ended up going for dinner instead. Met another Nazia (Friend of my dulhan friend), and obviously us Nazias are fun peoples, so it was really nice to meet another nice person. My dulhan friend is nice, anyway, one of the bestest peoples I know ♥  This time, I wanted to try something different, and my dulhan friend suggested the Mei Goreng, which she said reminded her of her favorite Singaporean food that she loved, which is a noodley-vegetabley-shrimpish dish, with just the right balance of spice and salt, with a hint of sour, and just absolutely a delight to eat. I also asked for the Kiwi Lime, which was a perfect drink for my dinner. I have never gulped down a drink as quickly as that one, except water. I like my water.  Anyhoo, everyone already knows how I love Forty4’s gambas and calamari, so I won’t wax lyrical about those two again. Suf

The Deli for dinner tonight. Some people didn’t show up *Ahem*. But is okay. Aik ko beta k liye rukna tha aur aik ko Abba k liye. Family comes first. Nonetheless, the ones who did show up were wonderful company. A charming little place, attentive staff, and teenage zamanay k ganay. Aur kya chahiye? We started off with a carpaccio and casear salad for three of us to share, while Wafa had a soup which she really enjoyed. I enjoyed the carpaccio, and while it was the perfect thickness and flavorful, there was something missing that I can’t quite put my finger on..lekin kuch toh kum tha. The salad bhi theek tha, the way a salad is supposed to be, but I kinda missed the shaved parmesan found on some salads at some places (No, I won’t take names. Sahwy).  Since I had heard so much about the khaow suey there, I decided to nom on that. And can I just say I wasn’t disappointed? That’s one of the yummy things to try there. I added lots of chili oil with the extra curry, and those two eleme

Just the family wanted to eat out tonight. Nothing too fancy, yet nothing too casual, either. Ended up at the recently opened Cilantro, a hop, skip and a jump away from Pane and Amore (Love). Although I was a bit skeptical about trying out a new place, and that too because my dad read a review in this Sunday’s DAWN (I was like, Abu, really? You want to try out a new place because of a newspaper ka review? Kisi se puch toh lein!). Khair, my Abu being my Abu, insisted we go there, so with some trepidation, I did. Little did I know, that I was entering a fun, colorful little joint with one wall filled with chefs from all over the world. Is it weird I knew half of them? And if the owners of Cilantro read this, please add Marco Pierre White’s picture to the wall. Blasphemous he’s not there. Thank you.  On to the food. It’s very rare when every single person likes and enjoys what they ordered. Now, if you know me, you know I tend to never, ever remember the proper names of things eaten

What can I say? I love Forty4. And why wouldn’t I when the team, from Aman to the chefs, are willing to go out of their way to recreate an item no longer available on their menu? I had been craving Kampong rice from Forty4 and mentioned it to Aman the last se last time I visited.  When I called to make reservations the other day, Aman was kind enough to call me back because he remembered my craving! He then went to trouble to check with the kitchen and then texted me a confirmation that one of my favorite yummies will be ready for me! And that’s not all. Once I was served my requested dinner, he came by to ask if it was the same as I remembered it. And yes, it was!  I had already been told jasmine rice is no longer stocked, which had originally been used, and I was perfectly happy just the same. I mean, puri zindagi wohi chaawal khaye hain na? Ab ziada hi-fi honay ki zaroorat nahin hai, ‘kay? Although I was tempted to polish off my entire meal, there was an event I wanted to

Forty4 for dinner. An attentive Aman, and Ican’tbelievehowyummythefoodwas, add to that the lovely company, and this is one of the bestest starts to the weekend I’ve had in a loooonnnggg time. Ahmed, thank you for coming at my insistence even though you didn’t feel like it, and chauffeured me around. Thank you for being on time, Ali Waqar. Sorry we showed up so late *Sheepish smile*. It was a pleasure to meet you and Wafa of course, in person. Wafa, you’re sweeter than Pakola :* Noman and Ali Sultan, it was a pleasure as always. Raza, Umme, AC, and Rye’aan, you were missed.  Lovely conversation all around, and so glad Wafa and I could teach the boys a thing or two :p We started off with Aman’s warm welcome, and he helped immensely with our orders. We ordered the hot pot, prawn gambas, calamari, escargots and another chili-something prawns. The hot pot needed vinegar and chili paste and a touch of soy, and it was hearty, filling and flavorful, with all the different textures and flav

A friend of mine who is a recent return from Down Under was very frustrated with the negativity he was seeing all around Karachi. So I decided to show him the finer things Karachi had to offer. With me, the finer things always begin with food. Duh! So since he and I both enjoy seafood, Hook Line and Sinker was the way to go. Having been there once before, I knew the ambiance, service and quality of the food itself would definitely be a good experience. Although we had made dinner plans, we ended up going to lunch, since there was a family dinner I couldn’t manage to wiggle my way out of. I do believe that was the first day of lunch service, and what a lunch it was!  Upon entering, I met the charming Haider Zaidi, and after the introductions, he took me around on a small tour of HLS. It was beautifully done, and the sofas in the cigar lounge looked exceptionally comfy. I could just imagine myself curled up in a corner with a good book and a cup of coffee. The deck seemed like such a

Whenever I get sick, my hankering for something I really shouldn’t be eating kicks in. Down with the flu, what would I desire? Hot and sour soup, and crispy chili beef. After considering my options, I settled for Chairman Mao. Placed my order, received it within 35 minutes and hot, hot, hot, I couldn’t wait to dive in. The soup was hot, sour, a bit spicy, and very filling. I wish CM also gave those delicious crackers, but oh, well. Moving on to the star of the evening, the beef. So, you know how most places deliver slightly soggy and chewy beef instead of crispy beef? Chairman Mao doesn’t *Big grin*. CM people, whatever you’re doing, please continue doing it. That beef was sweet, extremely crispy, slight heat, and just satisfying to eat. More than generous portions, I am now armed with enough soup for two days. Yay! *Happy dance*

Finally got to visit Okra last night for dinner. Let’s just say that I was in food heaven when I finally got back home, and was thus unable to land back down to Earth long enough to compose and post a review. It was a small group, and since Okra is a small place, we were well-suited. Saira, AC, Rye’aan and I set out on an Okra binge, and man, did we binge! I had already stuffed up on the brilliant breads with the chili oil, butter and balsamic vinegar in olive oil. For appetizers, we ordered the carpaccio, which has to be the thinnest, most flavorful meat I have ever had. AC insisted we try the mussels, which was a first for me, and it won’t be the last, that’s for sure! The mezze platter, let’s just say, caught my attention. I don’t know what everything was on there, and I was too busy eating to ask. I’m pretty sure I had the stuffed grape leaves, which was different and delightful to eat. But then again, everything there was different and delightful to eat.  For mains, everyone e

I’ve always loved desi Chinese food. I’ve been raised on desi Chinese food. The more sweetish side of things, with so many spices that one’s left wondering whether to eat or wipe one’s nose or eat one’s food. But oh, so good.  Thus, I convinced the family to order Golden Dragon tonight, even though they were most reluctant to order from a new place. Since my father and I are both allergic to ajino moto, we requested that no ajino moto be added in our food. Stuck to the basics, since it was my first time ordering. We ordered the hot and sour soup, hot and spicy wontons, crispy beef, hot and spicy chicken, chicken in oyster sauce, and vegetable fried rice. The first thing we got to open was the wontons. All the food was steaming, amazingly hot. Since Abu was in the kitchen with me, the first thing he did was make a face and say, ‘Aye hai! Steamed wontons hamaray matlab k thori hain.’ I took a bite, then forced him to take a bite. When I raised my eyebrows at him in question,