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Karachi Food Diary Forty4ing

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 flavors in perfect harmony. I’m not a fan of breaded calamari, and Aman told me that if I didn’t like it, he’d serve it on the house. Let’s just say he didn’t have to serve it on the house. The prawn gambas was as brilliant as everyone who has ever claimed it to be…well..claimed. Escargots for the first time. Mr. Sultan was kind enough to show me how it’s done, and can I just say that they might look ajeeb, but ohemgeezer, do they taste naaaiiicccceeee! Would I want to have them again, yes please! Although Ali S and Noman did think the chili prawn thingie and escargots ki servings were smaller than they should’ve been, I only had one of each, so I didn’t mind. 
Moving on to the mains, I stuck to my true and tried prime beef tenderloin with dark cocoa reduction flavored with tarragon. The sauce has a slightly higher note of bitterness, and the heat factor on the sauce has been upped since the last time I had it, which compliments the bitterness and slight hint of sweetness in the sauce. The meat itself however, was the star of the show. I can only wonder where on God’s green Earth did  Aman manage to fine such beautiful cuts of meat from. Medium, uniformly pink through and through, slightly pinker in the center, unbelievably succulent and tender. I haven’t had such amazing quality of beef anywhere, except maybe Okra’s lamb shank, and that’s saying something. Okay? I only wish I’d gotten my main sooner than I did, but it was definitely worth waiting for. Mmmm mmmm! 
Dessert Aman was kind and generous enough to give us on the house. Churros with chocolate sauce, and a red velvet cake. But it wasn’t just any red velvet cake. It was light, airy, creamy, with a smooth, light and not overly-sweet frosting. And who would’ve thought that fried dough and chocolate sauce would be sooooooooooooooo good? Crispy, warm and coated with powdered sugar on the outside, and light, fluffy and soft from the inside. Add to that the sweet, slightly bitter notes that high quality chocolate is bound to have, I’m shocked at my own self-control for not grabbing the churros and chocolate and yelling, ‘Mine! Mine only! I no share!’. ‘Twas definitely a perfect end to a very pleasant evening. Once again, thank you to those who came, and I’m so sorry those who couldn’t missed out on some great food and great company.

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