Way back when The Patio initially opened its doors to Karachi, I suggested it to my sister and brother in-law for dinner, but never got around to visiting it myself. Thanks to a dear friend (You know who you are!) I finally found out what I had been missing out on!
The interior itself is cozy, comfortable and inviting. We chose to sit by the French doors, which gave us a lovely view into the patio outside. The staff seemed well-trained, and informed of all the items on the menu. The Specials menu was also pointed out, which I took advantage of, and ordered the Lobster Lasagna for myself.
But I move ahead of myself. The complimentary bread basket was standard as far as bread baskets go. No complaints there. It was fresh, with its usual bread sticks and buns. The butter with it was perfectly soft at room temperature, with a smattering of herbs and salt. Spread it on a bun and munched happily.
I was going to order the Pumpkin and Prawn Bisque, but my friend suggested the cheese fondue instead, to which I happily agreed since I was starving. When the fondue came with its assortment of vegetables and breads, I thought to myself about canceling the Lobster Lasagna because the fondue is a massive serving for two, and a meal in itself. It was cheesy, warm, slightly spiced and we took our time with it, since we were alternating between eating and talking. Halfway through the fondue, our server suggested he take the fondue back to the kitchen to warm it up, and that is the kind of service I am always impressed by. Please note that I was too hungry to think of taking pictures of the fondue at the time. My apologies. I suppose you'll just have to go and try it for yourself.
My friend was a smart cookie and ordered a light mains, the Grilled Prawns, which I would find out how they would taste later, and they were sensational. Didn't have that particular smell of seafood that always puts me off, juicy, succulent morsels of jumbo prawns with a lemony zing that perfectly compliments seafood.
The Lobster Lasagna was perfection. The layers were clearly defined, and not a hodgepodge mess. One could clearly see the cheese, lasagna strips, generous lobster chunks, creamed spinach, followed by another layer of lasagna strip and repeat. It was a delightfully decadent confection, rich in flavor and strong in taste of all the elements, perfected by the fresh salad on the side with a lemon vinaigrette and 2 garlic bread pieces. I was of course, correct in my assumption that I couldn't possibly have finished my main after that fondue and I was right. So I did the most obvious thing; had it parceled and ate it for breakfast the next day. And it was somehow better the next morning, I suppose because the flavors had a chance to merge and marry together.
Now, going to The Patio and not tasting their famed desserts would have been criminal. So I rallied myself up to the task, and ordered the Naughty Toffee. And it was just what everyone makes it out to be. Sweet, caramelly, almost pudding-like in texture with that crunchy caramel on top, it wasn't too too sweet, but the perfect balance of salty and sweet. I don't know how they did it, but it was the perfect end to a perfect meal.
The Patio is a place I look forward to frequenting and trying out more of their food!
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| Lobster Lasagna |
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| Naughty Toffee |
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