The crown of all - a meeting with a King!

After many a lost chances to savor the ever heard off and constantly showed off taste of Burger King, I finally ate the King Whopper and well, I can't seem to understand what all the hullabaloo was about. Seriously.

To say the least from the night of its opening, opposite the ever famous and well remembered Mr. Burger, till date all chances of actually going there to eat were nipped in the bud because of something or the other, so finally yesterday my family and I went to Dolmen mall to stuff up on the burgers.

So we reached the food court and settled the parents on a table before standing in line (a long but fast moving one for sure), when my turn came we already had decided what we wanted (well there were only two options of which the whopper looked filling). Other than that everything that seemed appealing (onion rings for one) was on the coming soon list of goods.

Other than that we had a minor setback well managed by the lady at the counter, their cash counter stopped working but she efficiently managed the issue and gave us not only the change but also our food.  The burgers are ordinarily priced (same as or close to McDonalds and KFC even Hardees to some extent) so nothing missing there!

Now the fries were good and different, they were thicker than the usual "on a diet" McDonalds and KFC fries, and the Heinz supported tomato sauce was good and complimenting the fries, the burger on the other hand, had a lot missing. The cheese for one was completely non-existent (since all whoppers ordered where to be with cheese), and the patti was somewhat fry, lacking the juiciness that sort of makes you want to gobble the burger whole.

Well conclusively I guess I won't be rushing off to any outlet of Burger King for a while yet till all the "coming soon" have finally come!

The "Kolachi" Experience

When getting together with friends after a long time, a place where one can "catch up" for old times' sake (well not that old) , enjoying the ambiance and of course the food is of importance as well. So, yesterday we did just that when after a long drive we ended up at a restaurant at the "Du Dariya" area.

Let me give a briefer first, I hadn't met my friend Krum* for a while now and so it was decided that Kay*, him and I would meet for dinner. Now Kay, my very particular foodie friend, had told us that food at "Kolachi" was apparently really good and worth the experience (compared to the one we had at Sajjad's). So she was kind enough to get the reservations and that's where we ended up last night.

Now Kolachi in itself is very well managed. The ambiance, the soft music that would  have sudden bursts of loudness, the nice cool air, the soft hum of the sea all added up to make it a pleasant experience for anyone. When we reached there, at the entrance we were asked if we had a reservation and as we did,  were within guided over a small mini bridge, to the main reception area where white comfortable sofas were kept,  for our table. Guided to the 2nd floor we reached our table and settled down, taking in our surroundings overlooking the sea to one side with its green and blue hues of color, and the main reception to the other, but more so the presentation of our table. My friend and I were glad to notice that a proper hand sanitizer was provided ("Dettol" a brand that is well known and reputable in the market), along with cloth napkins and cutlery.

The waiter came immediately to take our orders and upon mutual decision we ordered Lahori Fried Fish as the appetizer, Seekh Kabab and Paneer Reshmi Kabab in a handi for the main course along with garlic and regular Nan.  Krum ordered a chilled Pepsi and low and behold within 10 minutes of being seated we were served with the fish and his chilled Pepsi. Personally I am not a big fan of fish unless its fried, and well, this one was really good, the fish was nice and crunchy on the outside (thanks to the batter) and soft and melts in your mouth on the inside. It didn't take us long to eat all the pieces of the plate along with the fries that they were served with.

Once done with the Fish, the waiter bought in the main course with the nans all the while removing our soiled plates and bringing in new and clean ones. Now THIS Paneer was a different story all together. Unlike the pasta sauce I had earlier, this has the zing of cheese, nice smooth sauce and a light amount masalas (so to speak) that gave a burst of taste in your mouth. The chicken pieces were well cooked not over nor under making them juicy when you bit into them with Garlic Nan. The Seekh Kababs were nicely wrapped in a foil so as keep them fresh and that they wouldn't lose their moisture (apologies not a seekh kabab fan so didn't have them).

The waiter kept coming and going, asking if we needed anything, to the point when even one of the floor managers came by to ask if we were enjoying our food and whether all had been up to the mark or not. For a change, yes for us it was. When we were done with our dinner the waiter even asked us if we wanted dessert or "sheesha" (Hookah), which we politely refused.

The thing about this place is that it allows you to relax and enjoy yourself. To the point that even the chairs are comfortable, allowing you to sit for more than a while to actually like the company your with and the surroundings you are in. We were done within an hour with our dinner, but the atmosphere along with our own jovial moods allowed us to sit on (even though we had paid the bill) order tea and have that as well.

Now the tea wasn't that that great, agreed, but the serving manner, their cups and the unique style of providing the sugar in separate bowls was a different, did make me appreciate the service if not the taste of the tea.

For us (Kay and I that is) we found it worth the wait to actually get a reservation and go in to eat at a place where yes the clients are treated specially, with delicious food and a relaxing atmosphere!

*Names have been changed.

To eat or not to eat ... at a place called "Sajjad's"

Being a food lover, it 's fun to go to different places to savor the food and enjoy the ambiance of the place with the subtle lights, light music (if any), the buzz of the crowd and the if you are at the famous "Du Dariya" area then the saltish sea air and the crash of the waves (depending on where your seated!). For some people food is serious business and they don't take matters lightly but not for me. I'm not that fussy as to whether my food is super hot or warm, liquidish or solidified (specially in the case of pastas).

For me what matters at the end of the day is the taste and the quality that you give. Now a recent trip to "Sajjads" (apologies if there is an error in the spelling) with two of my friends, (one a Lahori and a food lover like me and the other an amazing cook with her own well managed page by the name of Kay's House of treats"), turned out to be not what we had actually perceived it to be.

With all due fairness, when we entered the place merrily chatting away, we were greeted nicely and were given a nice canopied area overlooking the sea so sit in. As soon as we settled in the waiter came to take our order comprising of a mixed platter (waiter's recommendation), Chicken Paneer Reshmi handi (Chicken with white gravy and cheese) and garlic nans (bread main in a tandoor). While we chatted on the platter was bought in which comprised of chick strips, Deep fried shrimps, fried fish along with three different sauces and Hummus. My friend, I'll call her "Kay" asked the waiter to bring the main dish once we had polished off the plate, however, within the next few minutes our food was served. While eating we also had a visit from the insect world as a cockroach swiftly ran across the table.

To talk about the food...well, the platter was nice. But that's all it was. Nice. The chicken strips were good, however, the oil in which it had been deep fried had saturated through making it greasy and within a few minutes soggy as well.

The Nan was well made (for what it's worth) and the Handi was still hot by time we finished the appetizer and started the main, but the sauce, rather the white sauce, resembled as something that could easily pass off as being from a nice creamy pasta, thick and somewhat tasteless (only salt and slight masala). We cribbed our way through the food and ended the night with leaving that place with a clear resolution of never ordering the Handi again!

So the next time any of you like to visit Sajjad's keep away from the Shahi Chicken Handi unless you want white chicken pasta (minus the pasta) with a desi touch, as in, in a Handi.

SattarBuksh... A "mustache" affair

Keeping up with the culture of eating out and mingling with friends (wide circles you tend to make when you switch ample jobs), my friends and I went to a recently opened food restaurant by the name of SattarBuksh. What bought on the visit (for me) was the advertising and promotion of the place, specially the issue with the "Starbucks" (something to do with the logo =p).

For those of you who don't know, "Sattar Buksh" is located just off the roundabout of Abdullah Shah Ghazi's shrine, hidden behind a row of ample trees, within a bungalow with only a big "mooch" (mustache) billboard as a sign that it's there. Once inside the walkway, we had the option of sitting outside (with the sheeshas) or inside with the bright lights, music and somewhat comfortable chairs.

Since we were in no mood of sheesha, we chose to sit inside. Well once in, we were lead to a nice secluded corner with a book shelf on one side with games and nice frames on the other. The sofa's were comfortable and the tables unique (had a crate look with wheels for ease of moving).

Once we decided to order, the menu was flipped and flopped, read, reread and  starred at, the funny unique names admired and giggled on. Ultimately my diet conscious friend ordered a salad, another ordered the bara gosht bun kabab and me and another ordered the same (a pasta). Since I am a true and seriously addicted tea junkie, I also ordered an elaichi chai.

My tea came first that I managed to sip off first, the taste was good with the right amount of taste for elaichi to make the taste blend in with that of the tea. When the food arrived we were so hungry that we didn't stop to admire the presentation but dug it. Well, the pasta was a bit of a disappointment to say the least. The pasta in itself was well boiled but had started turning mushy mid way through the dish, the red sauce was lacking something, some flavor that was either forgotten or missing behind, however, the salad and the bun kabab was good.

About the bun kabab, it was just right with the patti well cooked and managed and the sauces added were finger licking good, tongue sloshing good, BUT, the damper was the dangle of a hair right in the bun! Well my friend called the owner and after profuse apologies we were given a slice of a decadent cheesecake that was so devilishly good that we were licking the spoon even when the plate was proudly cleaned off. The cheese cake was such that it melted in your mouth, with the right crunch of in the base and touch of cinnamon too!

When you go to Sattar Buksh, their food (regardless of the hairy infestations) is good, the humor portrayed all over the place is notable and keeps the mood light, but the place is sort of (well quite) expensive and does give a slight dent to the pocket! 

Help recover Nadir Feroz & Shakil Ahmad - Illegally Detained

Almost 93 hours since Nadir Feroz and Shakil Ahmad Naghar were illegally picked up on the steps of the Lahore High Court.

If you know anyone in the armed forces, police, government, or media please help highlight this case. With your help we can ensure their safe return.

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