Tag: exclusive

  • NOI-Stir Fry Kitchen – The takeout Lahoris have been waiting for

    NOI-Stir Fry Kitchen – The takeout Lahoris have been waiting for

    We’ve all grown up watching Hollywood movies in which Chinese takeouts are the thing. And let’s be honest, we’ve all secretly wanted that. Though most Chinese and Pan Asian restaurants in Lahore offer takeaways and deliveries, they rarely offer single servings which is why you usually have to think twice before placing an order.

    Enter NOI-Stir Fry Kitchen – an Asian Stir Fry Kitchen which has been creating waves on social media and all the food groups. After reading some fabulous reviews on their dishes, I gave in to my temptation and placed an order. Considering their prices were also comparatively reasonable, I didn’t need any more convincing.

    From the 16 gravy options they have, I tried their Crispy Honey Sirachi, Sweet and Sour Manchurian, Mixed Mushrooms Teriyaki and Hot BBQ Shashlik and am happy to report that not one of them let me down.

    All dishes are single servings and come with a side of plain steamed Asian rice packaged in a paper carton. The food was delivered piping hot in small black plastic containers and it was good to see that their serving size was pretty good – it was more than enough for a person. The quantity of vegetables in each dish was also impressive and they were well-cooked.

    My favourite from the options has to be the Mixed Mushrooms Teriyaki and Sweet and Sour Manchurian. Most of us Pakistanis are used to eating saucy Manchurian which tastes like ketchup mixed with chicken. But Noi’s Manchurian was neither saucy nor ketchupy – it was just like the name suggested – perfectly balanced between sweet and sour. The Mixed Mushroom Teriyaki also had a similar flavour but with a stronger Ginger flavour. The mushrooms in this dish were delicious – they were better than anything else and I would order this dish for the mushroom alone next time.

    Meanwhile, the Crispy Honey Siracha was extremely spicy and literally puts your mouth on fire. What I didn’t like about it was how it was barely crispy and the taste of honey was hardly detectable.

    Mixed Mushroom Teriyaki, Sweet and Sour Manchurian

    Nonetheless, given the quantity, taste and price, Noi is highly recommended. Their kitchen is open 5:30 pm onwards till late night but they are usually sold out long before closing time. Best is to place your order ahead of time so that you don’t end up disappointed.

  • Three Pakistani women Mrs Khan would disapprove of

    Three Pakistani women Mrs Khan would disapprove of

    Ever since Mrs Khan made an appearance on a morning show, she has become quite famous. On the live show, Mrs Khan had said that rising divorces are due to women’s inability to bow down before their husbands and because they argue too much.

    While most Pakistani women have moved beyond the notion of the ideal “woman,” who Mrs Khan believes in, here are three Pakistani women she would disapprove of.

    Saba Qamar

    Saba Qamar has been turning heads and putting the ghairat brigade on fire with her latest photoshoot. Mrs Khan would certainly disapprove of her showing off her long legs and bare arms. Aur toh aur Saba has said, “I do a thing called what I want.”

    • Sorry Saba but ladies don’t sit like that
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B1qmlO3BPTX/

    Mehwish Hayat

    Another Pakistani woman who does what she wants. Mehwish is bold and daring and doesn’t shy away from anything – whether it is speaking her mind or dancing her heart out. And let’s not forget how lit her recent speeches and television appearances have been.

    Want? Want kya hota hai?

    Benazir Bhutto

    The real OG. Benazir Bhutto had the power to shut down anyone without even uttering a single word. A woman who shattered glass ceilings, stood up to bullies and inspired women across the world.

  • VIDEO: Kubra Khan reveals what she would gift Hamza & Naimal, Sajal & Ahad, Yasir & Iqra on their weddings

    VIDEO: Kubra Khan reveals what she would gift Hamza & Naimal, Sajal & Ahad, Yasir & Iqra on their weddings

    When we ran into Kubra Khan at the 7Up Pakistan Wedding Show (oh the irony), we couldn’t help but ask her what gift she would give to her three couple friends who are (or have already) gotten married.

    Kubra shares a close friendship with Yasir Hussain and Iqra Aziz and has a great working relationship with Hamza Ali Abbasi and Sajal Aly.

    Yasir & Iqra

    “I would give them a painting because they’re both very creative – so something to do with art.”

    Ahad & Sajal

    “Something to do with music because Sajal sings really well and Ahad is a really good musician as well.”

    Hamza & Naimal

    “Hmm I would give them my best wishes.”

    Watch the full video here:

    While Hamza Ali Abbasi has tied the knot with Naimal Khawar, we are still waiting for the other two celebrity couples – Ahad Raza Mir and Sajal Aly; Iqra Aziz and Yasir Hussain – to announce when they will be saying their ‘qubool hais’.

  • The Current EXCLUSIVE: Is PM Khan attending Hamza Ali Abbasi’s wedding?

    The Current EXCLUSIVE: Is PM Khan attending Hamza Ali Abbasi’s wedding?

    Hamza Ali Abbasi’s wedding to is all anyone and everyone can talk about this week. Once everyone got over the initial shock, questions were raised as to who will be on the coveted guest list and what the couple will be wearing.

    Like everyone else, we also wondered if Prime Minister Imran Khan will be attending the wedding given that he shares a close relationship with the actor.

    “I don’t think so,” says Special Assistant to PM on Media Iftikhar Durrani. “Ever since he has become PM, he has not attended any social events except for two weddings one of which was his Military Secretary daughter’s wedding.”

    PM Imran at his MS’ daughter’s wedding

    Cricketer Imad Wasim has also invited the PM to his wedding which is being held on the same day as Hamza’s valima. But it appears that the PM will be skipping both.

    It is pertinent to mention here that PM Khan also did not attend his nephew and niece’s wedding in April even though his sons were in attendance.

    Hamza is getting married to actor Naimal Khawar this weekend in a “small nikkah” which will be held on Sunday, August 25 followed by a “small valima” the next day.

  • ‘Cheekh’ just makes you want to scream

    ‘Cheekh’ just makes you want to scream

    Saba Qamar and Bilal Abbas Khan’s much-hyped drama Cheekh has finally drawn to a close and we couldn’t be more relieved.

    Despite all the phenomenal performances by the lead actors, the drama and storyline was stretched way beyond its snapping point and was getting ridiculous and unrealistic with every passing episode. What began as an ambitious and game-changing project, Cheekh soon went downhill as the makers behind it tried to keep the audiences engaged by introducing one twist after another.

    The first 10-12 episodes were brilliant and had you on the edge as Mannat (Saba Qamar) battled all odds to get her murdered friend, Nayab, justice. The plot was realistic and understandable. But after the case of Nayab’s murder went to court, everything started going downhill including the script.

    There were lots of unnecessary turns and twists which turned a perfectly good drama into a Star Plus soap opera. I mean what was the point of sending Mannat to the pagal khaana and drugging her into becoming sleeping beauty? Or scaring Mannat’s mother into testifying against her own daughter? Agreed that our justice system is extremely flawed but itna ziada? And in the quest for justice, Mannat lost her mother, husband and unborn child. The message the drama seemed to give out was that if you fight for the truth, you’ll end up getting ruined in the process – Not sure if the makers were trying to encourage women to speak up or discourage them from ever raising their voice.

    The middle of the drama was dragged for no reason and you just ended up skipping most of the scenes. Because of a lack of a proper build-up, the final episode of the drama ended up being rushed.

    The last episode began so abruptly with Mannat reopening Nayab’s case and representing herself in the court that you had to pause and go back to the previous episode to see if you missed anything. As expected, the makers had to give the drama a happy ending, so the series ended with Mannat getting justice and Wajih on death row. The final scene was absolutely absurd, with Wajih having read the whole Quran and justifying his actions because previously he wasn’t religiously enlightened. He then proceeded to shift the blame to his elder brother Yawar for not stopping him from doing bad things and always shielding him from the consequences of his actions. More so, in the entire scene, Haya cried as if Wajih was the victim.

    Meanwhile, Mannat becomes unnecessary. She just sits in her corner and looks up to the sky and thanks God for making an example of her.

    “Khuda misaal banana ke liye na, hum sab mein se kisi eik ko chunta hai…aur woh eik, mein thi,” she says. I mean…

    Even Nayab’s father was nowhere to be seen.

    The plot aside, the cast of the drama probably delivered their finest performances to date. Saba as the headstrong and unabated Mannat was amazing. Bilal as the conniving and manipulative Wajih was remarkable. The two leads shared amazing chemistry on screen and their scenes together were so strong that you’d end up holding your breath without realising. His performance in the last scene was so strong that it gave you goosebumps. He actually ended up making you feel sorry for Wajih the killer. If he doesn’t win an award for Best Performance in a Negative Role on at least one award function, award functions should be officially be cancelled. Emmad Irfani as the doting, loving husband conflicted between his wife and family won hearts and frankly redefined the typical Pakistani drama husband. That’s definitely a win. The rest of the cast also gave superb performances. A special round of applause to director Badar Mehmood for bringing out the best in his actors.

    On the whole, Cheekh lost itself somewhere in the middle. Where it could have been a rule-changing Pakistani drama, the makers decided to play safe and follow the traditional route.

  • Eid releases: A starry affair

    Eid releases: A starry affair

    Three major releases, namely Parey Hut Love, Heer Maan Ja and Superstar, are hitting the screens this Eid ul Azha and the excitement and promotions for the films are in full swing. Moreso, all three films have A-listers in their cast. From Mahira Khan to Hareem Farooq, from Sheheryar Munawar to Ali Rehman Khan, the casts of all the films are lit which make them all the more appealing.

    But what’s interesting is that it appears that every member of the Pakistani film industry is part of at least one of three films which makes the films even more starry than before. While Meera Jee and Fawad Khan have cameos in Parey Hut Love, Hania Aamir and Syra Shehroz make an appearance in Superstar. Mikaal Zulfiqar and Ahmed Ali Akbar have guest appearances in Heer Maan Jaa. The names above are just a few and the makers of the film have promised us even more stars.

    Essentially cameos, especially starry cameos, are added to draw more attention towards the films and increase their star value and every film’s director and producer has applied that formula in their films. Basically, this means that even if the films have no storyline, no plot, we’ll still be excited to watch them because you don’t know who’ll pop up onscreen next.

    Nonetheless, The Current asked the makers behind the films to decode this concept for us and this is what they had to say.

    Speaking exclusively to The Current, Asim remarked, “Feature films are made to entertain people and you have to keep looking for any and every possibility on how you can entertain them. Mixing things such as cameos or guest appearances by known faces with characters brings vibrance and excitement that is needed for any film.”

    “This is not the first time that I have done this,” he continued. “In my first feature film, three years ago, Ho Mann Jahaan, I introduced this concept. Why others are doing it, I don’t know, but I’m doing it because I believe in it. It’s a way of adding more entertainment for my viewers.”

    Asim concluded his remarks saying that his films are for the masses and he would do anything that is decently possible to keep them entertained and engaged.

    We also caught the producer of Heer Maan Ja, Hareem Farooq as she was promoting the film and asked her the same. Hareem started off by laughing that this was done to add more star power to the film and make it more attractive for the audiences. She then commented that guest appearances were the need of the film as the script demanded it.

    When asked how the filmmakers decided who to cast, Hareem replied, “Some actors were decided when we were writing the script. So some of the guest roles were written keeping in mind the actor. Others were cast once the script was finalised and we felt that they would be best suited for the role.”

    Looks like this Eid is all about the more the merrier. But hey, we’re not complaining.

    Which film are you most excited for?

  • The Five-Hour Goat

    The Five-Hour Goat

    In 1996, farmers in the United States asked that the label of goat meat be changed to mutton since people were confusing it with sheep meat. That’s how underrated the goat was – and still is – in the United States. To promote the great goat in Europe, certain cities celebrate the month of October as Goatober. But the goat is still second, third, fourth-best to other animals. Even though it’s lower in fat than chicken and has more protein than beef. Basically, it’s pretty darn special but underrated.

    In the Middle East, special takes time but minimal effort. An age-old way to cook goat meat, a method that involves underground ovens and whole goats, still practiced in Arab countries, especially Jordan and Palestine. A skinned goat, with its head intact, is made to sit on a bed of potatoes and vegetables on a large silver platter and slowly lowered into the ground, into an oven with hot coals.

    The Goat is skinned and lowered into an underground oven with hot coals

    The oven is then closed with a lid and covered with the earth. Five hours later, it is slowly raised out, its meat divinely falling off the bone, its eyes, small black dots. In Jordanian and Palestinian culture, its tradition for the guest of honor to get the first bite of the goat tongue.

    Five hours later

    With a steaming goat, proudly displayed in the middle of the dining table, the host breaks open the jaws of the goat, rips out the tongue and tears out a piece. It is then presented to the guest of honor who has to eat it, with pleasure. Tradition also states that if the host presents a guest with the black eye of the goat, he is declaring enmity and showing his disdain towards the guest.   

     In the modern version, using a goat leg, make cuts in the leg and stuff the grooves with garlic cloves. In meat, you can never have enough garlic so use as many as you can fit in. Rub salt and pepper.  Using a large, oven safe pot, put the leg in with carrots, whole garlic heads, onions and potatoes. Add as much as six potatoes, three large onions cut in portions like the aloos in a biryani. Cook it in the oven on low heat, around 190 C for five hours. Keep checking to see if it’s drying out, and if it is, add water or better yet, add vegetable or chicken broth. Cook it until the meat fall off the bone. Tongue and black eye optional.

  • Does No Lies Fries live up to the hype?

    Does No Lies Fries live up to the hype?

    No Lies Fries is late to the game. The gourmet burgers and fries came into existence a century ago and left Karachi two years ago with Burger Lab, Oh My Grill and Juicy Lucy. Though some did come close to the Holy Grail of burgers – Shake Shack – others were a miss. After hearing rave reviews on No Lies Fries, I wondered could it be? Had they cracked the Shake Shack code?

    The NLF: beef patty, lettuce and secret sauce

    Sadly, no. They’re close. But they’re drying their meat out by overcooking it and assuming their secret sauce will hold it together. But those extra 40 seconds on the grill only shock the patty into becoming plain boring. The ‘secret sauce’ doesn’t really need to be a secret since it’s nothing earth-shattering.

    The only shake in their shack is that perfectly perfect potato bun. Oh my, what a bun. I disassembled the burger and tried the soft potato goodness on its own and it’s legit, the best bun in town.

    The Crispy Chick: fried chicken, secret sauce, jalapenos and cheese

    The Crispy Chick, a fried chicken burger, didn’t get the slather of the secret sauce that was needed but it was fried to perfection. Depends on how crisp you like your chicken though. This was perfect. A not so thin layer of breadcrumbs resulted in a perfectly cooked chicken breast with that oh-so-delicious potato bun. The Crispy Chick isn’t KFC level, but then again I don’t particularly enjoy the fat layer of crispy crumbs which tend to overcook the chicken.

    Coming onto their main item. The guy taking the order recommended the Authentic Canadian Poutine but I really wish he hadn’t. The dish on its own didn’t come together and it seemed that the creators of this one expect that customers, (mostly Canadian returns) will be wowed by the thought of Canadian poutine rather than the work that goes into it.

    A decent (but too thick) beef gravy, cheese curds and fries, it lacked the flavour of traditional Canadian poutine, which is made by the gravy.

    Authentic Canadian Poutine Fries

    So are they lying? People expect that the juiciest details, the final verdict is usually delivered in the first few paragraphs. But something as inconsequential, as common, as Alanis Morrisette Ironic can be picked up, bitten into and make you do a 180.

    Belgian Frites

    No Lies Fries Belgian Frites are out of this world. Thick cut fries, Gordon Ramsay level cooked, crisp and aggressively seasoned, they are without an atom of a doubt, the best fries in Karachi. Their burgers might lie, but those simple fries definitely don’t. This just goes to show that secret sauces, shake shack references, Canadian copies won’t get you anywhere but a side item can make you live up to your name.

    (On a side note: the burger doesn’t come with fries; they are sold separately. And with a burger starting at Rs. 560, it’s really not the best deal in town).

  • Eid ul Azha: 5 things that can only happen in Pakistan

    Eid ul Azha: 5 things that can only happen in Pakistan

    Eid is just around the corner and we as Pakistanis see a lot of interesting things that probably only happen in our country. These things enhance the spirit of Eid and give us something to smile about.

    From our roofs to our plates

    Crane lifting the cattle from the rooftops have become a common sight in Karachi. Amused pedestrians stand on the sides and enjoy watching the cows and goats being lifted from the roofs to the grounds.

    Animal service stations

    Have you ever thought of taking your Qurbani animal to a service station? If not, then you should now start planning to go to the service station where your animal will get a shower for as less as Rs 100.

    Runaway animal

    Oh, this one is the most interesting. We all are united when it comes to catching the runaway animal. If (God forbid) your animal runs away, then everyone’s got your back – from your neighbours to random people on the street – everyone will drop what they are doing and run after the animal and join your struggle to catch it.

    Bakra on bike

    This is the most common. We all have seen this somewhere while on road. People taking their sacrificial goat or sheep on their bike with one person accompanying it on the back seat.

    Meet Trump at the cattle market

    You can see this only in Pakistan that animals are named after political leaders. And the cattle owners proudly introduce them with their interesting names.

  • WATCH: Video shows Pakistan Army aircraft crashing in Rawalpindi

    WATCH: Video shows Pakistan Army aircraft crashing in Rawalpindi

    Moments after at least 17 people, including five military personnel, lost their lives when a plane of Pakistan Army Aviation crashed near Mora Kalu in Rawalpindi, a video of the tragic incident has surfaced.

    According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the aircraft was on a routine training flight when it crashed around 2 am, but there was no immediate word on the cause of the accident or the type of aircraft involved.

    Two pilots were among those killed in the incident, the military’s media wing said, adding that it also resulted in 12 fatal civilian casualties and injuries to 13 others.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Lt Col Saqib, Lt Col Wasim, Naib Subedar Afzal, Hawaldar Amin and Hawaldar Rahmat were the military personnel who lost their lives.

    Soon after the crash, a massive fire broke out that engulfed several houses in the locality.

    Rescue teams of 1122 and Pakistan Army immediately reached the site and started the rescue operation. 

    ISPR added, rescue officials had extinguished the fire caused by the crash and moved the injured to a local hospital.