Tag: food

  • Moocs doesn’t have anything new to offer

    Moocs doesn’t have anything new to offer

    Located behind Khaadi on MM Alam Road, Moocs is the latest addition to the Lahore food scene but not exactly a promising one, given that there was only one other party along with me, that too on a Saturday night.

    Rewind a few weeks and Moocs was all over our Instagram after it had a grand opening with Lahore’s socialites in attendance. A couple of weeks later, the hype seemed to have completely died down.

    Nonetheless given how much I like to try out new places, I decided to check out Moocs. After all, the name was kinda catchy.

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

    Moocs has a standard menu: pizza, burgers, Chicken Parmesan, Polo Chicken, Stuffed Chicken, etc – you know pretty much the same things you’ve tried a million times before.

    We decided to start our dinner with Pizza Fries from their ‘Starters Menu.’ The fries came in a skillet topped with cheese, sauce and jalapenos. The overall taste of the dish was pretty decent while the fries themselves were nice and crispy. But to be very honest, I’ve had better. Like for example, have you tried the Alfredo Fries at Urban Kitchen? Now those are divine.

    From the main course, we tried their Chef’s Special Stuffed Chicken and Muslo De Pavo Burger. Both the items were very typical. The Chef’s Special Stuffed Chicken was not all that special – the flavour wasn’t strong enough and fettuccini pasta was on the bland side. The sauce, meanwhile, was tasty but given the extravagant price, I’m not sure if it was worth it.

    Meanwhile, the Muslo De Pavo Burger tasted just like Jalal Son’s Crispy Chicken Burger but at double the price. Plus the bun wasn’t good because it was so crumbly. The thigh fillet had a thick layer of batter which though made it very crunchy, made it impossible to taste the chicken within.

    The dessert was probably the best thing we ate that night. We ordered their Cookie Pudding on our waiter’s recommendation and it was differently delicious. Loved the mix of pudding, cookie dough and ice-cream.

    While the food was somewhat passable, and ambiance on the cosy side (great for winters) the bill certainly wasn’t. For one starter, two main dishes and one dessert, our total bill amounted to a little more than Rs 5000/- which is definitely a hefty amount to pay, especially in such trying financial times.

    Read more: DOCK 27 has a secret saviour

    My overall experience at Moocs was average so I don’t think I’ll be venturing there again.

    DISCLAIMER: The Current’s food reviews are unpaid and are not sponsored.

  • GO LOCAL? Yeah, We can eat that

    GO LOCAL? Yeah, We can eat that

    As the dollar rises and prices soar, all of us are beginning to feel the crunch. Can’t afford the cheeses you bought all so frequently? Or that cooking chocolate you loved? Here are some local alternatives that are tried and tested.

    Adams Burger Cheese

    Even though we have some local artisanal cheeses available, their prices are also really high. We tried Adams Buffalo Mozzarella and Burger Cheddar Cheese on homemade pizzas and grilled cheeses and are pleased to report that they are excellent. Will never go imported for these commonly loved cheeses

    Baker’s Choice Cooking Chocolate

    As home-based and small bakery owners cry about the rising prices of cooking chocolate, we tried Baker’s Choice Dark Chocolate for baking fudge brownies and damn, they’re just as good as the Malaysian counterpart.

    Opa! Frozen Fries

    Those bags of imported fries aren’t worth the price (and the import if you ask us). Opa! Fries are local, thin and crispy and perfect for you and your kids. Crunch!

    Quinoa

    No need to spend thousands on imported Quinoa. There are excellent local options, like The Soul Food Company and Green Horizon. We’ve tried the Soul Food’s quinoa and it’s super.

    Dipitt Sauces

    We aren’t missing Heinz as much anymore. Dipitt Sauces are great, a local, no preservatives and no MSG and their whole range is pretty darn good if you ask us.

    Nuts

    Hit shops selling dry fruits from Hunza and Gilgit Baltistan, especially if you’re in Islamabad. They’re just as good, if not better than their foreign competition.

    DISCLAIMER: This article is not sponsored and is unpaid.

  • Kate and William’s Pakistan tour in-flight menu revealed

    Kate and William’s Pakistan tour in-flight menu revealed

    The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge undertook a whirlwind tour of Pakistan late October. While it has been a couple of days since they left, the couple is still sneaking into our conversations as we reminiscence the days they spent here.

    Little details of their trip continue to excite us and a chef has now revealed what Kate and William ate on their flights as they travelled to different places within Pakistan.

    Read more: Royal Visit Day 2 – Kate & William explore the mountainous North

    Chef Samina Gul, a former Professional Cookery student at University College Birmingham, shared pictures of the food the royal couple ate while in-flight during their recent five-day tour of Pakistan.

    Fresh salad with beetroot and quinoa

    Samina Gul, a product development chef with Pakistan’s KC Flight Catering, made elevenses, afternoon tea and dinner for Prince William and Kate on two of their Royal Air Force flights during their visit. KC Flight Catering is the largest private in-flight catering operator in Pakistan.

    Samina shared pictures of her delicious delicacies on Facebook and we have to say they look mouth-watering.

    And it appears that the people on the flight loved the food because Samina’s company received a letter from the catering manager of 101 Squadron Royal Air Force, Sgt Steve Roberts, expressing his appreciation of the in-flight chefs’ services and hard work.

    EXCLUSIVE: What did Mehwish Hayat & Prince William talk about and other inside details from the grand royal reception

    Previously, Samina also got to cook for Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman during one of his visits to the country.

  • Khaadi’s Kanteen bursts with positive energy

    Khaadi’s Kanteen bursts with positive energy

    Nestled happily on the first floor of Khaadi at Bilawal Chowrangi, Kanteen is a sight for sore eyes with its bohemian look, comfy sofas, lovely woodwork and lots of green plants. The whole place is bursting with positive energy.

    This is a place where you would want to go with your friends for a happy evening or dinner with your family. And yes this place welcomes children of all ages. I finally made it to Kanteen after hearing good reviews from friends and I’m happy to report that I wasn’t disappointed.

    Kanteen’s menu is pretty elaborate and is dominated by a desi palette – you’ll find butter chicken, mutton karahi, palak paneer etc on the menu. The best part is that it is not very heavy on the pocket. The cafe is run by Meher, who started off as a home-based party planner. She did my bridal shower almost 5 years back and had impressed me with her services back then also.

    We started off with some crunchy Meethi Puri and Paani Puri and thoroughly enjoyed it – just what you want on a rainy day. We also tried some desi dynamite prawns which were different but delicious.

    • Paani Puri
    • Meethi Puri
    Desi dynamite prawns

    Next, we had the mini chapli kebabs on small parathas which were just perfect with just the right amount of spices.

    What’s life without a plate of good old daal chawal. Kanteen’s daal chawal was elaborate and was served with fried bhindi, paapar, aalo, qeema kabab, achaar and raita. It was a wholesome dish on its own and one of my personal favourites.

    We also tried Kanteen’s tawa chicken and that was also tantalising to the taste buds.

    For a sweet ending to a lovely evening, we ordered the Rabri & Jalebi and Caramel Bread Pudding. Both the desserts were delectable and absolutely delicious. One thing I particularly liked was that the sweet was nicely balanced and did not send you into a sugar coma.

    Rabri & Jalebi
    Caramel Bread Pudding

    Khaadi’s Kanteen lived up it to its expectations and hype and I will definitely be venturing there again soon to treat myself to some delightful desi food.

  • Bombay Chowpatty Faisalabad is pleasantly surprising

    Bombay Chowpatty Faisalabad is pleasantly surprising

    We’ve all visited Bombay Chowpatty in Lahore several times but we recently got a chance to visit Bombay Chowpatty in Faisalabad and it made us very happy.

    Faisalabad’s Bombay Chowpatty is not a fast-food joint but is a proper restaurant offering a wide variety of cuisines. From Continental to Pakistani, from South Indian dishes to thaals (combos) of all sorts, the food there is quite diverse along with being delicious. Located at Kohinoor City in Faisalabad, it is also centrally located. The ambiance is also very nice and service on the dot.

    Being a chaat lover, I first ordered a Raj Kachori and a chaat platter. We were not disappointed. Everything was fresh and crispy with just the right amount of spices and sweet tangy flavour. The serving sizes were also quite big.

    Bombay Chowpatty is famous for its dosas, which is a desi version of a crepe. Making dosas is an art and if you have had dosas at a proper South Indian place, you usually don’t find dosas elsewhere authentic. But the dosas at Bombay Chowpatty were crisp and well-made. The good thing about this branch is that they customise the dosas. We had children with us who wanted cheese dosas and that’s what they got even though cheese dosa isn’t on the menu. We, on the other hand, ordered masala dosas and they were finger-licking good!

    If you’re a tea lover, you would enjoy their refreshing Karrak Chai and if you’ve got a sweet tooth, you won’t be disappointed with their desi desserts. We didn’t try out their western desserts – cakes and ice-cream – as we had had too much of desi meetha.

    If you’re in Faisalabad, we highly recommend Bombay Chowpatty. Despite visiting the place after a shaadi and eaten already, we couldn’t resist their delicious dishes and stuffed ourselves till we literally couldn’t breathe. You won’t regret it.

  • India divided after Hindu man refuses to accept food from Muslim rider

    India divided after Hindu man refuses to accept food from Muslim rider

    Neighbouring India has been left divided ever since a Hindu man refused to accept his order from a Muslim food delivery guy.

    “Just cancelled an order on @ZomatoIN. They allocated a non-Hindu rider for my food they said they can’t change rider and can’t refund on cancellation [sic],” Amit Shukla of Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur city tweeted Tuesday.

    Zomato is an Indian restaurant search and discovery service that operates in 24 countries. It provides information and reviews of restaurants as well as images of menus where the restaurant does not have its own website and also online delivery.

    Shukla, through the app’s customer support, requested another rider and when asked what was wrong, he replied, “We have Shravan [month of fasting] and I don’t need a delivery from a Muslim fellow.”

    The company refused to change the rider on the basis of religion and the customer care executive’s response was widely shared over social media.

    “Food doesn’t have a religion. It is a religion,” Zomato tweeted.

    https://twitter.com/ZomatoIN/status/1156429449258250240

    The company’s founder, Deepinder Goyal, also tweeted:

    “We are proud of the idea of India — and the diversity of our esteemed customers and partners. We aren’t sorry to lose any business that comes in the way of our values,” he wrote.

    While Zomato’s stand against religious intolerance won many hearts, some stood up in Shukla’s support.

    https://twitter.com/ubereats_ind/status/1156552511509024768?s=21

    https://twitter.com/dnaasingh29/status/1156496007674208257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1156496007674208257&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fgulfnews.com%2Fworld%2Fasia%2Findia%2Findia-man-cancels-order-over-non-hindu-rider-zomatos-response-wins-the-internet-1.65549839

  • DOCK 27 has a secret saviour

    DOCK 27 has a secret saviour

    Most restaurants in Pakistan, especially Lahore, operate on one theory: the more you have on the menu, the better it will be.

    Dock 27 sounds like a seafood joint and looks like one too… or does it? Nevermind, it’s complicated.

    The base of any chef, any restaurant or any food, is the basics. Books for professional chefs, bibles of food pairings, all emphasise the utmost importance of the basic commandments, which when perfected, are what the finer, complex ideas should stand on.

    Dock 27 is as confused as the “About Us” section they have posted on their Facebook page.

    The words, that jump at you from their Facebook page, don’t mean anything when put together. “Deepwater expeditions,” “Drifts and Jolts under the dark eclipse,” “journeys with dancing dolphins” and ultimately a “nautical hub” bistro. What did it all mean? I couldn’t tell.

    Dimly lit, the clashing interior of Dock 27

    Dock 27, a “worldly” restaurant in Lahore Defence, simply put, focuses on seafood, but also on cuisine from around the world. From Thai green curries to NY Strips, Italian pasta to Chinese stir-fried beef, it’s as if the owner and chef sat down and decided to make everything: because excess is always good, isn’t it?

    Not spoilt for choice, but feeling overwhelmed, my dinner partner and I asked the courteous waiter for his recommendations. In the dim lighting, I could barely see his face but appreciated the impeccable service. We ordered two mains on his recommendations.

    Tampa Chicken with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables

    It is incredible how something as basic as BBQ sauce can save a restaurant’s review.

    What a BBQ sauce. The Tampa Chicken is grilled chicken slathered in shiny BBQ sauce, a bone dry potato mash (that I sent back) and decently grilled vegetables. The flavour was spot on, with the perfect balance of ketchup, Worchestershire and the tartness of what tasted like imli. Another bowl of the sauce was requested and dumped on everything else. Including the second main, the penne pasta with chicken and mushrooms in a creamy sauce. It elevated everything that touched it.

    Penne pasta with mushrooms and grilled chicken

    The al dente penne pasta had a solid flavour with and the right basics — decent white sauce, perfectly seasoned…but that was it. After a few luxurious bites, it became a little one-note — until I took a journey under the dark eclipse and mixed it with some BBQ sauce, licking the bowl clean.

    Singing praises of the sauce, I left thinking that I will not return again. The dim interior, the confused setting, and the loud music left me feeling disoriented. But I would definitely send someone to pick up anything with extra BBQ sauce.

  • Meat-lover Nawaz unhappy with ‘tasteless’ vegetarian meals in jail: report

    Meat-lover Nawaz unhappy with ‘tasteless’ vegetarian meals in jail: report

    Former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif, who is rather infamous for his high-protein diet and love for meaty festivities, is reportedly unhappy with the vegetarian food being served to him in jail.

    According to a private media outlet, the ex-premier has complained about the “tasteless” vegetarian meals to his personal doctor, who believes the environment is not fit for ailing Nawaz.

    “The jail food can further deteriorate his health,” the former PM’s doctor was quoted as saying.

    Earlier this month, the Punjab government had discontinued provision of home-cooked food for the ousted premier – currently incarcerated in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail.

    Reacting to the move, Nawaz’s brother and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Shehbaz Sharif had said that the ex-PM is a heart patient and needs homemade food to control his health.

    PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz has also, time and again, stressed the need for her father to be provided with home-cooked meals for the sake of his health.

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, on the other hand, has vowed to ensure the “criminal” doesn’t even enjoy air-conditioning and television facilities in his jail cell.

    “Nawaz Sharif wants food from home in jail, he wants air-conditioning in jail. But in a country where half the population has no air-conditioning or TV, what kind of punishment would this be?” the premier was recently quoted as questioning.

    Action is reportedly being taken in this regard too.

  • Testing Okra – Breathe In, Not Out

    Testing Okra – Breathe In, Not Out

    Ever felt like you’ve entered a new world just by walking up two steps? That’s Okra Test Kitchen – a small off-shoot of Okra, one of Karachi’s most loved fine dining restaurants.

    Okra’s well known for pushing the boundaries and creating fancy phoo-phoo food. But it’s also homey, organic and comforting. Many uncles and aunties would say, 1000 Rupees for an “anday ka omelette” isn’t worth it, but with the younger lot, knowing the main guy, Vincent, and getting a table for Sunday Brunch is equal to hanging out with Kareena Kapoor in London.

    View of the Restaurant from the Kitchen. Source: Okra Test Kitchen’s Facebook Page

    Okra Test Kitchen doesn’t have that kind of pressure. A very small place, with three, four tables, it’s walk-in only. And when you walk in, take a deep breath.

    It smells like Paris, freshly baked bread, croissants, soft music, the soft clinking of cutlery, the bright light streaming in from the large window. Breathe it all in and take the corner table.

    Some of the most enviable Instagram moments are images of small cafes, on bright sunny days, scintillating conversation, softly munching on bread. That’s what Okra Test Kitchen has managed to achieve. A place that sings Europe with such authenticity that you feel like you’re on vacation. It’s okay if you’ve come out in your lounge pants and you really don’t know Vincent. But the thing is, you don’t need to.

    Portuguese Custard Tart. Source: Okra Test Kitchen Facebook

    The menu hangs on the wall, the chefs greet you from the small, makeshift kitchen, cooking right there, baking right there. You order right where the menu hangs, you ask for a coffee from the coffee machine you can see.

    If you make it to heaven, you’ll ask for an Okra Test Kitchen croissant. If you live outside Karachi, you’ll take boxes with you because you won’t find it anywhere else. You’ll never say this out loud but you know that Parisian croissants have nothing on the incredibly soft, flaky, crunch of the Karachi Croissant. You’ll ask for more, and if it’s not your day, they’ll be sold out.

    The Croissants. Source: Okra Test Kitchen’s Facebook (and my heart)

    The scrambled eggs are moist and fluffy, slow-cooked but without much comfort. The maritozzo, a sweet Utalian brioche bun, filled with cream, is light but doesn’t do much for the Pakistani palette, except making you start to count calories. However, the Portuguese custard tarts are sweet and delightful, joy filled in their crust.

    Okra Test Kitchen is all about the bread, the pastry, the croissants, and there is nothing else like it in Pakistan. The food is above average, (pushed up by The Forbidden Croissant) and strongly elevated by the atmosphere it has so flawlessly created. You ignore that the place is so small, you’re bound to knock off one of the bottles, precariously resting on a shelf on the wall, causing a rather embarrassing stir, promising to pay for it but not having to in the end. You ignore that sometimes you’ll walk in and never get a place to sit but are willing to wait a good hour just so you can stay there and breathe. You will go back, week after week, just so you can step into a different universe, one that promises a mini vacation for an hour or two. It’s an hour or more, of first world peace, before you step back into the grime of Karachi, relishing the time when you could get away and be transported to the streets of Europe.

  • Govt withdraws food-from-home facility for jailed Nawaz

    Govt withdraws food-from-home facility for jailed Nawaz

    The Punjab government has decided to withdraw food-from-home facility for former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif, who is currently serving a seven-year sentence at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail.

    According to media reports, the jail administration, anytime this week, would order the withdrawal of the facility that Nawaz has been availing since his days in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.

    After the withdrawal of the facility, the former premier would have to be content with the jail food — which according to Nawaz’s family, is “unfit to consume” considering his deteriorating health.

    A three-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa had last month rejected a petition by the ex-PM for an extension in the bail granted to him on medical grounds in the Al-Azizia reference.

    It was followed by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) also rejecting his bail plea. Nawaz had been granted bail on medical grounds by the apex court on March 26 for six weeks.

    On April 25, he had submitted a review petition in the SC seeking a permanent bail. His bail expired on May 7.