Located on Shahrah e Faisal Karachi, opposite the PAF Base, is this eatery, that is majestic in appearance from the outside just as much as it is from the inside, called as the “Lal Qila”. I went there once a couple of years back and loved the food, just as much as I did yesterday. It is a “must visit” place for foodies, and dare I say if you are not a foodie it will turn you in to one, but for an hour or so, considering the profuseness of dishes not to mention their taste which by all standards are unique and exquisite.
I am not much of a cook. The best I can do in the kitchen is to make tea (for myself), boil an egg and fry one. But when a friend coaxed me in to making potato salad I had to give in. So on the very first try I made a pretty tasty potato salad. I am sharing the recipe and procedure.
Tehzeeb (previously Rahat Bakers) in Rawalpindi has a reputation for selling the best ice cream in Rawalpindi/Islamabad. Besides this it also has an assortment of shakes on the menu. The best out of them is Cheeko shake. A glass of chilled Cheeko shake is as good as a meal. Whenever, I go to Pindi I make it a point to visit Tehzeeb Bakers for some ice cream and shake. Its always hard to decide what to order, the shake or the ice cream. A number of times I have ordered both. This time, I ordered a large scoop of Tutti Frutti ice cream for my wife and a Cheeko shake for myself. The agreement being that we would share. So after emptying my glass half I traded it with my wife for a half cup of ice cream! It was awesome, as always.
I did a post on Habibi Restaurant sometime back, but that was about their outlet on University Road and its take home service. They do have a Habibi Village on Ring Road as well. I decided to try it out just yesterday as I heard from a cousin their Bar BQ fish is superb. And superb it was indeed. The outlet is located about 3 kms from the Hayatabad-Ring Road entrance. There is a separate hall for gents and families, but we preferred to sit in the family lawns as the weather was really good.
Habibi is a small restaurant on the main University Road, just adjacent to the Hayatabad main entrance. I haven’t dined at Habibi but I can vouch for its take home service and quality of food. You phone them and within 20 minutes the order is packed to be taken home. The staff I have found to be very courteous and polite, always. There Chicken piece, Mutton Tikka and Karahi are worth ordering, again and again. Do not forget the Naans! And if all else fails try their Habibi platter. Amazing stuff and speedy service, the prices are a little steep though.
This place, Balahisar Namakmandi Food Forte started its services in Peshawar about two weeks back. I saw its ad on a billboard and a visit was deftly planned on a quiet and hot summer weekend. The place is located on Abdara road in front of Dar-e-Arqam School. It is in an old house that has been renovated, and decorated very tastefully.
Nestled in between Dewan-e-Khas and a few cozy tree lined houses in the quiet part of Peshawar lies this eatery that has my attention for quite for sometime. The environment is what one what would expect from any upscale restaurant of the day. Its quiet demeanor is above all impressive. The kind of place where I would love to go any day (be it a sweltering summer afternoon) for a cold coffee or a freezing winter noon for a cappuccino.
In a previous post I reviewed Espresso Lounge (Peshawar). I revisited the place few days back for some good food and off course good time. But I was dismayed. This post is not meant to hurt anyone’s business in anyway. I would implore the Espresso guys to think positive after reading this post.
Here’s what went wrong.
A serving of salad did not have Iceberg lettuce, instead the raw one was used.
The kids ordered Pepsi and some shake, which was not served yet included in the bill. On insistence the bill wasn’t changed.
The lamb chops were not well done.
Had to ask for still water thrice to get it on my table.
They still haven’t got the Card payment account, so you pay in cash.
I think the quality of service has gone down, considerably, so has the quality of food. I was told by one of my friends that it is a norm here for new restaurants to hire good chefs and staff on a new launch, and fire them after a month or so. I sternly refused to believe this.
I will visit the place one more time and if they still haven’t improved, it will be curtains for them, as far as I am concerned. Please restore the lost standards, it pains me to see my hard earned money going down the drain. Best wishes.
Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with The Maple House, nor is this post about marketing their stuff. I visited this eatery and decided to write about it on my blog.
The city of Peshawar never ceases to amaze me. With so many things happening around from bomb blasts, to killings and political wranglings, you suddenly get news of a new eatery springing up in the middle of University Town, Chinar Road to be exact. I just wonder how business is thriving? Well I guess the people are tired and they need a break, from it all. So, we were talking about The Maple House, shall we?
Sandwiched in between Warda Lawn and a vacant floor Espresso Lounge has opened an outlet in the restive city of Peshawar. The place is ideal for shoppers, those looking for a quick cappuccino or loners like me who love to think in isolation 🙂 It is on the main University Road, near Arbab Road in one of the new (still empty) Plazas.
