No Blues with Cafe Blue Ginger

         An eating experience at Café Blue Ginger can turn the dreariest of days into something special and worth remembering.

                 

 For my passion of good food, writing about them and shooting them with my camera of course, I end up visiting many eateries mostly in Karachi where I live. However there are only few where I go frequently, and with confidence that I will come out all satisfied and happy. One of the major reason people go out to restaurants is to experience some great food, enjoy with friends without any hassle in a relaxing environment.

Panna- Raw Mango Sherbet

Café Blue Ginger is among the few eateries where I go with a confidence that nothing will wrong. Since it is opened, early 2011, I landed here for a lunch completely unplanned, one of those time when you are too busy and need a bite. But this restaurant pleasantly surprised me, and was like hitting a jackpot. I remember asking the waiters, ‘who are you guys”? ‘Who started this place?”. Since then I have eaten, entertained friends and family, organized parties innumerable times here and every single experience is excellent and worth remembering. Fortunately I never had that ‘bad day’ which often times is the pet excuse of restaurants for negligence and spoiling your meal.

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A small place though, but done in a classy, vintage décor displaying a range of family owned artifacts, and 18^th Century documents on the walls. This restaurant is owned by famous TV Chef Hussain Tariq, who has obviously inherited his love of cooking and the knack for creating great dishes from his ever popular mother Zubaida Tariq, a well known cook book writer, TV Chef, and a fabulous home maker.

I am a big fan of fresh food that is cooked with a delicate flavor, and very few restaurants serve such delectable cuisine consistently. Café Blue Ginger has always surprised me with their standards of food and service maintained continually. Hussain Tariq and his two Executive Chefs create and prepare great tasting Italian, Mediterranean and Sub Continent cuisine. Their most experienced and trained staff that is knowledgeable of the menu and ready to make recommendations and ensure nothing goes wrong serves 
 these.

There are new dishes added to the menu regularly, so all the more reason to go back. Over the years I have tried out many dishes from their menu, but some for which I keep going includes the elegant Seafood Bisque which is a die for super rich full of seafood such as shrimps, and calamari. The other favorite from soup menu is the hearty, fresh and creamy Potato Leek soup. The Antipasti Platter is a classic selection of exotic and delicately prepared appetizers. This beautiful spread contains delectable bite sized grilled vegetables, Creamy Mushrooms, Crispy Fried Calamari, Tomatoes Brochette, and Artichoke and Spinach Brochette. This platter is so huge and generous and 4-5 people can share it.

Mediterranean Salad

Seafood Rissoto

My whole family is a big fan of Risotto, and we try it wherever in the world we go. The Café Blue Ginger Seafood Risotto is among one of best and a true comfort food when you are down. A very well prepared and perfected dish that had everything that a good risotto should have. Rich texture with just-right doneness, rice not too mushy or hard, nicely blessed with a palatable tasty seafood broth. Plenty of seafood to go along too!!!  

Calamari stuffed with Ricota Cheese and Rice

The chilli oil served on request and adds a dalicious falvour

 Spicy Grilled Calamari in Marinara Sauce is my another recent favorite. Calamari is the Italian word for squid, it is commonly served fried in most restaurants as appetizers, however Café Blue Ginger have created some great tasting entree  out of this low protein mild tasting seafood. It is a sheer pleasure devouring this delicious preparations made from giant squid cut into large pieces, oval, about 5 or 6 inches in diameter. Basted lightly and grilled just until the slightly translucent white turned opaque. It is served topped with deliciously prepared marinara sauce and a side of fresh straw cut veggies dressed with lemon pepper vinaigrette.

The other one is an exciting great flavorful dish Grilled Calamari stuffed with Rice and Ricotta Cheese tasted simply unique dressed with wasabi sauce.

Chicken Khowsuey

Fettucini with Grilled Prawns and Marinara Sauce

Pasta dishes are generally easy to prepare however, not everyone can create a taste and texture that are palatable. Café Blue Ginger prepares and have available some of the great tasting pasta dishes. Fettuccine Alfredo with Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce, Penne Arabiata or Khowsuey all done very well, tasty sauces, . I got totally hooked to their new Fettucini Grilled Prawns with Marinara Sauce. A wonderful dish with medium sized prawns grilled to perfection, the marinara sauce was simply sumptuous cooked with tomato and vegetable base and tasting of herbs poured over pasta that is just ‘al dante’.

Spinach and cheese stuffed Mushrooms

The complimentary freshly baked bread with herbed butter and spreads

A trend among most upscale restaurants around is to offer meal deals often times for lunches or on special occasion and celebrations. Of course a generous gesture on the part of restaurants. I found the Café Blue Ginger deals great value for money, because they offer some of the their prime dishes part of these deals thus making if affordable and reachable for most.

Café Blue Ginger is open right from 8:00am until midnight offering breakfast, lunches and dinners. Average per person 3-4 course meals would cost Rs.900-1100/=

An eating experience at Café Blue Ginger can turn the dreariest of days into something special and worth remembering. 


 Write up and photographs by Farah Kamal
Blog published in the The News