Bread and Love-Pane n Amore

Pane and Amore, Italian term for Bread and love, truly got the smell and feel of all the freshness and sweetness of bakery products as I entered this European style fairly new café located in Shahbaz Commercial, DHA Karachi.

The very artistic ambience of this little café is very cute; serves colourful mouth-watering cup cakes, brownies, Italian sandwiches, gourmet burgers and a range of Arabic starters, rounded with coffee, tea and cool drinks. The menu is continually changing here, with new items showing up regularly. The sandwiches are made with freshest and crunchiest of breads filled with chicken, salmon, and beef preparations with great garnishes and home grown lettuce. I specifically liked the open smoked salmon and cheese sandwich served with chunky fries. I am not a big fan of cupcakes, however it took me a bite into this chocolate hazelnut cupcake, heaven in a chocolaty cup to fall in love with these. It was a super yummy moist cake smothered with delectable hazelnut flavored dark chocolate over it. Truly a divine treat!!!! 

The bright white, ash white and pastel shades of the walls and furniture are soothing to the eyes giving a spacious neat look to the café’. The walls and pillars display classy artwork, framed photographs, little souvenirs from family, friends and customers of the owners. The coasters and table-mats are artwork of Farah Mehboob, a family friend to the owners. One can get the feel of sitting in a mini art gallery, relaxing with a coffee or a cool unique drink over a sandwich or cupcake.

A tiny family establishment run by Suhaila Tubeh and her brother Mohammad and their friend Wali Ahmad; a bunch of very enthusiastic, sweet and eager young people; a great example of youth entrepreneurship.  

 

Still in her early teens, Suhaila started catering out of her home kitchen, which got very popular. Mohammad, then a student in London made a Facebook page for her products and services, resulting in her desserts and cakes becoming a true hit with her patrons. She felt the need to move to a bigger kitchen and support staff, to keep up the non-ending orders. The same year she went to Italy and Turkey for a holiday and returned back all inspired by the European style cafés serving light meals and great environment to unwind for their customers. Her brother who just returned joined her and together they realized their dream and accomplished pane n amore with the support of their friends and family. The newborn eatery is evolving and will continue to surprise its customers with a lot 
 more. 


 

 Blog write up: Farah Kamal
Photography: Farah Kamal
Published in Express Tribune

Mangoes, mom and memories

Panna (also known as panha or panhe) is a drink popular among Indian decent families in Pakistan. With the cooing of koels and the fruiting of raw mangoes (kairy) on trees in summers, this drink becomes a regular features in homes specially to combat the heat. Mango is a bounty of nature and Pakistan is blessed with yearly crop of mangoes that are both prime and in abundance. Being extremely versatile and rich in Vitamin ‘C’ this fruit is used in a range of curries, salads, punches, deserts and in pickles. 

Raw mangoes and summers  for me have unique significance because of many dishes and food that my mother would create during the summers. As a kid way back in 80s, I remember my mom (appa) making a tumbler of  ‘Panna’ every afternoon when we return back from schools, all red face and sweaty in summers. Being given a glass of beautifully presented “Panna’ at Café Blue Ginger , and the mothers day around the corner, made me awefully nostalgic and have send me down memory lane to all those hot summer afternoons cooling with a refreshing glass of ‘Panna’, made by my very loving, ‘apa’ (my mom) and falling to afternoon naps on swings reading  ‘Mills and Boon’ or  “Famous Five”.  

"Mango Murrabba" (preserve) is another gorgeous treat from my mother. These mint green crystal like sweet and sour stewed chunks of raw or semi ripe mangoes are truly breath taking and tantalize the tastebuds to heights. During the summers when we used to nap under the fans or doing our homeworks, she would spend entire afternoon in kitchen pealing, chopping and then stirring huge pans cooking these ‘murabbas’. Keeping the family tradition alive or maybe because not many eateries do ‘murabbas’ or that I am at office instead of home in the afternoons, I at least cook and fill big jars of these beautiful preserves for my daughter every summer.

My mother who we fondly call ‘apa’ have been a great cook, and has inspired and taught me the appreciation of good food, the art of cooking and importance of hospitality to cook for friends and family. Yes, she is a great host and I grew up seeing guests and huge lunches and dinners at home continuously. She lives in another country now ,but every summer and the mango trees reminds me of her and instilling in me the passion for culinary arts and being a great host. 


Happy Mothers Day to all the Moms out there!!!

Hip Hop Hit-Cafe Down Town

Glitzy, jazzy and hip-hop are the words that came in my mind as soon as I entered this new eatery at Khayabane Sehar-DHA. Café Down Town in less then two weeks time became a fairly popular and expensive hangout among the young crowd of DHA and Clifton.

Entertaining friends and family over dinner and lunches, and socializing in restaurants have become a popular trend over the years in urban communities of Pakistan. The corporate and professionals also love to have a change of scene once in a while and have a meeting or training at an eatery or a Hotel. Of course one cannot undermine the love, and compassion that comes through in a home dining table sharing food cooked for loved ones. But if we want to save us from the botheration of dealing with cooking in a hot kitchen, and struggling with load shedding when one least want it, eating out is the best option. In Karachi there is a new eatery coming up almost every week, one of the PR company official shared that there are over 40 different eateries or the branches of existing ones coming up by end this year.

So, Café Down Town is one more addition to the eating out map of Karachi, mainly targeting students, young professionals, corporate, and for official meetings and gatherings, or simply engaging in some loud party time. Talking to one of the five young entrepreneurs of this restaurant with corporate background, he shared his passion for food specifically the fact that he is a meat lover. They want to respond to the need of many offices and businesses as well as young adults of the area. The restaurant is designed in a true hip hop fashion, very big, complete two floors done with contemporary décor, that is very loud, bold and metallic, with hard metal rock playing in background. However, I have my reservations for the Shisha being served here.

The menu is extremely extensive with everything that one can think of and  might appeal to Karachiits  on it. It has a range of dishes cooked in Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican and Continental styles. There are a great selection of appetizers, sandwiches and wraps. I tasted a selection of appetizers from their Mega Mix Plate that turned out to be a huge tray full of very nicely crumb fried chicken wings, finger fish, chicken strips, cheese sticks, fried prawns, chicken cheese balls, served with three different kind of dips includes tarter sauce, honey mustard and marinara. The Chicken Avocado salad is something new I tried here, it was a fresh, zestful spread of Avocado, cheddar cheese, tomato, boiled eggs, spring onions, cubes of grilled chicken and crispy beef  bits served on a bed of crunchy lettuce drizzled with orange balsamic dressing. Salad and soups are healthy choices and are popular lunch for office goers and young professionals who can be weight watchers too but Café Down Town have only four of each of these listed. The restaurant might think of adding more selections in the menu. 

The main courses have almost everything one can think of burgers, steaks, seafood, served with great sides in all kind of taste and flavors created pretty well. My pick was Tuscan Chicken that turned out Grilled Chicken topped with mushroom sauce and cheese. Could not taste any typical Tuscan herbs in it, or olive oil that are signature for any Tuscan style cooking. Otherwise, it tasted fine, tender succulent chicken and the sauce was prepared well and tasted great. The Down Town Steak was something to remember for sure, a fine double cut fillet mignon is prepared as per customer’s taste and preference for flavors, and herb choices. This is then topped with creamy mushrooms sauce. However, anyone ordering it must remember to instruct to not over flip, poke or prod it or over grill it. It gets spoiled that way, mine was grilled perfectly but there were signs of prodding and poking which leaks the juices instead of sealing them. I could easily carve it, not juicy from inside but OK. 

 

Keeping in mind their target clientele, hungry youngster with huge appetite, the portions are big. Their executive chef with many years of experience working in restaurants in middle east have prepared the dishes fairly well. The recipes adapted well to suit the local palate and one may not be disappointed with their meal at the end. Of  course there something for everyone coming from all different eating habits and tastes.

 

The place is also good for families with children, teens and small parties; they even have a quiet room for 12 for business meetings. I am so sure my group of students would love to be treated here at the end of their school/college year. Operates from 11:00am until midnight, their prices are higher then some upscale specialty restaurants around; I think it is no reasonable. I still fail to understand how in this kind of price they aim to target young professionals and students.

Blog write up and photpgraphy by: Farah S. Kamal

Cafe Downtown: 45-C, Khayabane Sehar, Phae-6 DHA. Karachi.

Note: if any individual or company wants to use the content of this blog text or photographs please take permission from the blog owner farakamal23@gmail.com

My Cup My Way!! Tutti Frutti

Gear up to enjoy this new Fro Yo Frenzy called 

Tutti Frutti!!!!

 

With the goal to deliver the best customer experience and provide the highest quality products at an affordable price, this world class chain of frozen yogurt launched in Karachi this week. After being a straight success in Islamabad and other cities of Punjab, Tutti Frutti made its debut just in time to beat the heat of Karachi. The store will be operational from Wednesday 9^th May 2012.

I fell in love at the first spoonful of the most delicious and healthy cup of plain tart flavour frozen yogurt. I can be called a Fro Yo junkie, I have to dash to the frozen yogurt shops first thing anywhere in the world, and it is for me a quick meal anytime of the day. The last I remember a hearty cup of Tutti Frutti was in their Los Angeles store,  thrilling to find it in my city here in Karachi. I was most excited when I got invited by The Food Connection Pakistan at a bloggers meet up and tasting session of Tutti Frutti Sunday this week. 

Our mission is to make high quality yogurt for people to enjoy all around the world!

"Tutti Frutti premium frozen yogurt products are made from only the finest dairy products!" said Salman, the young dynamic California based Pakistani American owner of the chain. He represents Well Spring Inc. a frozen yogurt retailer with a global presence. Salman shared that Tutti Frutti promises this healthy, and delicious food in a cup at a very affordable price. With less then 50  calories per one ounce in most of their flavours, they prepare everything in house, Tutti Frutti gives a refreshing, healthy food for people. There is no harm in considering it a desert but in fact it is a healthy, low calorie full meal, and can often replace breakfast, lunch or dinner with right kind of low calorie healthy toppings. 

Creating your own cup is total fun!!

With the four basic flavors available all the time, the Tutti Frutti stores will have selections from 40 different flavors on rotation weekly. Tutti Frutti, introduced the concept of self-service, this means as a customer one can fill one of the 4 different size of cups with choice of flavors and can mix and match these as well. You can then top the cup with the available selection of toppings that includes, candies, jams, fresh and preserved fruits, marshmallows, chocolate chips, cookies, wafers and many more. Your cup would be then measured and you pay Rs.28 per ounce. A medium sized cup with 4-5 different toppings will cost around Rs.250-300, which is comparatively cheaper then most frozen yogurt in the market. Salman mentioned that by the end of 2012, they target to open 40 more stores nationwide.

Mix and match your favourite flavors 

The store is located at the Zamzama Boulevard; it looks most inviting and calming at the first look. Designed in cool, soft hues with self service machines and a counter loaded with toppings makes it a great place to visit, hang around, create and enjoy your own cup of Fro Yo your way!!!

So this Wednesday gear up to enjoy this new Fro Yo Frenzy called Tutti Frutti 

Blog write up: Farah S. Kamal

Photography: Farah Kamal and Shahrukh Mughal

What is fine about ‘fine dining’!!!!

When I think of fine dining I think of all dressed up, eating on a table with fancy tablecloths, beautifully folded napkins, and a multitude of silverware on the table, a menu that is high quality and beautifully plated. In short a dinner that is minimum five courses, and takes about three hours to eat, and a bill that will extract a big chunk of my hard earned money! As apparent from the term ‘fine dining’ presents, patrons the finest in food, service and atmosphere.

Nevertheless to practically translate “Fine dining" in action in restaurants, is one of those things that is often impossible to be objective specially in local context here in Pakistan. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary define “fine” to refer to “superior in kind, quality, and appearance; excellent; outstanding, very good to look at; showing special skill, detail, or intricacy, especially in artistic work; very subtle”. Practically speaking still the term ‘fine dining’, always leave me perplexed!!! Among the circle of food lovers there are often time this discussion about what is fine dining.. so well thought of discussing this million dollar question here.

My love for gastronomic adventures and finding stories for my food blog takes me to a range of eateries. I find myself engaged in interesting conversations with chefs, restaurateurs, or other food lovers like me on fine dining.  The perception of fine dining varies from person to person, or the fine dining in a restaurant in Karachi may not be the same as in NYC or in Dubai. But what is common is that the patrons end up coughing up a big chunk of their money in pursuit of an experience called fine dining.

But do we always get what we pay for?

So, here goes a brief guide on ‘fine dining’ if you plan to spend for a special occasion or just to get that exclusive experience, watch out for:

Dress Code: Semi formal and formal dress code is followed, no slippers, denims, shorts, T shorts with slogans are allowed in the restaurant. The staffs  are also well dressed and smart with exemplary manners and show high level of courtesy.

Atmosphere: One should feel pampered and enjoy their meal in unusually comfortable chairs and tastefully designed ambience. The pacing of the meal is leisurely but consistent. The only sounds should be forks and knives upon china, low conversation and un interrupting music.

Plating: Presentations is an important part of fine dining, combining food and art concept together. Small portions paid with extreme details. Along with plating extra ordinary clean and elegant flatware, hollowware and stemware is a must on the table.

Food: Excellent food with emphasis on visual presentation. Superior quality produce treated delicately with respect to create dishes that taste very subtle yet outstanding. The food preparation is by a chef who is qualified with years of industry experience, reputed to have special culinary skills.

Service: Is always beyond taking orders and serving the food.  It is nothing less then top notch; faultless, precise and exquisite. At least one smartly dressed server dedicated to a table. They escort patrons to the table, holding the chair for women. They possess uncanny knowledge of the menu, ingredients, cooking methods and are willing to answer any all questions and ready to make recommendations. Clearing the table of crumbs in between courses, replacing linen napkins if a patron leaves the table, serving food directly on the plate at the table.

Restaurants need to be very careful labeling themselves  as ‘fine dining’, in fine dining there is no room for excuses!!! It is beyond a term, a complete experience and anything less is just expensive dining.

The post appeared in the The News Blog

Once upon a Thyme

Bread Pudding with Toffee Sauce

I happen to visit this little cute restaurant tucked away at Zamzama. This reputable and established restaurant run my non other then Haider Ghulam Hussain, a well known restauranteur from Karachi. This tiny family run place stores a wealth of flavours and tastes in the wide range of dishes they serve here for lunch and dinner.  Haider with his over twenty two years of experience in hotel and restaurant business in Pakistan, and middle east have been creating genuine Continental and Mediterranean cuisines. The Mediterranean creations carry a hint of Italian and French culinary traditions as well.

The menu contains an impressive selection of Meat, Seafood and Pasta dishes. The selections keep changing frequently with Chefs Special appearing weekly.

  As a food photographer my eyes usually goes first to the way food is plated in any restaurant. One cannot undermine importance of plating food, it is the first impressions, and the way the meal is presented can determine whether it's considered mere grub or totally gourmet. The plating of food at Thyme are  fascinating and  glamorous, extraordinarily pleasing to eyes with clean, controlled distribution and artistic final presentation. I started my lunch with the first course of a plate of beautiful salad; a colorful, fresh and delightful bouquet. Fresh greens including rocket and iceberg, chunks of bell peppers tossed with fetta cheese and olives drizzled with simple lemon, pepper vinegrette. Delicious, healthy and a great perlude to the main course. The salad selection on the menu is exhaustive, however, they dont have much to choose from in soups, offering only 3-4 soups.

Sesame Crusted Fish With Spicy Sesame Oil

The main course includes the sesame coated red snapper served with steamed rice. This is a big fillet of fresh red snapper coated on one side with sesame seed and pan seared covered in a spicy cillie lemon grass sauce. A sheer bliss biting the nutty, crispy coating with teeth sinking straight through the superbly marinated, palatable fillet of snapper.

Tuscan Steak With Blue Cheese Sauce

The pièce de résistance on the table turned out to be non other then their signature Tuscany Roast Fillet of Beef with Blue Cheese Sauce, served with buttery risotto topped with shaved parmesan!!!  

Tuscan style herb marinated slow oven roasted medium rare undercut of beef, crusty from outside, tender and juicy from inside. Carries a unique taste unlike most steaks around. I am a big time fan of blue cheese and very few restaurant do steaks sauces with them. This one is definitely a great creation with creamy rich and strong flavoured sauce carrying the assertive blue cheese flavour paired perfectly with the subtle and delicately marinated beef, delicious every bit. To make the culinary experience all the more adventurous, the side includes superbly prepared rissoto, herb, cheese and butter flavoured, rice "al dente”, just the way I love it. 

Crabmeat Stuffed Baked Chicken

Stuffed Chicken with Crab meat was another delicious and palatable entree. A succulent marinated chicken breast was filled with herbed crabmeat, baked and topped with a luscious sauce made with mustard basil, and thyme cream. It was styled over a bed of crispy hasbrowns.

For the desert we had bread pudding, my all time favourite served by almost all restaurants that I frequent. This one stood out in taste and texture by its toffee caramel sauce making it  a delightful selection to close an overall great meal. The restaurant appear to be overall very selective in their menu ingredients which are all high quality, prime and best available. I found the drinks selection a bit on the weaker side with no fresh juices, all they had are sodas and mocktails.

Thyme has been around for quiet a few years, well known, trusted and have done a great job of maintaining the standard, and quality of food. Since it is a family run place, they don’t rely on hired chef, Haider and his brother rule the kitchen, recipes, and cooking. The quality does not fluctuate with changing chefs or cooking staff. The place is small 20-25 person sitting capacity, but very elegant, quiet and classy ambience. Great for lunchtime business meetings or cosy intimate family dinners. 

The staff give personalized service, they are willing to listen to customers, ready to recommend and adjust taste and flavours as per request. Interesting to note that they make a serious effort to even create a dish if not on their menu specially with families who come with children. 

The prices on the menu are all inclusive and amazingly affordable for this kind of full course menu, one can think about frequenting the place. 

The restaurant also provides a classy catering service for small home based parties to elaborate banquettes and massive dinner events, their rates and menu are extremely competitive and service is professional.

Thyme is completely qualified to provide a very well prepared, artistically plated, professionally served 5-7 course meal, and we would leave spontaneously saying 'that was really good'.



Blog write up: Farah Kamal
Photography: Farah Kamal and Shahrukh Mughal
 Thyme Restaurant

Delicacies from the Seafood Harvest-BOTs

BBQ Jumbo Prawns in Spicy Masala the same can be ordered in milder masala

A true novelty constituting the best of the seafood harvest from coasts of Karachi

BOTS and SARA are the two most talked about abbreviations among the good food lovers these days. The rave is about the Biryani of the Seas (BOTs), a seafood roadside restaurant owned and run by the very young, and dynamic entrepreneur Syed Ali Raza Abidi (SARA). A business graduate from Boston also CEO of the Ikhlaq Enterprises, one of the leading fish exporters of Pakistan. 

Goan Shrimp Curry

Prawn Chillis Dry

 

With the access to all the prime export quality seafood and the love of cooking, Ali ventured into providing good quality seafood cuisines at a very affordable price. There was a time when sea food entrée like lobster tail, fish steak, bbq prawns, fish steaks, calamari etc. are available either in Chinese restaurants or elite fine dining restaurants, pretty much out of the reach of an average income family or office goers. Ali mastered the art of cooking during his six years with the multicultural crowd in the dorms in Boston learning various traditions, styles and recipes. He started Biryani of the Seas in 2010, primarily serving fish and prawn biryani out of a small dhaba style roadside establishment at Clifton available for home delivery, rake away and dine in. Over the two years this restaurant has grown to offer extensive seafood Chinese, Italian, Pakistani, South Indian and Goan dishes. The menu has a fabulous selection of curries, karahis, bun kebabs, soups, bar b que, pasta, steaks, rolls, dossa, rice and many more cooked in prawns and fish both as well as chicken.

The Authentic Shah Daula's Tawa Chicken

Goan Fish Curry

 If one wants to enjoy high quality BBQ fish and prawns, just catch SARA himself standing out on his BBQ pit fanning some juicy, spicy or mildly marinated jumbo prawns and huge steaks of snappers, leather jacket or panguses. Yes that is the secret of success with BOTs, Ali cooks himself whenever possible, he creates all the recepies himself, trains and teaches his cooks, work with them until a creation is perfected.  He is always eager and open to take customers feedback, criticism, ideas on taste, presentation, menu and all very  positively with a great smile. 

BBQ Steak of Red Snapper

There is a big demand for service from this restaurant, which is overwhelming with the limited roadside sitting arrangement for dinners. Often people complain of late delivery, the good news is that in a month’s time they are coming up with a two floor dining area next to the existing outlet and another upscale restaurant coming up in Defense area. Also, once the expansion happens the restaurant might think of adding at least a few deserts and some fresh juices which at present is missing from the menu.

 

SARA uses nothing but the top most export quality seafood brought every day from his factory at the fisheries. Here one can enjoy prime quality dishes created with giant prawns, the prime steaks of red snapper, surmai, lobster tails or squid rings at a very affordable cost. The servings are generous and filling, a dinner with sea food entrée for two, would never cost more then Rs.700-800 here. A true novelty constituting the best of the seafood harvest from our coasts.

Prawn Dossa

 Blog and photographs by Farah S. Kamal

Check out the BOTs menu

Biryani of the Seas