No Forks Given

Up until a few years ago, there were only few restaurants in Islamabad that non-capital residents could really name. Of course, that has changed since then. But one of those restaurants was the high-end Tuscany Courtyard, popular for not just its quality continental cuisine, but also architecture. And as per some Islamabad resident, it used to be a favourite with premier Imran Khan at one point.               Tuscany Courtyard eventually opened its doors to Lahore in early 2017 with a mighty castle-esque restaurant on main M.M. Alam Road. And in April this year, it launched its second branch in Lahore, which I had a chance to visit this week. Located in the commercial market of Defence Phase 5 surrounded by a host of other restaurants, Tuscany Courtyard stands tall with its imposing brick facade, pillars and arches. The interior reflects a contemporary approach to an old Italian cottage. The ground floor and mezzanine were made wi...

Around four years ago, a unique ‘restaurant’ popped up on Lahore’s culinary map. Then located on Jail Road in the EFU building, the School of Culinary and Finishing Arts, or Scafa, was a culinary school by day and an exclusive restaurant by night. Back then it only offered the Chef’s Table -- a seven-course tasting menu (that changed every week) in 8pm and 10pm slots that had to be booked in advance. Now, Scafa has not only relocated, but also expanded to cater to a wider range of diners. Moving into a building with a glass façade near Gulberg’s Mini Market, Scafa not only offers the signature Chef’s Table now, but also baked goodies at its café and an all-encompassing menu at its bistro that boasts of exotic dishes conceptualised and developed by a string of international and local chefs. Recently, I had a chance to check out the bistro along with a couple of friends. The interior is unassuming and nothing flashy, mostly done in whites and green, and a cosy space with ju...

Good things come in small packages, they say. And this stands true for this pretty little restaurant located in the bustling Phase 5 market in Defence that I had the chance to drop by during the recent Eid holidays with family. Ve’era 5 is a Thai and Chinese restaurant that opened its doors around a year and a half ago. Ve’era -- meaning successful in Thai -- is the brainchild of two young home cooks who wanted to share their love for food with others and trained themselves to develop a holistic menu. With a barrage of Asian eateries in town, Ve’era 5 aims to serve delicious, nearly authentic Thai food that the owners claim is suited to the local palate. A tiny structure that may even go unnoticed from the outside, Ve’era 5 gives off a very warm, comforting, classic European vibe once you step inside. With just a handful of tables and benches on the ground floor and mezzanine, the shades of white and pink with a smattering of pop culture quotes and wall hangings for de...

It is not often that a humble cheesecake causes a tizzy in the culinary world but that's what happened when popular Japanese cheesecake shop Uncle Tetsu launched in Lahore. Customers lined up outside its outlet when it opened its doors on Mahmood Ali Kasuri Road on March 30; many had no issues waiting up to 30 minutes to get their hands on that jiggly, cotton cheesecake. So what's the hype all about? Uncle Tetsu first launched in Japan in 1990 and has opened around 100 branches around the globe since. Its signature cheesecake is thus world-famous for its jiggly dance and light, airy texture unlike regular American cheesecakes. While Japanese cheesecake isn't exactly new to Lahore – at least one restaurant and a home-based baker has offered this cake over the last year. But it just didn’t pick up. However, as it is with other foreign chains, especially desserts, the expectations and hype around Uncle Tetsu skyrocketed, at least on food forums. And ...

I was instantly drawn towards this particular restaurant because not only did its name sound unusual, but also the concept behind it. Dock27 is located in the ever-burgeoning Phase 5 market in Defence. As the name suggests, Dock27 is based around the travel and tours around the world of the person behind it. And that theme reflects both in the menu and the ambiance. The four-storey restaurant is created to resemble the rustic, wooden structures of ships replete with metal chains, wooden floors and furniture; barrels placed as stools; a basement lounge with sofas, a piano in one corner, dim yellow lights and soft music in the background, creating a comfortable, homely vibe; also in the basement is a faux bar; and a cool top ‘deck’ with plants and white wooden furniture resembling an indoor garden. Similarly, the wide-ranging menu boasts of dishes inspired by cuisines of various destinations – from the Americas to Asia to the Far East – the owner explored over the years, sli...

In February this year, I had dropped by at the newly launched Gulberg branch of a pan-Asian restaurant; I had visited its compact Defence branch last year and found the food pretty decent. Novu’s new branch, located at Hussain Chowk in Gulberg, is spacious, beautifully adorned with oriental paintings, wooden frames and furniture, turquoise and golden upholstery, and a live sushi bar. Novu may be one of the many restaurants dotting the town claiming to serve pan-Asian cuisine. What sets them apart from each other is the quality of food, presentation and, of course, flavour. Because some eateries conveniently and confidently pass off localised Chinese food as Thai. The menu here is clear and concise and offers the standard Thai dishes that almost every other restaurant offering Asian cuisine does. I started off with the Tom Yum Goong soup. This hearty bowl of fiery traditional broth was delicious and comforting on a cold rainy day with well-cooked shrimps, lemon grass and lo...

How many of us would step out of our houses and end up at a restaurant that serves food that has a very homelike, comforting feel to it -- reminds us of our own home-cooked meals? The daal, pasanday, chicken curry etc, all served with a tawa-wali chappati exactly the way we get at home? This was the question that drew me towards this newly opened restaurant that claims to serve desi fast food -- local, traditional food served in around five minutes and at fairly economical prices (a little over Rs300 is the average price, inclusive of taxes) -- something the owners claim has not been paid attention to much by almost all restaurants offering desi food. Also, considering the price range and the quick service, they say their primary target market is the working individual who can grab a quick meal during their lunch breaks. But they seem to be getting more customers for dinner. Aptly called Roti, this new eatery has opened up at the iconic spot -- and if you grew up in Laho...