Urban Kitchen Boasts Of Its Local And Foreign Delicacies

Photo courtesy Urban Kitchen

Hip, sassy, contemporary are some adjectives I could use for Urban Kitchen. Located near Mini Market in Gulberg, Urban Kitchen opened its doors at the end of March 2018. Upon entering the two-storey building, what immediately strikes one in the sophisticated little foyer is the walls plastered with black-and-white framed photographs depicting the modern Pakistan of the 60s and 70s and newspaper advertisements of the same era.

There’s a small, brightly lit dining area set up on this floor as well. I walk up the stairs to the capacious dining hall, which looks like a contemporary art gallery following a black-and-yellow theme – funky pop culture references, large vibrant paintings, a mural roughly depicting activity at the restaurant, metal frames and pipes fixed to the ceiling inspired by a factory/warehouse, and stunning washrooms (also carrying the old photographs and ads).

The instant vibe was of a youthful, quirky, feel-good place, which also reflects on the menu boasting of comfort food: inspired by cuisines from the world over, chef Faisal Khan has recreated some popular foreign, and a few local, delicacies with his own signature.

To kick off, I had a refreshing drink called ‘Bahama Mama’, which was a fruity concoction of coconut, pineapple and ginger. And a delicious fresh salad, smartly called ‘Beet Around the Bush’, comprising cubes of baked beetroot, feta cheese, candied walnut, sesame seeds on a bed of fresh rocket leaves with balsamic vinegar on the side. And boy, it looked as beautiful as delectable it tasted.

I then had their take on the classic seafood chowder, ‘New England Chowder’. Although it had a generous amount of fish, calamari and prawns as well as some potato chunks and was topped with crushed crackers, it lacked the punch. From the appetisers, I first tried ‘Cracker of a Toast’, which was a smooth prawn mousse on crispy toast and sprinkled with sesame seeds with a delicious, silky wasabi mayo to go with it. This one was wiped off the plate in no time.

The next appetiser I had was ‘Frito D’ Misto’, an assortment of crunchy and juicy fried calamari and prawns drizzled with a tangy, mouth-watering blend of lemon, balsamic vinegar, sugar, bird’s eye chilli and basil and a spicy sriracha mayo to dip it in.

The main course menu spoils one for choice with its diversity, but I first zeroed in on ‘Ultimate Mac and Cheese’, which, as the name suggests, epitomised comfort food with perfectly baked macaroni and creamy, oozy cheese topped with beef bacon and bread crumbs, which could have been done away with. This is sure to send one into food coma.

I also tried some of the Oishii Katsu Curry. This Japanese rice-and-curry classic has a very homely feel to it with crispy panko crumb-fried chicken strips whose flavour – for me – lacked depth in an aromatic, punchy curry sauce and rice that were mushy and bland. Not really my type.

The local flavour on the menu comes through the fulfilling ‘Nawab’s Butter Chicken’ thaali, which consists of lightly charred tandoor-cooked boneless chicken chunks in a lip-smacking creamy butter gravy drizzled with cream, and a delicious, tangy daal makhni with some rice, salad and mango achaar on the side. Although one could clearly feel some chapatti/paratha missing, this thaali of food was heavenly with the daal one of the best that at least I’ve ever had.

I also nibbled on ‘Spaghetti Ala Bolognese’. The soft noodles tossed in melt-in-your-mouth minced meat and a zesty meat sauce was sprinkled with celery, basil and oregano as well as generous amount of grated parmesan cheese with some more cheese on the side for the cheese lovers. This, again, was all about homely, comfort eating. 

How could one end a meal without some dessert -- despite any space in the stomach! The ‘Parisian Apple Crumble Tart’ was humble and hearty with the pastry well baked, apple slices inside soft and saucy topped with an almond crumble with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The ‘Peanut Butter Cheesecake’ though looked appetising was a bit too sweet, but had ample peanut butter essence. The warm chocolate ‘Fudging Hot Brownie’ drizzled with chocolate sauce served in a pan with vanilla ice cream was soft and delectable. 

One has to applaud Urban Kitchen for its attention to detail, be it the interior, flavour of food or presentation. The main course and desserts are definitely priced steeply with the mains ranging between Rs800 and Rs3,000, which may be a downer, but thankfully the menu is carefully curated and limited.

Originally published in Dawn on May 6, 2018