No Forks Given

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

I have to admit that being a cheese fan, I was instantly intrigued when I heard about the launch of the Karachi-based Meat the Cheese here in Lahore. I knew it was going to be all about lots and lots of cheese. Then, of course, all those Instagram and Facebook posts showing gooey, melted cheese being poured over food just piqued my excitement. Yet, for some reason I wasn’t too eager to actually pay it a visit. But, one fine day, grabbed a couple of friends and paid it a visit. Located on Noor Jehan Road almost next to Hussain Chowk, Gulberg, the black and yellow exterior on the first floor is hard to miss. Upon entering, one is greeted by some funky graffiti with lots of yellow bulbs hanging over it. The space is big enough, but gives an unfilled feel the way tables have been placed at a distance from each other. Generally, the interior has a refined cellar-meets-backyard vibe with brass pipes on the ceiling, wood furniture and counter with a black wall inscribed with quirky

Islamabad's popular burger joint Jessie’s opened its doors to Lahore in September 2018, around a year after it popped up in the capital city. Owned by musician/filmmaker Yasir Jaswal, the eatery is known for its burgers and shakes. But it has taken a huge risk by opening up off M.M. Alam Road a few feet from one of the giants of Lahore’s burger scene. From the outside, Jessie’s attracts with its neon signs. Inside, there are more neon lights, metal frames on the ceiling, there’s colourful vibrant graffiti, and also a conventional stand-up video game machine in a corner of one of the two dining halls. It’s loud with music blaring from speakers, yet it’s vibrant and lively, almost giving off vibes of a gaming arcade that’s been turned into a pub. The wooden benches, chairs and tables are perfectly in line with the entire ambiance, while there are a few tables outdoor also for the smokers. The menu isn’t too elaborate with the primary focus on burgers, of course. There ar

Steaks are a tricky business. And no, I don’t mean chicken, but the succulent slabs of beef available in various cuts. It’s all a game of temperature they’re cooked and rested at; even a minute less or more can affect the texture. Though it depends on an individual what temperature they want their steak to be cooked at – rare, medium rare, medium, medium well, well done, but connoisseurs suggest ‘medium rare’ delivers the best texture and flavour. Bovinoes Steak House opened up in a busy market of Sector FF in Phase 4, Defence, around a year ago with a promise to offer delicious premium cuts of meat. Inside, it’s a small two-storey space with the interior mostly done in shades and textures of brown to go with the food on offer. Besides various categories of steaks, Bovinoes also offers pastas, burgers, grilled chicken and a handful of desserts. Tagging a friend along, I decided to pay the restaurant a visit after waiting for almost a year, and sat down at a table b

Rarely does a restaurant offer its customers unusual, innovative, avant-garde food. A little bit of experiment wouldn’t hurt any food business and not go after run-of-the-mill options entirely; without a signature you’re as good as everyone else around. One such pretty-as-a-picture restaurant was Rivoli. Yes, it *was* because it's no more operational.  But back when it was very much there, I headed over to it as it had been on my mind ever since I saw beautiful pictures of their food on social media. Rivoli was located in Z block, Defence surrounded by a host of other known and lesser-known restaurants. At lunch time, the small, two-storey bistro brightens up with sunlight seeping in through the glass window; a black and white mural covers one of the walls, while the other sides and some portion of the ceiling are lined with brass pipes and light bulbs. The overall ambiance is cool, neat and refined. The menu is compact, but almost everything on it makes one curious an

Small little cafés/restaurants, not occupying a lot of space, aiming at providing a cosy, comfy ambience to diners seems to be all the rage now. Not that the days of large-scale, spacious restaurants are over, but the former is what one mostly sees dotting the city now. Forklore was one such place till it served.  Tucked away in the corner of a mini shopping gallery on the other side of M.M. Alam Road (the patch between Firdous Market and Hussain Chowk), this weeks-old unassuming continental restaurant has a simple, minimalistic interior, open kitchen, and a comfortable dining area. The menu is compact, yet offers something to everyone. Grabbing a friend along, I headed over to Forklore on a hot day last week. As soon as we were seated at a corner table, we got on to ordering. Skipping the soups, obviously, the starters we ordered were a combination of the two types of prawns. The Golden Bites were succulent, perfectly cooked prawns coated with an in-house honey mustard

Around June 2018, I stumbled upon a unassuming new restaurant that had opened its doors only a couple of days earlier. Specialising in traditional Pakistani cuisine with their own signature reflecting in each dish, this outdoor restaurant claims to be serving popular delicacies from each of the 12 gates of old Lahore. Hence, its name, Baranh – signifying 12 gates of the Walled City. Located at Gaddafi Stadium sandwiched between the mighty Fazl-i-Haq Dera and Nadeem BBQ, Baranh presents a surreal ambiance in the evening with small lamp posts and bubble lamps hanging from trees. A limited indoor sitting space will be ready by the end of this month. There’s an open kitchen outside with a separate lassi counter on one side, and the menu doesn’t only include select old Lahore specialities – pathooray, haleem, tawa chicken to name a few, but a lot more of what desi cuisine is all about: from an assortment of parathas and lassis to mutton and chicken karahis. I was told the specialit