Courtyard Cafe, South City Hospital, Block 3, Clifton

In a serene, residential neighborhood in Clifton Block 3, sandwiched between Clifton Gardens apartments and a famous painter's residence, lies South City Hospital.

 Smack in the middle of this private hospital lies a small cafe lit brightly via a massive skylight during the day, appropriately called 'Courtyard Cafe'.

The ambiance is formal. An actual tree is planted in the middle of the cafe, with more indoor plants adding a lovely touch of green to the peaceful atmosphere.

The waiting staff at Courtyard is courteous and polite.



The management clearly seems to have taken care of ensuring that diners at Courtyard feel indulged and pampered.
The sofa's, cushioned chairs and stemmed glassware deserve a big thumbs-up!

Glass windows on 3 sides of the square-shaped room provide passersby with a view of the cafe, not to mention provide natural light to the corridors during the day. 
There is a small kids' play area right outside the entrance of the cafe, which is itself also child-friendly.

 The menu is placed on a placard outside the cafe entrance. Sorry about the dim photograph, but that was all I could manage in a hurry.
The entrees include Soups, Starters, and most standard items of Chinese cuisine having Fish, Chicken, Beef and Prawn; in addition to a limited variety of pastas, sandwiches and burgers.
They also claim to offer Gelato ice cream for dessert, and beverages.
However, when we ordered cold coffee, they were out of it, which was disappointing.

The prices vary between Rs 300 - 500. The good news: these prices have no additional taxes levied on them! What you see is what you pay.

Chicken Chow Mien, Rs 315
This was excellent! Authentic Chinese flavors and ample portion size.

Club Sandwich, Rs 360
Again, no complains at all. The sandwich was just great!

We also ordered Chicken Nuggets (partially pictured in one of the photos above) for Rs 265. The nuggets were thin and crisp like pakora's, and were accompanied by ample French Fries.

Verdict: Courtyard Cafe at South City Hospital just might give the other eateries in the vicinity a run for their money, once people get to know more about it (it is not advertised at all, as far as I know, not even on Facebook).

In terms of location, ambiance and the quality of food and service, it is at par with the best names in the game. In fact, I think its ambiance is much better than some overrated, overpriced and cramped-for-space cafes on Zamzama. Plus, there is no invasive loud music - a big plus point for our family.

As far as prices go, it definitely takes the cake! No GST even though the quality of food is much above run-of-the-mill.

Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area feeling hunger pangs.

Gloria Jeans Coffees, Sindhi Muslim

Gloria Jeans Cofees recently opened its doors in Sindi Muslim, Karachi, near the roundabout around which famous eateries such as Bundoo Khan, Roasters and Nando's are located.

 It is located a stone's throw away from Cafe Kahva. Gloria Jeans offers hot and cold coffee, as well as a variety of desserts.

The whole interior is tastefully done in mahogany hues, with ample use of wood.

The outdoor sitting area.

The counter offering delectable desserts, such as huge-sized Red Velvet, Black Forest and Tiramisu cakes, chunky slices of which can be enjoyed with the coffee.

 

Here you can see Golden Cookies, costing Rs 30 each.

Truffles, cakes and other sweet goodies that help throw our diets out the window are also available. 

The almond truffles (or whatever they were) in the upper row cost Rs 20 for two pieces.

The Mocha Mousse Cake slices in the lower rows cost Rs 200/- plus tax.

 

A Danish pastry costs Rs 215/- plus tax, as is obvious in the photo.

Tiramisu cakes and a New York style cheesecake (top row).  

A slice of this indulgent Tiramisu cake costs Rs 375 /- plus tax.

The machinery brewing the beans.

 There is a shelf on one side where Gloria Jeans products, such as packets of ground coffee and bottles of flavored syrup, are on sale.

The counter where orders are taken - warning: nowadays there are long queues. 

The entire outlet reminds one eerily of Butlers Chocolate Cafe.

  A closeup of a part of the menu - see if you can read it. 

Coffees are available in 3 sizes: small, regular and large.

You can see that chilled coffee drinks are as much on offer as hot beverages.

We went for a slice of Mocha Mousse cake, Rs 200/-

Small Cappuccino - Rs 210

Small Coco Loco - Rs 240. This is a Mocha Chiller, an iced coffee.

Our total bill for these 3 items was Rs 754, with tax for all three totaling to Rs 104. The menu of Gloria Jeans Coffees also includes savory snacks, such as burgers and sandwiches.

Verdict: Honestly? Well, the edible stuff itself, especially the coffee we had, were great in taste, quality and portion size. The prices are high, yeah, but I suppose you pay for devouring good stuff you can't make at home without humungous effort. Plus, you pay for the experience of dining out in an eatery furnished especially to maximize your comfort.

Which is what brings me to the disappointing part. The outlet was overcrowded and stuffed with yuppies. I suppose that was expected if you go at 5 p.m on a Sunday, especially if the franchise has just opened its doors in a city that thrives on eating out.

I really dislike it when restaurants do not have demarcations for people who smoke cigarettes and/or sheesha. The whole place was reeking of cigarettes, and those who were puffing on these shortcut-tickets-to-lung-cancer seemed to not care less for the fact that others, including children, were inhaling the smoke they were chugging out of their mouths.

That, and it was extremely noisy. Despite the noise, crowd and smoke, I saw some people trying to work alone on their laptops/notebooks or read/write whilst having their coffee, even though these traditional activities, for which coffeehouses became famous and popular in the first place - providing a cozy setting for quiet work and contemplation - could scarcely be pulled off here in Karachi if Gloria Jeans remains this crowded.

Thankfully, we were able to find a table in a quiet, smokeless corner - situated deep inside the belly of the outlet, perhaps that is why no one had occupied it yet - and were able to consume our coffee and cake without inhaling smoke.

If you are one of those who visits these places to "see and be seen", or if you just want to hang out, then you can pay the outlet a visit in the evenings on weekends. But if you want to go for a calm coffee experience with your family/small children, or if you want to get in some work or studies in a quieter setting whilst sipping on caffeine and eating a sweet fix, I would suggest you visit Gloria Jeans during a quieter time, such as weekday mornings.

Royal Snacks, Sindhi Muslim

Royal Ice and Spice is a restaurant located right opposite the Bundoo Khan and Roasters outlets on main Sindhi Muslim. 

It is situated right next to Hyder's. 

You can clearly see the windows of the dining area on the first floor of Royal in this shot.

This review is pretty late, because we have been eating here for a few years, mostly while parked in the car in front of the eatery, which made it difficult to photograph the food.

Royal offers a variety of popular food, including Chinese, at affordable rates.
The portion size is extremely good value for money.

For rolls, I would recommend you stick to the popular joints in Defence/Clifton. I had a kabab roll once at Royal, and did not find it up to the mark.

Besides Chinese, barbecue, shawarma, soup, fried chicken (known better locally as "broast"), chaat/pani puri and rolls, Royal also offers ice cream, fresh juices and shakes that are actually quite delicious.

I have tried their cold coffee too, and liked it.

We mostly go for the deals at Royal.

You can see that the prices are - especially for Karachi dwellers living in the so-called "posh" areas -  to die for. The taste and quality of food at Royal is so good.

Chicken Burger, Rs 120.

Deal 2: Chicken Crispy Burger, Crispy Chicken Piece and French Fries, for Rs 205.
A soft drink came with this too.

Deal 7: Chicken Reshmi Kababs, puri paratha's and a soft drink - for only Rs 150.
Whenever I order this, I have to get 2 leftover kababs packed to be taken home, since the portion size is so ample.

One more shot of the food, with camera flash. :)

Verdict: I really like eating at Royal Snacks, even if we have to usually do that in the car, like most other families that park themselves in their cars in front of the eatery to dine there at night. Royal Snacks has a sitting area for families on the upper floor, and a more cramped one on the ground floor. The service done by waiters to the diners seated outside in their cars is quick and efficient.

Biryani of the Seas (BOTS), Clifton

 Biryani of the Seas is an eatery located in Clifton that is rapidly growing in popularity for the unique specialty that it offers: seafood prepared fresh, Chinese, continental and desi (IndoPak) style.

This particular outlet of BOTS is located in a side lane near Clifton Bridge, right opposite PSO House that is located behind Glass Towers.

There is another outlet in the city, located in Karachi Administration Employees Co-operative Housing Society, the details of which you can access at the BOTS Facebook page. 

In addition to other menu details, you can also view innumerable photos of their food, which will probably make your mouth water if you are hungry.

The outlet offers only ad-hoc roadside seating for dine-in, for now, or you can eat sitting in your car. The other outlet of BOTS in Karachi offers indoor, restaurant style dining.

Customers can purchase a wide variety of frozen seafood from here (check the left side of the menu).

As the rest of the menu shows, a range of desi and Chinese-style cooked seafood is on offer for both dine-in and takeaway orders.

The prices are reasonable, considering the good quality of seafood that you can get from BOTS.

Contact details are visible at the bottom of the menu.

A single serving of Prawn Nihari, priced at only Rs 150.

The nihari was spicy, as expected, and quite delicious. The serving size was more than satisfactory for its price.

Fried Fish (English style), with French Fries and tartar sauce, for Rs 300.

The two fillets were huge in size and mildly spiced (not desi masala); the fries were crisp and fresh. Very good value for money - a great meal!

Verdict: If you like seafood at affordable rates, especially that which is cooked Chinese-style, you will definitely love the food offered by Biryani of the Seas. We once tried their prawn biryani as well, and although it was a bit on the spicy side, it was really good!

Jeddah Food Centre, Clifton

Jeddah Food Centre is located next to the famous Motta's Supermarket in Clifton, near Schon Circle, right at the beginning of the Boat Basin strip.

Their main offerings are Chicken Biryani, Chicken Shawarma, Shami Kababs, Kheer and ice cream.

Jeddah Food Centre has been around since at least more than a decade, as far as I can remember.

A few meters down, a kiosk offers Jeddah ice cream. This outlet is operated by the brother of the owner of Jeddah Food Centre. They have some great flavors at very economical prices.

A single plate of Chicken Biryani, Rs 100

A teeny bit on the spicy side (just as we Pakistanis love it), Chicken Biryani doesn't get any better than this. The serving is huge and the price is lower than what you'd pay for a single plate of the dish anywhere else in the vicinity.

Plus, they always give a half-potato in the plate, unlike other eateries that think nothing of conveniently skipping the potato.

This plate of biryani also comes accompanied by a large sachet of green raita at no extra charge. Beat that?!

If you'd like to have a Beef Shami Kabab with your biryani, they are also available, priced at just Rs 10 each.

  

Chicken Shawarma, for Rs 90
Its always soft, fresh and oozing with juices from the chicken and vegetables inside. 

A cup of Peshawari ice cream, priced at Rs 55 (only).

Traditional ice cream at a great price, with the quantity enough for two - in my opinion!

Verdict: Jeddah Food Centre has been doing successful business for years. If you do not mind eating in your car, you'd love having their food. Their waiter-boys serve you eagerly.

Jeddah Food Centre also provides daigs (large pots) of their biryani for events.

Hardee's, North Nazimabad

Hardee's, the international restaurant chain that boasts of "Charbroiled Thickburgers", recently opened its first outlet in Karachi, located near Five Star Chowrangi in North Nazimabad, among much excited anticipation on the part of the ardent foodie dwellers of the City of Lights.

The outlet is right next to Nando's. There is ample parking space in the side lane on which it is located.

We had to wait for 2 hours in the queue outside before we were able to get inside, even though it was a weeknight.
After a 2-hour wait outside, there was a half-hour wait in the queue inside.

This is the ground floor of the spacious and extremely clean outlet. Notice the guy getting a free drink refill from the drink counter? Yes, they offer free soft drink refills right now. 

A free refill counter is also present on the even more spacious upper floor.

The seating arrangement includes sofas as well as dining chairs around tables. 

There was no dearth of places to sit in the outlet, despite the crowd thronging it!

This was a more secluded section on the upper floor. 

This floor also had a children's play area, but it was closed.

Glass doors leading into the separate portion. 

The complete menu was printed on a placard inside on the wall.

The complete burger menu (notice that there are no prices printed!)

Flip side of the menu.

 Mushroom & Swiss Burger with Cheese, with French Fries and a regular drink, for Rs 354.

A shot of the layer of mushrooms in their gravy/sauce - it made up the gooey part of this burger that added a delectable juiciness to it and also melted the slice of cheddar! 

 

Best burger I have had in ages, even though in principle I try to avoid beef. 

 I had ordered Onion Rings with this combo, but they were out of them.

Original ThickBurger with Crispy Curls and a drink, Rs 450.

These Crispy Curls, which I had for the first time, were too good...much better than fries, in my opinion.

 

My better half had this, and well, let's just say that he couldn't say a word about it until he was done with it, because he couldn't put it down until it was all gone! :) 

The 2.5 hour long wait had really made all of us very tired and.....hungry.

9 Chicken Stars (nuggets) for the kiddies. Priced at Rs 233.

Cheese Burger, also for the kids, for Rs 147. This was smaller in size than the other two.

Hardee's also offers these "Hand-Scooped Milkshakes" that looked very inviting.

Despite being full because of the ample-sized meal, we took a milkshake for the road (a drive of 50 minutes back to Defence awaited!), as we knew that it would be difficult for us to visit this Hardee's outlet again any time soon. 

The milkshake cost Rs 195 (if I remember correctly, as we bought it later on a separate receipt).

The total bill, excluding the milkshake, amounted to Rs 1370.

Verdict: I stand guilty as charged. I have never waited in a queue for 2.5 hours just to eat a burger! However, the gushing praise I had heard of Hardee's burgers made me go for it just this once, and its true - the long wait was well worth it, because you won't get burgers anywhere near like these any where in the whole city.

The burger buns were extremely fresh and soft, the meat patty was tender and succulent, and the fries/crispy curls were soft yet crisp on the outside. I must mention that the staff and waiters were extremely attentive, efficient and polite, to the extent of being servile, returning again and again to ask us and all other diners, if we needed anything. Plus, as I said before, there were free refills. :)

The only thing unpleasant about the whole trip was waiting in the long queue outside and during this time, being forced to inhale the smoke of cigarettes being incessantly puffed by the groups of teenaged boys who comprised the major part of the waiting customers. Not fun.