Zameer Ansari Kabab House, Alamgir Road

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In a recent article in DAWN, about desi food in Karachi, I read that a Zameer Ansari Kabab House on Alamgir Road offers some good meaty stuff. 

So off we went on a recent slow evening, and our search brought us to the ZA Kabab Place that is located right next to the "Quetta Hotel" that offers a very famous variety of lachchay daar paratha's with omelet style eggs as early morning breakfast, which we have tried once or twice.

A review of that is intended in future, insha'Allah. Taking photos and simultaneously balancing plates of food whilst seated in your car is not easy. And sitting on the rickety roadside plastic tables and chairs outside Quetta Hotel on Alamgir Road, among thronging crowds of mostly men, is also not easy for a family with small children.

Anyhow, hygiene and cleanliness in this neighborhood is clearly not a top priority. You'll need to skip and hop over strewn bits of trash on the road, and then climb some really steep metal stairs to get to this "family hall" on the first floor of Zameer Ansari Kabab House.

It is well aired and neat, to give due credit. There is a standby generator and a huge "desert cooler" (Lahore style) in a corner on this floor.
However, don't be surprised that there is no air conditioning.

For some reason, there were a few huge, honeybee-type winged insects flying around, which made us somewhat scared. Thankfully, they'd gravitate towards the naked light bulbs and scorch themselves to death.
My kids were more entertained by them than scared. Heh! :)
Never a dull moment when eating out in Karachi, eh?

The menu, and their phone numbers.

White and red, both kinds of meat are on offer.
However, not all items on the menu are always available. The waiter told us that only the items visible on the left side of the menu (in the above photo) were available.

Nothing on the so-called "VIP menu" (visible above right), was available either.
Prices of mutton dishes are surprisingly reasonable, aren't they?
That none of these mutton dishes were available, was rather disappointing though.

Apparently they also have kabab rolls and halwa.

Zameer Ansari also caters Delhi wala's food for parties. :) 

Beef Bihari Boti a.k.a Bihari Kababs - Rs 176

Chutney and onions, complimentary.

Chicken Reshmi Kababs - Rs 220
Soft and spicy, these were melt-in-your-mouth tender and served piping hot, straight off the coals. 

Chicken Gola Kababs - Rs 220
A bit more spicy but just as tender as the other chicken kababs.
The mince inside was so fine, that it stuck to the plate and to our finger tips.

Puri Paratha's

All the food at a glance, besides the chapati's that we also ordered.

This was the star of the evening. Even though I am not much of a beef eater, these were totally out of this world! Better than even the Bihari Boti that I've had at Al-Kabab.

All in all, a no-frills, delicious meat-eating tryst with utmost simplicity.

Every bite of the kababs chewed with the crunchy, flaky puri paratha's, dabbed in chutney and the raw onions, was pure desi delight! 

This whole meal cost no more than a single entree offered by the fancier, "burgher", fine-dining places in Karachi.

Verdict: The service was not up to the mark, and our order got to us quite late, as just one (clearly weary and overworked) waiter was catering to the whole floor, which had quickly filled up with families comprising of 4-5 people at each table.

Aside from that, and the few scary bees flying around, the food was awesome! This Kabab house obviously does great business, and has a loyal clientele that keeps coming back for their great food.

So if you don't mind compromising on ambiance and cleanliness to partake in some great-tasting, affordable local desi fare, you'd love eating here, insha'Allah.

Keep a small insect repellent spray with you, just in case.

Noorani Kabab House, Shahrah-e-Quaideen, PECHS

Located on the crossing between main Shahrah-e-Quaideen and Khalid Bin Waleed Road in Block 2, PECHS, is a famous BBQ restaurant called Noorani Kabab House. 

As soon as you arrive, the rhythmic sound of kata-kat greets the ears. 

Noorani Kabab House is famous for its kata-kat.

The difference in prices here, from the eateries in the Defence/Clifton area of Karachi, is absolutely astounding!
We know that if you order 4 mutton chops at BBQ Tonite, they cost well over Rs 400! But here they cost just Rs 180.
Notice how they also serve you butter separately if you choose to order some. Yes, this place is definitely not recommended for those who are on a restricted diet, or those who have heart disease. Brain Masala, for example, costs just Rs 240, as shown below. :)

The menu includes many appetizing dishes for meat eaters. 

We decided to eat on the roof, under the open sky, as the weather was very pleasant.

Diners can eat alfresco in the area downstairs as well.

Beef Bihari Kabab for Rs 170. The quantity was more than enough for two adults.

Chicken Kabab (4 per plate), for Rs 150.
Can you believe the economical prices?!
Both kind of kababs tasted out of this world! The chicken kababs were really very tender and mildly spiced. 

My family cannot leave a restaurant after dinner if they spot kheer on the menu, without having it for dessert.
This was a small bowl of Zafrani Kheer, priced at only Rs 50.
It was very creamy and not too sweet; hence, even I had a spoonful or two, despite not being a big fan of kheer.

Our total bill, including two puri paratha's, two chapati's, two soft drinks, and one bowl of zafrani kheer, came to Rs 474. There was no tax. (!)
It is quite amazing how a whole full meal in this joint costs as much as a single main meat entree in the other expensive eateries of Karachi.

Brain Masala priced at Rs 240, photographed on a subsequent visit.
Heart patients and those who have high cholesterol or blood pressure, please avoid this yummy but fat-laden dish!

Mutton Champ Masala for Rs 180.
It is a bit unbelievable that a good mutton dish could cost less than Rs 200 anywhere in Karachi nowadays, what with the crazy price hike driving up meat prices every few weeks.

Puri paratha's, for Rs 25 each. Just the right combination of crispiness and softness.

Noorani Kabab House is definitely on my must-visit-again list of eateries. Wonder what took us so long to visit this place, considering the fact that raving reviews of both Al-Kabab and Al-Ghaffar Kabab House nearby made us visit them promptly, but even though we passed by Noorani Kabab House many times, we didn't consider eating here?

It offers really good value for money, unlike the overpriced meaty fare we usually eat otherwise. The meat is tender and tastes just great!

Qasr Al-Nakheel, Boat Basin, Clifton

This eatery on one corner of Boat Basin has been around since I was a kid, which means a good two decades. Qasr Al-Nakheel means "Fort of the Date Palm Trees" in Arabic (which  also implies that I learned something in these two decades, because as a child I always wondered what on earth such a complex-sounding name actually meant!)

 Anyway, of late this place was recommended to me by many. I kept hearing  here and there about how good it was, so one day we decided to try it out, especially since it has a nicely-decorated family room.

The menu shows that its prices are actually quite economical.

They offer a wide variety of cuisines: from the Lebanese shawarma to Arabic hummus. All Afghan and traditional Pakistani BBQ items are also available.

The ambience is alright. At least the AC was working, and that is what really matters the most at times, in Karachi's heat!

We ordered their Bar B.Q thali, which had meat of all kinds thrown in. This cost Rs 350 and was more than enough for our family. 

It had Afghani Pulao (pilaf) in its centre, one Chicken Tikka, Seekh Kababs, Fish Tikka, and Mutton Boti along with tamarind chutney and salad. 

Everything was fresh and tender.

The garlic naans were piping hot and, as you can see clearly, quite out of this world in taste!

Overall verdict: The thali was so good and economically priced, and the staff was so polite (something that makes a big difference to our family), that we will definitely try this place again in the future, insha'Allah, especially if we are in the mood for "meaty" BBQ.

Al Kabab, Bahadurabad

Anyone who has lived in Karachi and has a penchant for traditional kababs, is probably well aware of the famed kabab house called "Al Kabab" in Bahadurabad.

It is located near this major roundabout known as Bahadurabad Chorangi, which has this mosque (pictured) in the middle of it. Once you reach this chowk, just ask anyone around where Al Kabab is, and they will guide you. It is in the street just behind the Happy Ice Cream and Hav Mor Ice Cream outlets.

Despite being widely known and popular, this is what the eatery looks like in the street. You can easily miss it, since it is tucked away because of its small size. Right opposite it is the vintage bridal-wear house called PLK.

If you squint hard enough, you can view the name Al Kabab in the picture above, at the top. People have to eat in their cars. There is no menu card or table-dining option available. Surprisingly, loyal diners of this eatery are not thwarted by its lack of modern culinary sophistication.

These are the Bihari Kababs that Al Kabab  is famous for. They were moderately spiced and extremely succulent in texture. The best I have ever had! Priced at Rs 90 per plate.

They are accompanied by mildly spiced green raita and raw onions.

Also priced at Rs 90 per plate, this dish is called Kheeree and we couldn't figure out why it has this name or what meat it is made up of. We will pass it next time, as some of the bits were not completely cooked till the core.

Seekh Kababs, also priced at Rs 90 per plate, were tender and great in taste.

Puri parathay were very crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Everything was served piping hot within minutes.

Verdict: Al Kabab is a must-try, if you do not mind eating in your car, with plates balanced precariously on the car's dashboard and your legs. The Bihari Kababs are truly out of this world!