Burns Road Food Centre, Block 5, Clifton

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

With the increasing price hike, it is good to have an option for eating food that is great on the taste buds as well as kind on the wallet.
The variety of street food available on Burns Road has enjoyed decades of popularity.
However, till recently there was no option to enjoy this street food whilst seated in a clean and air-conditioned environment, on site.

Well, the good news is that it is now available at Burns Road Food Centre, which has two branches, one located in Clifton Block 5, and the other on main Burns Road.

In Clifton, Food Centre is located right opposite Arabian Nights restaurant, and behind the vintage Maxim's restaurant.

The building is multistory and has a limited outdoor seating option as well. The outlet is quite clean and cool (air-conditioned). It is good that they have invested in the interior decor, as you can see.

Food Centre at Clifton also has a back entrance, which is opposite the road (and across the wide car parking space) in front of Motta's store and Jeddah Food Centre.

There is no music on the premises, nor a distracting wall-mounted television blasting the latest 'breaking' news,-- which, in our book, are plus points.

On weeknights you'll find lower customer attendance. Not so much on weekends, when the place is literally bustling and bursting to the brim with families.
Another good thing about this outlet, is the availability of an elevator, allowing wheel-chair access to elderly customers.

The menu at both branches of Food Centre is the same.

As you can see, the prices are lower as compared to other places.
Thankfully, the quality of the food is not compromised despite the lower prices.

 

I was not expecting deals or combos, but there are some pretty good ones on offer, such as Meal 3 (above, right), which we almost always order.

Note: The prices sown on the menu are inclusive of tax.

Good ol' quintessential Chicken Biryani. Single serving: Rs 120.

Pakistanis know how to cook their Biryani, that's for sure.

Hot 'n Sour soup.

This is the typical 'Pakistani Chinese' variety, clearly infused with a hearty dose of bottled ketchup and chilli garlic sauce. Not 'Chinese'-tasting in the least, but wholesome nutrition nevertheless.

Meal 3, as I said, includes Singaporean Rice, Pasta Alfredo, and 3 Buffalo Wings with a dinner roll - Rs 330.

Our favorite! Finger Fish (with fries and tartar sauce) - Rs 250.

These are just too good! Flaky & tender on the inside, and they just melt in your mouth.

You have to have them, and why not, when they're priced at only Rs 250? 

Our kids love the finger fish at Food Centre.

Okay, vegetarians, heart/high blood pressure patients, and weight watchers, please turn away now. Heh!

This is Nalli Nihari with it's accompaniments, which though not found printed on the restaurant menu, we (rather, my husband) asked the waiter to serve to us.
You, too, can ask the waiter if nihari is available. Since they bring their food in from Burns Road, a daig might just be present on the premises.

I don't remember the price of this single plate of oil-and-cholesterol-rich, beef-and-marrow galore. Eek.
But it was probably between Rs 100 and Rs 200.

Both sheermal's and taftan's are available.

Pasta Alfredo - Rs 200

This was actually rather good, and the quantity left nothing to be desired.

I don't think the "Alfredo" sauce in it was made with cream, but with milk (that is, it was bechamel sauce).
That is actually a plus point for me, because I prefer the latter, since it is much lower in fat content.

This is the Food Centre outlet located on Burns Road.
As you can see, it has roof-top seating arrangement too.

Succulent, whole Chicken Sajji was being prepared right outside the entrance.

As were the large, paper-thin, fresh chapati's.

If you can read the fine print in this photo, you will see that the menu is exactly the same as that of the Food Centre at Clifton.

A closeup, cropped shot for you.

Meal 6: double Prawn Biryani, Chicken Qorma (boneless), 3 beef Shami Kababs, and one Naan - Rs 460
There were ample prawns in the (rather spicy) Prawn Biryani, and the Chicken Qorma was surprisingly mildly spiced and delicious. Although you'll need to leave the excess oil out while eating it. 

The Shami Kababs were too dry for our taste. So we probably wouldn't order them again.

The Chicken Qorma and Prawn Biryani in Meal 6, however, were worth ordering the deal.

Our kids wanted the 6 pieces of Finger Fish with tartar sauce again.

Verdict: It is commendable that Burns Road Food Centre has opened up these 2 multistory, comfortable and spacious outlets for those who'd like to eat the amazing street food of Burns Road whilst seated in a family-friendly environment, instead of inside their cars or on rickety plastic tables.

A great option for those who'd like to eat out with their families on a budget, but without compromising on food quality or quantity. 

Note: The Clifton outlet is quieter and smaller, and the one at Burns Road, though much more spacious, is much more noisy and crowded.

Waheed Kabab House, Burns Road

Waheed Kebab House located on a side lane just off main Burns Road needs no formal introduction. It is very famous for its "fry kebabs".

If you want to get to Waheed from main Burns Road, turn left into the lane that has this shop on its corner.

There it is - on the broken, uneven road, amid all the pedestrian crowds, traffic, smog, overflowing sewers and open-air vendors selling fried fish, amrati, and french fries. Can't miss it. :)

They do not have hand-held menus, just a rate list placed strategically on the wall. Here it is in Urdu. Topping the list: a variety of Nihari's.

 

Then come the kebabs and other meaty fare. 

 

The same rate list is printed prominently on another placard, this time in English.

The prices are fairly reasonable.

 The main dining hall downstairs.

 

The relatively more private and small "family hall" upstairs.

It was fairly clean, very similar to the upstairs portion at Cafe Chullu Subhani.

Chicken Kebab plate, Rs 130.

The Fry Kebabs that Waheed is very famous for, priced also at Rs 130 per plate.

Succulent puri paratha, served piping hot.

Complimentary green chutney and chopped red onions.

Roti or chapati is also available as the more healthy choice.

The Fry Kebabs are made of beef mince, fried in butter, not ghee, as the waiter confirmed.
They were out of this world! 

The owner confirmed that this is the item most ordered by diners at Waheed.

The regular Chicken Kebabs were also tender and mildly spiced.

Incidentally, on the main crossing on Burns Road where you turn left to reach Waheed Kebab House, lies Delhi Rabri House, a vintage dessert place very famous for its timeless Rabri.

For those who have a penchant for traditional Pakistani/Indian desserts, Delhi Rabri House is a heaven!

They offer timeless classic desi delights such as kulfi falooda, ras malai, gulab jaman's, doodh dulari (whatever that is), kheer, shahi tukray, gajar ka halwa, and even Rabri ice cream!

If you peer closely enough, perhaps you can read the Urdu menu printed on the placard pictured above. 

My significant other went in to get Rabri,  but decided to have a plate of Shahi Tukray topped with rabri instead. This plate cost Rs 60.

Sheer indulgence! This stuff is not just sweet, but also rich.

This cup-full of Rabri ice cream - a relatively newer offering - priced at Rs 50, was definitely one of the best ice creams I have ever had! There were bits of khoya in it that made the brownish delicacy even more enjoyable.

Burns Road seems to be attracting investors with the passage time. This building houses a Food Centre, smack in the middle of the main road, and has an air-conditioned, more elegant interior and ambiance, while most of the vintage restaurants retain their traditional flavor as well as look.

I have heard stories of how some Pakistani's settled abroad since decades go directly to Burns Road for a bite to eat as soon as they set foot into their cars at the airport. Now I know why.

Waheed is a must-try, particularly if you like kebabs or nihari. 

Try to have a light breakfast and lunch on the day you plan on visiting it though, because you just might be really tempted to pop in for some traditional desserts at the inviting restaurants right across the road after you are done with dinner!