Hanifia, New Town, Karachi

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـانِ الرَّحِيمِ 

There are a few names that come to mind when one thinks of vintage Karachi cuisine/food. And one of those names is Hanifia.

Although it has opened up its branches in other, newer parts of the city, the original branch (pictured above) is still next to Binori Town masjid on main Bahadur Yar Jung Road in New Town.

A Google maps screenshot for you to get a better idea about its location.

So why did we find ourselves out of our comfort zone and a little farther away inside the city on one recent night, parked in front of the above shops in New Town, Karachi?

As you can see, this is dhaba style outdoor eating in its truest, most old school sense.

Truth be told, after Ramadan ended, we were reminiscing one night about an Arab dish called "Mandi" that we had eaten and enjoyed immensely in Saudi Arabia on a recent umrah trip, and ended up discussing where we can get it in Karachi.

Turns out Hanifia does a very good Mandi, in both chicken and mutton. And has been doing so for years!

As the above photo shows, they grill the meat in three kinds of spicy marinades: red, green and white masala.

They have other foods on offer as well, most of which are available in their other branches.

They have regular BBQ and fast food fare available too.

The other items that I love at Hanifia, are its burgers - filled with fried Hunter chicken and Hunter beef meat variety, - which are rather spicy and unique in flavor (and that is why my favorite).

You won't get a burger tasting like Hanifia's anywhere else, especially since it is accompanied by their signature tangy, orange-colored sauce, and comes with a soft layer of cottage cheese in its midst.

However, the Mandi that we were craving (menu above) is available only in their original New Town outlet, not in any others.



The seating arrangement is anything but classy.

Don't expect any frills here. We went upstairs to the bare-bones "family room" above the outlet. It had an AC. :)

Mutton Mandi in lal (red) masala - Rs 900.

This is a lamb portion that is similar to the one you get when you order Mutton Ribs at BBQ Tonite. But as you can see, the price is almost half.

 
Chicken Mandi in hara (green) masala - Rs 700

This is not a stainless steel plate in the above photos. It is a large thali or platter.

The saffron pulao (pilaf) rice that the meat was sitting on, was long-grained basmati, and very aromatic and delicious.

The meat marinated in the hara masala was much spicier than the one with lal masala. You can see the signature orange sauce of Hanifia in the background. 

Each portion is enough for two hungry adults. Yeah, so we had leftovers. Heartily enjoyed the next day for lunch!


 
Halfway through the mutton Mandi. You can see the ribs.

Halfway through the Chicken Mandi. You can easily spot the hara masala (green spice marinade) in the meat.

Verdict: The piping hot grilled meats were extremely tender, and the fragrant, long-grained saffron rice was oozing with the meaty drippings. Go at it with your hands (remember to use just three fingers, though).

Suffice to say, the experience was memorable and so worth the extra mile! This Mandi is to be had. You can't miss this rare delicacy, especially at this price.

So in case you are ever craving dhaba style, delicious and fresh food, then this is the place to dine. The traffic is dense and chaotic nearby, but there is an ironic sense of peace around the New Town mosque as well. 

FYI All the eateries and shops shut down for prayer breaks, as all the laborers staffing them head off to pray, so you might have to wait a bit if you arrive just before or during prayer times. Or you can just pray with them and eat afterwards. :)

There are also numerous ice cream and cake shops around this outlet of Hanifia for those who crave dessert. 

Biryani Centre, 26th Street, Defence phase 5

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Biryani Centre is a vintage fixture on main 26th Street in DHA phase 5, just behind the prominent petrol pump, a location that is also known as Tauheed commercial.

It now has reasonably clean and spacious dining halls for dine-in. 

Different types of fried fish have been recently added to the menu. 

Like I said, clean and spacious, with prominent menus on the walls. 

There is no air conditioning. 

And stray cats might stealthily graze your legs during the meal (which we don't really mind). 

The whole menu at a glance. Economical is the word!

Click here to get a closer look at the menu.

The recently added seafood menu items. 

Single chicken biryani - Rs 140

Fish finger, single plate - Rs 180

Puri paratha's and chapati's

Regular/single serving of chicken haleem, with accompanying garnishes- Rs 90

As you can see, the prices are easy on the wallet. The sum total of this bill equals the cost of a single-person meal at one of the foreign food franchises. 

Verdict: The food is really good, especially the fish! This is dhaba-style, no-frills desi-food dining at its traditional best.

The Pakistani culinary experience can never be complete without our quintessential, old-school, timeless favorites: biryani and haleem. 

All I can say is that I'm glad Biryani Centre (and it's lesser known fraternal twin, Haleem Centre) is still thriving after all these years, at the same location, without having been upgraded to a "classier" (and hence more expensive) eatery.

Contact numbers: +92-21-35838582, +92-21-35865137

Khausa Restaurant, main Tariq Road

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Located on main Tariq Road, on the left after passing by Dolmen Mall and Glamour One, Khausa Restaurant is a dimly-lit basement establishment. 

You will see a parked van with "Khausa" written in yellow boldly across its exterior, right outside the entrance to the restaurant.

Here is the restaurant's Facebook page.

These steep stairs lead directly downwards from the entrance.

 

The restaurant decor is modern and chique. 

The tables are thankfully not too close together.

There were a total of 3 wall-mounted televisions, each blaring a different channel. 

A bit too noisy for our taste.

We were courteously asked to sit in this spacious couch-booth, as we were the first customers that night.

The ceiling above displayed a nice multicolored light latticework. 

  

The wall on one side displayed a picture of the NY Times Square with "Khausa" depicted on it. Quirky!

Khau-suey is available in Prawn, Chicken, and Beef-flavored Curries

 

I tried to capture a shot of the rest of the menu, but it got blurred. 

You can view it here, if you don't wear spectacles, that is. :P

I'd really like to try the Pizza Paratha on the menu on our next visit, even if only to see just what it is! We wanted to have just the Khau Suey this time, though.

This muffin tray accompanied the 2 Khau Suey's that we ordered, with the standard condiments: chopped green onions, lemon wedges, papri, flaked red chillies, fried spaghetti stalks (where did that come from?) and chaat masala. Sadly they were out of chilli chips (Slims) or Lays crisps.

Unique idea with the muffin tray, eh? Reminiscent of other life hacks found so amply on the Internet.

The French Fries were large (like the Fat Fries at Fatburger), soft and steaming hot - literally. Breaking one into two actually released steam from the squidgy potato belly. 

We also ordered a plain ol' Chicken Sandwich (visible in the background) for the kids.

Prawn Khau Suey - Rs 350

 Chicken Khau Suey - Rs 325

 This was more spicy and had a generous sprinkling of vegetables. However, we would have preferred it with more curry.

 Here is what the Prawn Khau Suey looked like on the plate.

 A close-up shot of the quintessential Khau Suey goodness after it is combined with the condiments on one's plate.

The bill is modest. Khausa is not too heavy on the pocket.

Verdict: Overall, we were satisfied. The Prawn Khau Suey was definitely better than the Chicken one, and was more than enough to fill two adults. It did not hit the bulls' eye in being a 100% according to the taste of the original Burmese dish, but it was yummy nevertheless.

The Chicken sandwich was really nice too - very old school. One bite of it transported me back to the eighties, stirring up childhood memories of having chicken sandwiches outside Spinzer near Defence Market in phase 1 (which is near A-One now).