China Grill, Dolmen Mall, Clifton

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Its no secret that the Food Court at Dolmen Mall, Clifton, is by now a regular jaunt for our family, because we tend to do our groceries in bulk from the mega mart located on the floor below it, a.k.a Hyperstar.
Air conditioned and all-inclusive commodity-wise, and surprisingly boasting competitively economical prices, it is a great, one-stop place to get all your household and grocery shopping needs met under one roof.

Shopping there means we get to try out the Food Court rather regularly as well.
Above is the bird's eye, aerial view of the mall from the Food Court, which is on the second floor.
Right across, you can see Gun Smoke restaurant and advertisements for Fat Burger.

Of course that is not a head-less man! Duh. I just use good photo editing software to wipe out the identity of the people caught on camera (despite my best efforts to try to avoid shooting others). :P
I included this picture to display the spaciousness of the Food Court.

Shooting for a drama serial was going on in this section (on the raised wooden deck that is located right in front of the elevator).

The tables and chairs extend across almost the entire 2nd floor (with more branded eateries yet to open, such as Fat Burger and The Noodle House).
What I like best about eating here is the overall family-friendly atmosphere (lots of strollers, bawling infants, children running around, doting grandparents balancing little tots on their knees....you get the picture!) and the complete absence of loud music.
Rather nice high-chairs are also available for toddlers.

Anyway, One Potato Two Potato (a.k.a OPTP) is the food business attracting the longest customer queues nowadays at the Food Court of Dolmen Mall, Clifton.
However, we all know that burgers and fries are something we should not eat too regularly...at least those of us who are no longer 12 years old. :)
Which is why I almost always make a beeline for China Grill.

I really like the taste of the Chow Mien, Fried Rice and curries at China Grill.

Peppercorn Shrimps: this is my favorite curry among all the ones that China Grill offers. 

This is the menu. For a more detailed look, you can visit their Facebook page.

I chose to order the Wok-a-Meal combo, which has 2 main entrees (curries), one side of either rice or noodles (chow mien - only available in chicken), and one soft drink. 

Price of Wok-a-Meal is Rs 399.
If you want Peppercorn Shrimps curry with your combo, you can add it to your meal for an additional Rs 70.

Recently they have started offering juices as well. 

My combo ready and served at the counter. Serving time is 10 minutes.

This whole thing cost Rs 640: Rs 470 for the combo (because I chose shrimps), plus Rs 190 for the additional Chow Mien (visible on the right).
Portion size is definitely not a plus point. However, the combo will fill you up adequately, insha'Allah.
And as I said, the taste and quality of ingredients is great!

 I counted. There were a grand total of seven shrimps in the Peppercorn Shrimp curry. The Kung Pao Chicken curry that is visible on the right side of the plate was hardly any different.

Sorry for sounding like such a cheapskate, but I actually want to use this blog to inform the readers what they will get for their money, even if the taste of all the items was great. Just don't expect a big portion size.

That being said, I love the way the Peppercorn Shrimp Curry lives up to its name and comes doused with coarsely chopped peppercorns, instead of pepper powder.

Please remember that almost all the fresh food that is available at the Food Court in Dolmen Mall is a bit on the steep side. You won't get anything substantial (i.e. a filling meal) for under Rs 400, that is for sure.

Exceptions are the fresh baked goods (such as croissants, breads and muffins), not to mention, the full roasted chicken that you can buy from the deli inside Hyperstar for only Rs 389 (no kidding!).
In addition to these, the Hyperstar deli also offers fried rice, vegetable noodles, samosa's, spring rolls, biyrani, cold salads, daal, chicken makhni, crispy fried chicken, and other desi foods. Not everything is always fresh, though. 

Note: outside food is not allowed inside the Food Court. Yes, if you want to eat at the Food Court, you must buy something from one of its vendors.
Go figure! :)

Verdict: I really like the food at China Grill, albeit the slightly steep rates. It is hitherto my favorite vendor there.

Usmania Restaurant, Block 2, Clifton

The term "Usmania Restaurant" brings back many childhood memories for me.

This restaurant has been around since the 1980's, when its only branch operated from Gulshan-e-Iqbal. We used to go out to eat there with extended family once every few years.

Now it has a prominent branch in Clifton, in the area opposite Bilawal House, en route to the Aga Khan Clifton Medical Services Center. 

Steamed Roast is a much-touted speciality.
They claim to be the largest Pakistani restaurant chain. For that, credit is surely due, because they have certainly not gone out of business, despite the increasingly stiff international competition.

As the menu shows, the dominant items Usmania offers are Pakistani and Barbecue dishes.

They have added a sprinkling of continental cuisines as well, such as burgers, sandwiches, steaks and a few other "gora" (English) food items .

Another aerial shot of the Pakistani main course menu.

The prices are not economical, but so what else is new? You can expect to spend the same here as other restaurants of the city, albeit less than the overpriced ones offering gourmet fare. 

The prices shown in the menu are inclusive of all taxes.

There are 2 floors, the upper one for families. Flanking the main eating areas on both, are huge air conditioners. The restaurant sports full glass walls on three sides, and a very clean washroom (always a plus point for our family!).

High chairs are available for the infants. 

All in all, a favorable ambience.

The restaurant decor is old-school Pakistani, well-lit and spacious. 

Every time we have eaten at Usmania, we happened to order barbecue items. 

So this time we decided to try their Chinese menu. 

Chicken Chilli Vegetable - Rs 475 (price inclusive of tax).

The quantity was abundant and the chicken chunks were huge, but the taste was definitely the typical Pakistani-Chinese that you find in every other local Chinese restaurant operated by Pakistani's employing local chefs.

Egg Fried Rice - Rs 250

Ample quantity and very satisfactory. The rice grains were not sticking together, indicating a perfect stir-fry, and tasted awesome (viz. authentic Chinese flavor). 

Brain Masala (a family favorite) - Rs 470

Dense, rich and super-soft -- need I say more? I have had brain masala in many local eateries, and have been disappointed when most serve it floating in limpid, tomato-based, watery curries. 

This kind of perfectly-fried brain masala is getting rarer at restaurants, which is why, in addition to barbecue items and steam roast, brain is what I like ordering most at Usmania. 

Puri Paratha - Rs 30 (each)

This was huge in size (one was enough, as we were having rice as well) and perfectly done - piping hot and crisp, yet light and fluffy; easy to break off from, yet not flaky and brittle.

Now for the desserts. :) 

Kheer - Rs 150

Don't know if the photograph does justice to it, but this single bowl was quite large for one person to polish off after dinner. We usually share desserts together. 

The kheer was great! Rich, dense and traditionally made to the core. The kind your Ammi makes at home when special guests are coming over. :) 

Tutti Fruiti ice cream cup- Rs 150

Once again, the quantity was more than enough to be desired. In most dessert eateries and bakeries nowadays, you get just one cupcake at this price.

The ice cream flavor and texture was decidedly vintage -- you could tell that it was made from pure, "desi" organic milk, and not the pasteurized, packaged kind (think Baloch ice cream of Boat Basin).

Strawberry and Vanilla 'mix' ice cream cup - Rs 130

The vanilla tasted like the popular desi version - called "Peshawari" ice cream - which is so quintessentially Pakistani, yet getting rarer by the decade. I loved it! The quantity was once again difficult to polish off, even with the children tucking in. 

By the way, we made this restaurant visit over a year ago. I just found time to fish out the draft of this old post to finally finish it off and publish it, so the prices might be higher by now, although I hope not.

Verdict: The authentic barbecue and Pakistani menu at Usmania still retains its taste and quality, which is why this vintage restaurant is still in business. I would highly recommend the tikka, kababs, brain, steam roast (we've had it before) and other local cuisine items at Usmania. The quantities of all items are more than enough for two people (i.e. the dishes at the prices quoted in the menu comprise of double-servings à la carte). 

However, you can find better Chinese at Yuan Tung, so you can easily give that a miss here. 

Ginoginelles, Khayaban-e-Mujahid, Phase 5, Defence

Update: This eatery has closed down and no longer exists on this location.


Ginoginelles is not an unknown name in the food takeaway and delivery scene of Karachi.
In fact, I think this company is one of the pioneers in food delivery, having been around since years and years.

Their Defence outlet is situated on main Khayaban-e-Mujahid near the old "Deltons"/Khadda Market area, just before you descend the slope in front of a huge masjid on the left.



The ground floor is reserved for takeaway and delivery.

Recently, Ginoginelles has also started a dine-in restaurant on the floor above, much to the joy of its regular customers who have been using its food delivery - particularly pizza and Chinese food - since many years (such as yours truly).



A carpeted staircase leads to the floor upstairs.



A beautiful chandelier lights up the stairs.

The interior is done in deep brown/mahogany hues. Very quaint.

The dim lighting and red brick walls give the place a cozy look, but the tables are placed relatively apart, i.e. without compromising on the diners' privacy by throwing them too close together.

There is a separate room behind those windows on the left that can be reserved in advance.



This room has - you guessed it - a wall-mounted plasma television to view those oh-so-not-to-be-missed (yawn) cricket matches nowadays.



This room can be booked in advance specifically for match-viewing over coffee.
While we were there, we saw some customers just saunter inside, make themselves comfortable, and start watching. 
I really appreciate the fact that our local restaurants respect the presence of families with children by always restricting their television content to sports. Credit should be given where its due!

A bar is also present to prepare (halal) drinks.

Main Khayaban-e-Mujahid is visible from the windows.

The street downstairs that is at a right angle to the main Khayaban. This is the same street that has Sindh Sweets - a branch of Sohny Sweets - on its other end.

The restaurant's dine-in menu.
Good news: these prices are inclusive of taxes.
For their separate, elaborate delivery and takeaway menu, which also includes deals, please click here (you'll be taken to their own website).

On the left, you can see the elaborate pizza menu. Ginoginelles was originally a hard-line pizza place specializing in Italian food.

Mocktails - perhaps since we can't call them cocktails here in a Muslim-majority country, these are 'exotic' drinks other than the usual soft drinks that are offered.

Top left, some new additions to the menu are visible, and on the bottom, the usual drinks available.
The prices are quite unbeatable for a place that offers the same ambiance as the other expensive cafes in the vicinity.

Garlic Bread with Cheese - Rs 100



The slices were larger and the cheese quantity on them was more ample than the garlic bread I have had at e.g. Arizona Grill or Copper Kettle.

Regular fries - Rs 80.

Chicken Lasagne - Rs 380.
This was delicious - hot from the oven, creamy and oozing with cheese and white sauce.

Pina Colada - Rs 130

I liked how a regular coke, priced at Rs 35, was served in a tall glass.
Compare this to the other places.

The bill came in this quaint little wooden chest.
Unique! :)

The bill stuffed inside the mock treasure chest.

The bill came to Rs 805!

Verdict: Well, we had fun. I would highly recommend this place to anyone, not just for the overall nice experience we had, but also because the staff (the manager as well as the few waiters) were polite and prompt in fulfilling our requests.

At the end of the day, what matters most at a restaurant is that the food and drink are good value for money. 

We hope that Ginoginelles is able to sustain its loyal clientele by maintaining the quality and quantity of the food on offer, without increasing their prices. 

Soups, burgers, sandwiches, Chinese food, pizza, Italian entrees and a variety of local cuisine such as biryani and karhai are all offered at this restaurant. 

The manager, when asked, reassured us that they will be starting desserts and coffees very soon as well.