Khausa, main Khayaban-e-Shahbaz, Defence phase 6

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

 Ah, the quick entry and exit of high-end restaurants from the diverse food spectrum of Karachi! Restaurants open up and close down in the blinking of an eye, or so it seems. 

I once visited Khausa Restaurant on main Tariq Road, and really liked it.

Well, there is some good news and bad news about it.

The bad news first: it has closed down.

The good news: it has now opened up on main Khayaban-e-Shahbaz, a stone's throw away from Desi and Gon Pacci. 

The establishment is spread out on more than one level, with a half-floor (sort of like a verandah) constructed above this downstairs portion within the premises.

The decor is more plush and elegant than the one that this basement restaurant had on Tariq Road.

There are 3 tables on the above floor, where we chose to dine. 

Actually, there is some more, somewhat-bad news. 

One of the better things I liked about the Khausa on main Tariq Road, was it's economical prices. Check out the old prices here (before they remove this jpeg, heh).

 The money on fuel that you'll save on the jaunt to Tariq Road will now be spent on the food at this new outlet, because the prices at Khausa have been conveniently doubled.

Yes, doubled. Ouch. :-|

I love Khau Suey, so I ordered the Burmese version (the one with yellow curry) with prawns.  

Khausa offers five types of curry that you can choose for the Khau Suey that you want to have: Classic Creamy, Coco Curry, Stir Fried, Yellow Curry, and the more expensive Mohinga Soup (whatever that is).

The base of curry and Khau Suey noodles will cost you Rs 345, but if you want a topping of meat curry on it (and who doesn't? :P), such as chicken, beef or prawns, there will be extra charges of Rs 145 - Rs 245.

So you'll be shelling out approximately Rs 500 or more per serving of Khau Suey at this restaurant, which is clearly above the going rate of Rs 350-Rs 450 that you can get per serving of Khau Suey at Simple Dimple or PepperLime. 

The consolation? The ample quantity, high quality, and freshness of the food. I had no complains about it. The service and ambiance has improved a big notch as well.

Every order of Khau Suey comes with this tray of crunchy, tasty and spicy accompaniments. 

Once you start eating the Khau Suey mixed with these lovely garnishes, this is what your plate will look like. Yum!

   

Chicken Chow Mien - Rs 325

Awesome flavors and freshness. You can see for yourself, eh?

The menu has a comprehensive Thai cuisine section, a few Chinese dishes, and some other additions as well (check out the whole menu on the restaurant's EatOye page), although the sandwiches/burgers have been removed.  

Verdict: if you like Khau Suey, you will probably enjoy the offerings at Khausa. 

While the economical prices and long car ride have been bid adieu with the restaurant's relocation to main Khayaban-e-Shahbaz (the head waiter told us that the lack of parking space in front of Khausa on main Tariq Road was the main reason for the restaurant's shut down there), the diners have gained in terms of ambiance, variety and freshness/quality of the food/ingredients. 

The customers that could previously not drive out all the way to Tariq Road and meander through it's heavy traffic, now have a nice place to sit down and eat Khau Suey.

Oh how I wish that everyone on this earth could afford to eat good, clean, and delicious food like this! :-(

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.

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.

Yuan Tung Chinese Restaurant, PECHS

Located in a side lane off main Tariq Road in PECHS Block 2 is a quaint, vintage Chinese Restaurant housed in a bungalow, known as Yuan Tung. 

The entrance to the side lane in which this restaurant is located, is directly opposite the huge, distinguishable English Boot House outlet located on main Tariq Road.

The placard outside the restaurant bears its name. 

I suppose the real, "authentic" Chinese restaurants also print their names in the native language! 

The entrance to the restaurant. Notice the Chinese-style architecture.

The address and phone number is printed on the menu.

Most of the main a la carte entrees are priced between Rs 300 and Rs 600. They serve 2~3 people.

Notice how the menu is also printed in Chinese, side by side?

We ordered item #16: Chicken Chillies with Vegetable. 

The Chow Mien and Chinese Rice menu. They also have some egg dish called Foo Yoong.

Beef, prawn and fish entrees. Notice the standardization of the prices of all. 

  

This part of their menu lists the more special/exotic type of dishes offered by the restaurant. Squid?! :) Eeek.

The ambience is a mix of traditional Pakistani, combined with the typical red-lighted Chinese decor. 

The red-and-white checkered tablecloths remind one of an American diner. 

Yuan Tung Hot & Sour Soup, priced at Rs 360

The quantity is enough for 3~4 people!

Chicken Chillies with Vegetable for Rs 360.

The vegetables were tender yet crispy-crunchy; just right!

Prawn Fried Rice priced at Rs 380

Chicken and Prawn Chow Mien, priced at Rs 420

This was out of this world!

All entree's were more than enough for two hungry adults, each. We had to have leftovers parceled. 

 

The bill. Rs 100 was charged for two soft drinks @ Rs 50 each.

  

The total bill was reasonable compared to the extremely good quality and quantity of all the food! We love dining at Yuan Tung. In fact, it is an old family favorite.

There is another Chinese restaurant right across the road, called Little China. It is also housed in a similar bungalow.

Verdict: As I said, the absolutely unparalleled, authentic Chinese taste of all the dishes we have had to date at Yuan Tung make it a family favorite, especially during winter, when we often crave hot soup in a cozy environment.

The restaurant is very family friendly and has a high turnover i.e. if you arrive after 9 p.m, you might have to wait for a table.

Hyder's, Sindhi Muslim (S.M.C.H.S)

Right across the roundabout from the outlets of Bundoo Khan, KFC, and Nando's on Sindhi Muslim, is a small but thriving eatery called Hyder's.

Recently, Hyder's expanded upwards to include a larger family dining area on an upper floor.

Here is what the family "room" looks like:

Overall the floor has a nice decor; not too shoddy. :)

The view from the upstairs window: a lot of the diners choose to eat in their parked cars outside the eatery.

The menu boasts some good stuff at affordable rates, even steaks. Also, Singaporean Rice is available too, which is a rare commodity in other outlets.

They have some good deals too. We opted for the deal that is visible on the bottom right of this menu placard.

Here is the deal we ordered @ Rs 320: two mini chicken burgers, one quarter broasted chicken (here it is hidden under the fries), a bun (or "dinner roll", as it is known in Karachi), french fries, and one Chicken Shawarma.

The mini burgers were quite cute; perfect for the kids!

Chicken Chow mien for Rs 200. It was a bit on the spicier side, but very good nevertheless.

Special Faluda  for Rs 110. Don't ask - it is from my significant other's favorites.

The Chicken Shawarma machine outside Hyder's. Their Shawarma was mediocre though, nothing to write home about; although the chicken sure looks good in this photo!

The food is prepared live outside the Hyder's entrance..there were some huge flames whilst the chinese curries were being stir-fried! All in all, hygiene standards are quite high, that much is obvious.

Verdict: Since their recent expansion, the prices at Hyder's have gone up (I suppose maybe they want to recover their investment quickly?). Either way, the food quality is quite good, and worth a try. They have a wide variety of fresh juices and ice creams on offer as well, for which people flock in their cars. I would also like to add that chaat and pani puri stalls are stationed outside too, right next to the standard pan wala and shawarma machine.

Karachi eating out at its classic, traditional best! --> Cheap, affordable, chatpatta, spicy, a bit unhealthy, ad hoc, and last but not least - fun.