Cold Stone Creamery, The Place, Defence Phase 8

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Summer heat in Karachi is at it's peak already, now that sweltering May is here. And perspiring people love to devour cold drinks and ice cream.

Some months ago, the American ice cream chain Cold Stone Creamery opened it's doors in the city at The Place in DHA phase 8.

This is their whole ice cream menu, at a glance. Basically, you can decide on one of their signature creations (a pre-set combination of ice cream flavors and added ingredients, such as cookies or fruit), and then pay according to the portion size of that combo that you'd like to eat. 

The smallest cup is called "Like it", the medium one is called "Love it", and the largest one is called "Gotta Have it!" .

This is the Pakistani website of Cold Stone Creamery, which is located on the rooftop of The Place, offering indoor and outdoor seating with nice views of southern Karachi through glass windows.

They also do cupcakes and ice cream cakes, and have an in-house cafe menu too, which includes the standard appetizer, sandwich, coffee and dessert fare.
Click here for more details about their cafe.

The above counter is a bit threadbare because this picture was taken too soon after the launch of Cold Stone. Currently, it showcases their ice cream cakes. 

Their ice cream is smooth and "creamy" - living up to it's name.

A close-up shot of the "Like It"-sized cup of the flavor, Chocolate Devotion.

Like I said, you can enjoy some views. 

This is a shot taken from the outdoor seating area. 

The outdoor veranda-like structure leading up to the entrance of Cold Stone Creamery.

Here is a short video of how the ice creams at Cold Stone Creamery are put together by their staff once you have placed your order. Cake, cookies, fruit or other ingredients are tossed around on a cold slab of stone with scoops of ice cream, mixing them all together to form a delectable goop that is then placed into a paper or waffle cup (which costs extra) for you to devour.

The high temperatures and humidity of Karachi can make us really savor over-priced ice creams like Cold Stone Creamery, as the occasional summer treat.

The quality of the ice cream is really quite good - although not as good as the awesome gelato offered at Lal's Chocolates, in my opinion (whose future review is due).

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

Burger King, main Seaview Road

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

The silence after the storm - oh how peaecful it is. :)
I am so happy that the hype around the launch of Burger King Pakistan is finally over!

There are no long queues and crowds outside the Burger King outlets any more, as you can see.
Pictured above is the BK outlet located on main Sea View Road or Beach Avenue, right next to McDonald's.

Few eateries have managed to thrive previously in this very building (such as the Dip Shop, KFC and Ponderosa); let's see if this outlet of BK has a better fate.

Once again, I found myself at this outlet of Burger King a couple of months ago only because someone else in the family wanted to have the famous Whopper. Yawn.
Actually, truth be told, I too wanted to try out their onion rings. :)

Thankfully, we were able to place our order immediately. Cue: no queues. :)
You can see that the Angus SteakHouse Combo is priced at Rs 650, the Whopper Combo at Rs 495, and the Chicken Royale at Rs 540.

Too bad I couldn't take a better shot to capture the complete menu of Burger King (by the way, isn't it about time they launched their own website? They are still operating on social media via a Facebook page).

 Here is a closeup shot of the above photo, to help you see the prices.

Basically, every burger combo at Burger King will cut you back Rs 400-600.
Lone, single-patty burgers cost ~Rs 295 each (without fries and drink).

The Burger King outlet on main Sea View Road has two upper floors where customers can dine. I think there is a basement too, but I'm not sure.

The view from the first floor ↑.

The booth style seating arrangement on the top floor.

Spacious and well-lit.
Unlike Hardees, which is still conspicuously missing an outlet on this side of the Clifton Bridge, Burger King has done well to not compromise on space for it's dine-in customers.

We ordered two combo meals.

Single patty Fish n Crisp (fish burger).

A small and crispy fish fillet sitting on mayo and topped with lettuce occupies the inside of the burger.
A nice and light burger, especially a good option for those who do not like beef.

The soft and piping hot BK Fries are always a hit.
Even when I had Burger King for the first time in my life, in Makkah, Saudi Arabia (back in 2002), I loved their light French Fries the most.

The Whopper! Enough said. :P
You can see how fresh the sesame-seed-topped bun is.

Tomato, lettuce and sliced onions top a beef patty.

A combo meal at Burger King (burger, fries and drink) costs Rs 450 per head, if you skip additional sides and desserts.

Verdict: I think Burger King should launch it's own website, for starters. It has done well with it's hype-creating, media-frenzy-driven launch in Pakistan with the simultaneous opening up of multiple, spacious outlets. It got the initial market share, now let's see if it goes the distance with quality that garners long-term customer satisfaction. 

Will we be finding stale lettuce and flat, crumbling buns in the burgers at Burger King after, say, 4 years,- just like we now often do at KFC and McDonald's? Time will tell.


For now, Burger King sure seems to be enjoying it's fifteen minutes of fame in Karachi.

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! :-(

Venus Cafe, Carlton Hotel, Defence phase 8

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Sometimes one wants to go to a quiet place for a simple bite to eat. A place where there will be no crowds and no noise.

Someone had told me about a cafe at Carlton Hotel that serves decent enough food round the clock, and is almost always quiet, so that one can have a cup of coffee or dessert there in peace.

So we decided to give it a try some months ago. 

Actually, my restaurant reviews have been getting delayed by more than a few months this year. 

Although I try to, I don't always get around to finishing off and publishing my pending drafts as quickly as I'd like.

So, truth be told, I actually visited this cafe in February this year!

The hotel lobby is spacious and sprawling.

And eerily silent. :)

The balconies outside the hotel rooms on the upper floors are clearly visible from the main foyer. 

 

Well decorated with creepers and indoor greens. 

Next to this huge, winding spiral staircase that is clearly visible from the main lobby, lies Venus Cafe.

I always like open interior plans. 

The cafe has no concrete walls, and is located on the ground floor of the hotel just off the main reception area, next to the huge spiral staircase.

  

There are half-walls around it that offer partial privacy.

Wicker furniture adds an informal touch to the whole place.

An indoor tree planted in it's midst, and a short wrought iron fence - all in all, a different ambiance, eh?

There are some tables in the cafe that have couches, which are cordoned off by the short wrought iron 'fences' for a little more privacy, I guess. A small bar is located adjacent to it. (We asked, and were told that no alcoholic drinks are served at the bar) 

Now to the menu....

The menu offers a variety of sweet snacks and savories that you'd find at any patisserie or cafe, such as croissants, brownies, and pizza, in addition to other munchies and main dishes.

There are starters, soups and sandwiches too. I hope you can read the prices - somewhat lower than standard hotel rates.  

More for the sweet tooth..

Hot and cold beverages. 

The coffee prices are a bit on the lower side, compared to other places.

Apparently they have a hi-tea buffet as well.

Call them before going though (+92-21-111-727-272), as this review is not based on a recent visit.

  

We ordered a club sandwich - Rs 295 plus tax.

Cheese Cigars (Sticks) - Rs 190 + tax

Check out the melted mozzarella oozing out of that crumbed stick!

It was good. 

Accompanying condiments: a mustard-based sauce and mayo (or was it tartar sauce? I can't recall).

Cold Coffee and Fruit Trifle.

The cafe seemed quite short-staffed. There was just one waiter in attendance, since no other customer was there besides us. Heh!

This was actually quite yummy, as it was fresh. I remember that much. :)

Verdict: A small, quiet place that offers a chance to have a quick coffee or snack-like meal if one wants to avoid crowds and the hustle-bustle of busy and cramped cafes and restaurants. Not to mention, the washrooms near Venus Cafe are very clean. The food is above average but nothing out of the ordinary. 

Keep in mind that Carlton Hotel lies way off in one corner of the city (further ahead on the same road as DA Creek Club and DA Marina Club), so you'll need extra fuel to reach there, unless you live in or near Defence phase 8.