Kolachi, Beach Avenue (Do Darya), DHA phase 8

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Who hasn't heard of Kolachi, the Spirit of Karachi, a seafront restaurant located at the Do Darya strip of eateries in Defence phase 8? Apparently no one, or so it seems. 

 Do Darya can be reached by going along Beach Avenue or Seaview Road, the main road in front of Clifton beach.

It can also be reached by going straight along Khayaban-e-Shaheen, passing by Creek Vista apartments.

Kolachi is the second restaurant in line when arriving at Do Darya via this route. The roads along this way are quite dark and desolate, mind you, but don't let that deter you. :)

Above is a shot of the main foyer area of Kolachi.

There is a prayer place (musalla) for men and a jumping castle for the little ones on site.

All restaurants on Do Darya are dimly lit and open-air: exclusively alfresco dining.

The lighting and decor is unique at every restaurant, with ample use of wood and cobblestones.

Kolachi has both wooden chairs and couches for dining.

Restaurants at Do Darya all look out over the sea, very close to the water. The above photograph just doesn't do justice to the actual experience of looking out over the water and clear skies at night from the wooden balconies.

Crabs, small shoals of fish, seagulls, trawlers, the moon and stars - all can be spotted easily from any restaurant at Do Darya, which can allow diners to relax by getting temporarily away from the hustle and bustle of cosmopolitan, traffic-smog-ridden city life and enjoy the scenic outdoors in peace - a rarity in this sprawling seaport city.

Once again, the photograph doesn't do the full moon justice.
But hey, I tried to capture a nice moment. :)

 

First off, Kolachi is not a cheap place to dine. The prices shown in the menu are exclusive of 17% tax. 

 Their main specialties are barbecue, kababs, karahi's and handi's.

The portion/serving size of handi's, kababs, and karahi's at Kolachi is more than enough for two hungry adults.

Pastas and seafood.

Almost every food item is cooked to perfection and served neatly/impeccably.

In fact, dining at Kolachi reminds me a lot of BBQ Tonite: the prices, food quality, focus on desi food/meaty BBQ fare, housekeeping/hygiene standards, and service excellence, all are at par at both restaurants,-- at least in my opinion. 

 

However, even though meat is clearly their specialty, they also have Chinese and Thai food on offer.

Steaks and Lebanese entrees as well.

Expect to easily pay Rs 1100 per head when you dine at Kolachi, especially if you intend to have their ice creams as well.

Their focus on serving only hot flatbreads is commendable. A waiter (or two, in case of larger groups) is always around to make sure your breads are replenished with hot ones.

Chicken White Karahi (half) - Rs 900

Well-marinated and tender chicken pieces sauteed in a creamy white sauce, accentuated by the aromatic dash of color and spices brought by the sliced large green chillies.

How was it? Well, let's just say the wok was wiped clean with the flatbreads and not a morsel was left over. :)

Kolachi House Pasta -Rs 600

The tagliatelle pasta strips were floating in a rich, creamy, and fresh Alfredo sauce.
The serving size was enough for one very hungry adult, or two moderately hungry ones.
Thumbs up!

Speaking as a major pasta aficionado, I loved this dish, especially the grilled chicken julienne on top.

Plain Kulfi - Rs 180

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream -Rs 180

Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream -Rs 180

I know it's obvious that we all were in the mood for ice creams the night we went this month (in November, when it was still hot).

Once again, two adults can easily share one of these ice creams. The strawberry cheesecake flavor was especially good.

Verdict: At Kolachi, the high quality of service is their distinguishing quality, which keeps customers coming back again and again. The whole experience will make you feel cared for and respected, from the time you enter the premises, till you leave. They highly value your feedback about their service and food.

I can explain it better this way: after moving out from home, to attend college or to start married life, when you visit your parents' home for the first time and sit down for a meal, how are you treated? Can you relate? Well, that is how they treat you at Kolachi, especially if you visit on a weeknight, and arrive early, before the maddening crowds start thronging the place.

I always used to prefer going to the buffet restaurant that is located right next to Kolachi, called Mirage (dinner buffet there is Rs 1300+tax), because I value privacy, peace and quiet instead of crowdedness and noise.

Here are a couple of photos of Mirage restaurant below:

Main ground floor of Mirage Restaurant.

Mirage buffet serves over 50 unique dishes, including soups, salads, snacks, and desserts.

I would wonder each time why there were such incessant crowds and long waiting queues next door at Kolachi. Now I know. It's how customers are treated there, because at first visit, you will probably think that there is nothing different or out-of-this-world about the food they offer.

But when you leave, the way the managers will come to ask you how your experience was, if you have any complains, and the way they'll listen to your feedback, will make you feel valued as a customer more than at any other restaurant.

Kolachi is like BBQ Tonite all the way, in my opinion. Succulent and expertly-cooked meat served impeccably at its desi best!

Kolachi contact numbers: 021-32003628 , 03032766571 (reservations are highly recommended).

Note: Dining at Do Daryai is especially enjoyable during the winter months, since there is no air conditioning in all the open-air restaurants there, so alfresco dining next to the sea is amplified in experience due to the (fleeting) wind chill factor.

Salt n Pepper Village Restaurant

Salt n Pepper Village Restaurant is one of the most famed buffet places in Karachi. It is situated on Beach Avenue in an area popularly known for decades as "Seaview".

The restaurant uses symbols of traditional local folk culture and Sindh's ethnic cultural heritage in its ambiance and decor.

This water mill is always running right outside the restaurant's entrance.

A lit-up bullock cart is also stationed here.

Nowadays, breakfast buffets are gaining popularity across the city's top restaurants.

 Salt n Pepper offers 3 buffets every day: lunch, hi tea and dinner. Breakfast/brunch is only offered on Sundays.

 The artifacts and other decoration pieces used add to the rural look of the restaurant.
Even the walls depict a rustic, mud-like appearance akin to those used to build mud huts in villages.

 Traditional terracotta urns and metal milk containers are on display. 

The waiting area in the main foyer. 

A model of the traditional hand-loom, perhaps?

 

 

There is a children's play area in one corner, with a lady attendant to supervise the little ones. A worthy investment indeed.

The serving area is completely separate from the dining hall. In peak hours, it is quite crowded. 

Pictured above is the desserts section, which offers: assorted sweetmeats (mithai), fruit-flavored mousse, kheer, kulfi-faluda, ice creams, halwa's, jelly, crème brulée (caramel pudding), cakes, and even candy floss!

This is the main entree area, which offers: kababs (chapli or seekh), chicken tikka boti, nihari, haleem, payay (with accompanying garnish), qorma, daal, Chinese rice, chow mien, Chinese chicken or beef curry, pulao, mutton or chicken karahi, deep-fried prawns or Lahori fish, fried batair, pakora's, assorted paratha's (mooli/aaloo/makai ki roti), two kinds of soup, saag, kata-kat, aaloo ki bhujia and puri's, whole lamb roast, mini pizza's, spring rolls, sandwiches, French fries, pasta, pani puri and chaat, and a complete salad bar with lots of seasonal fresh fruit.

The drinks menu.

Clockwise from top right: fried prawns, a chicken seekh kabab and a piece of lightly spiced lamb roast.

 

Deep fried batair. This is a small bird, fried whole as you can see, and the bones are very fine.

A small amount of nihari - buffets allow you to sample what you like in small portions.

Rich apple juice - Rs 130

On to the desserts. Clockwise from right: milk carrot pudding (gajraila), channay ki daal ka halwa, and carrot halwa.

Diet firni (rice-powder pudding).

Banana jelly.

Kulfi with thick khoya milk and faluda (not pictured)

A scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Hot towels are served at your table as you wrap up your meal. The waiters also serve warm wheat naans (flatbreads) at your table after you are seated.

A view of the restaurant at lunch time.

Parents of little kids usually need to sit near the play area.

The view of the sea from the huge glass windows is spectacular. It is of course one of the main attractions of this seaside restaurant.

Verdict: It is no secret that Salt n Pepper is a great place to dine, especially for those people (mostly guys and middle-aged men) who have a large appetite. I almost always see several large groups of ....ahem....older, "burly" men dining here. But its true that the food is great.

Our bill came to Rs ~ 2100, in which Rs 340 went towards 4 drinks (including one lassi and one fruit juice) and Rs 300 towards sales tax. Our children were not charged, which I think was because they do not waste any food even when they eat at buffets, because we strictly guide them to take only what they want, as much as they can eat. If your children tend to overstock their plates and waste food, they will probably be charged. For prices, please refer to the fifth picture from the top in this post.