Thali Inn, Boat Basin, Clifton

If you would like to visit a place where you are served all kinds of food belonging to Arabian, Pakistani and South Indian cuisine in large, sometimes sizzling and smoking platters, then Thali Inn is the stop for you and your family.

It is located at the end of Boat Basin that is closer to the Karachi Grammar School campuses, next to the - ahem - open air "river". 

It is in line with the famous Qasr Al-Nakheel and Hobnob bakery. 

Most of the items on the menu are served in the form of platters or thali's. 

A few entree's are individual too, but the serving sizes of most are enough for two people or a small family.  

You can see how unique some of the entrees are. I can tell you, they really did sizzle and let off smoke! 

The decor of the family hall is rustic, colored in hues of matted beige and rust. 

The furniture is made of carved wood! That was a hit with me. :)

The walls are textured to give the impression of a village hut with mud walls. 

It sounds a bit of an anti climax, but we were not in the mood for meat. Rather, the idea of having a South Indian type of thali with different kinds of vegetarian curries, motivated us to visit Thali Inn.  

Therefore, we ordered this Vegetarian Thali for Rs 285, and one chicken tikka.

Garlic Nan and Puri Paratha's. 

The Vegetarian Thali had boiled rice, channa curry (the kind you get with halwa puri), Kadhi (gram flour and yogurt curry), achar (pickles) and moong daal.  

It also had mixed vegetable bhaji/bhujia (visible on top left corner). 

The whole offering was more than enough for two people. The dumpling (pakora) in the Kadhi was not very soft, but the rest was great! 

I especially love how our local Pakistani cuisine offers the greatest variety of naans. The garlic naan served fresh and piping hot, was just out of this world! 

Our bill came to Rs 530, including 2 drinks.

Verdict: On the adjoining tables, we saw some appetizing, smoking and sizzling platters being served to families, having meat ranging from kababs to whole fish! 

Next time, we intend to try one of their family-sized, sizzling, meaty stuff, insha'Allah. 

Daily Dubai Restaurant, Badar Commercial Area, Phase 5 ext., Defence

Located on street 10 in Badar Commercial Area, in Defence phase 5, almost off main Saba Avenue, is the recently inaugurated Daily Dubai Restaurant. 

It is right next to the famous Meerath Kabab House that has also opened recently next to Dandee's Chaat and Fruit Juices on the same corner.

The restaurant occupies the entire 4-storey commercial building.

The owners seem to have left no stone unturned in investing in the decor and ambience of the restaurant.

We were surprised to spot these security video cameras installed on every floor. Even the elevator was top-notch, with audio announcements of the floors.

Families are usually seated on the first floor and up.

The wall-mounted plasma television sets were showing a World Cup match on the night we dined here, as the transfixed gazes of the restaurant's staff demonstrate. :)

The fare on offer is typical Pakistani cuisine, at the same rates as any other good restaurant located in Defence, Karachi.

I must say that the quality of the restaurant is laudable, from the ambience, to the decor and technology in use, to the complete lack of spelling errors in the menu! :)

Daily Dubai is famous for its paye, but on our first visit, we were in the mood for simple Beef Nihari, which didnot disappoint one bit! Priced at Rs 200 per serving, it was more than enough for two people.

The traditional accompaniments of Nihari: lemons, chopped ginger and green chillies.

Mutton trotters (Bakray ke paye) for Rs 300, photographed on a subsequent visit. 

I update this post with photographs of any new items that we order on further visits to Daily Dubai.

Priced at Rs 100, we ordered moong daal to accompany the meat dish(es) on both visits.

Green Chicken Tikka for Rs 140. This was nothing to write home about. 

The naans were hot and fluffy.

Sheer maal for the little ones.

The kheer was amazing, at just Rs 40 per two katora's.

Chocolate Chip and Vanilla Ice Cream, priced at Rs 40 per scoop.

Traditional kulfi priced at just Rs 50 was a wonderful sweet treat!

Recently, Daily Dubai started Sunday breakfast - the usual desi halwa puri fare.

Sooji Ka Halwa - for Rs 50

Channa Tarkari -  for Rs 50

Aloo Tarkari - Rs 50

Puri's - Rs 20 each

Sweet Lassi - Rs 50

Doodh Patti tea - Rs 40

I must say that the Sunday Breakfast was a huge hit! It is served till 4 p.m every Sunday. Each and every item that we ordered was delicious, especially the puri's. Also, the prices were very reasonable for the quantity and quality of the dishes.

Verdict: At Daily Dubai, we almost always like everything: the food, the ambience, the ultra-clean environment, the use of latest technology, and last but not least, the humble politeness of the staff. 

Eating here has become a regular feature for our family by now. Highly recommended! 

Al-Haaj Bundoo Khan, Sindhi Muslim

Located in Sindhi Muslim Society, Bundoo Khan is one of the most famed and vintage-classic eateries of Karachi, famous for its mouth-watering chicken tikka, kababs and paratha's.

These are the shops and eateries opposite Bundoo Khan, across the road.

It is surrounded on all sides by other international and more posh food franchises, such as KFC and Nando's, but though these new restaurants might have borrowed some popularity by being in the vicinty, they have not dampened Bundoo Khan's roaring business in the least.

Roasters Gourmet Coffee House is right next to Bundoo Khan as well.

They have recently expanded and opened up a new portion on the upper floor for families.

For those who have dined at Bundoo Khan over the years, it is obvious that the new decor and interior quality is a major improvement from what it used to be!

There is outdoor seating for those interested in alfresco dining as well.

Beef Bihari boti and Mutton Seekh kabab's. We are not big fans of chicken tikka, but that is great too.

The crispy and light puri paratha's are a famous must-have at Bundoo Khan.

The order is accompanied by complimentary raw onion rings and savoury imli or tamarind chutney.

The sooji ka halwa is an age-old favorite, enjoyed with the puri paratha's or on its own.

Verdict: Al-Haaj Bundoo Khan has succulent, great-tasting barbecue food at affordable rates. Perhaps that is why their loyal clientele keeps coming back for more, despite the mushrooming of a plethora of new eateries, down the road and everywhere else in Karachi!

BBQ Tonite, Clifton

BBQ Tonite is one of the most popular, vintage, smoothly-run and booming restaurants in Karachi. 

As this picture reveals, its been going strong for over 2 decades now.

More than a decade ago, they were running only from the ground floor of this building. Now, they have occupied the whole three floors of it, in addition to the rooftop.

This barbecue and grill station just outside the entrance of the restaurant, amidst the sprawling parking area,  shows the chefs in action.

Originally, BBQ Tonite (as the name suggests) was open only for dinner. They now also serve lunch and Sunday breakfast. Also, they have added many items to their previously next-to-nothing dessert menu.
This place is obviously growing by leaps and bounds each year.

The restaurant has four seating levels, all of which are full to capacity on most nights, with significant turnover (viz. a table fills up as soon as it is vacated). A long queue of families exists at the entrance, waiting their turn.

We opt for the secluded corner tables on the rooftop side terrace, which enable us to enjoy the cool sea breeze under the night sky whilst dining "alfresco". :)

It is in no way easy on the wallet to dine here. However, BBQ Tonite's steep prices never deter their customers.

Their steaks are quite good, and cost as much as in other restaurants.

"Special" Hot 'n Sour soup.

It had tofu, prawns and mushrooms in it, in addition to the usual ingredients. It was very delicious!

Chicken Tikka's, Puri Paratha's and Garlic Naan.

Chicken Steak for Rs 400, with Fresh Lime. Two generous chicken breast fillets topped with a slice of cheddar cheese and oodles of barbecue sauce, served with one baked potato and boiled vegetables on the side.

A glass of traditional sugar cane juice for Rs 75

BBQ Special Platter - Rs 5000

The view of the Clifton roundabout from the rooftop terrace, where we sat.

South City Hospital is visible in the distance.

Recently, BBQ Tonite has started a breakfast buffet on Sundays. 

This sumptuous, all-inclusive breakfast buffet can be enjoyed only on Sundays from 8 a.m to noon, for Rs 525 per head (taxes inclusive). 

Update: The breakfast price is now Rs 650 per head.

It is fun to eat out early on Sunday mornings, once in a while, and enjoy mouth-watering omelets (custom-made for you live by chefs) bursting with olives, mushrooms, vegetables and cheddar cheese, accompanied by hot tawa paratha's and freshly squeezed orange juice. 

You don' get all of that at home, unless meticulous preparation is done in advance.

What more is on offer at the buffet: the entire variety of halwa puri, channa, aalo bhujia, nihari, paye, mutton mince (qeema), naans (flatbreads); a variety of breads and cereals, freshly prepared eggs, bowls of fresh seasonal and tinned fruit, salad, boiled eggs, sarson ka saag with makai (corn) ki roti (pictured above), chicken sausages, hash browns (looking more like potato cutlets, as shown in the picture above), pasta in white sauce, French toast and unlimited orange/grapefruit juice, lassi, tea and coffee.

The cute little pancakes. Actually, I was pleasantly surprised how well these were made: very fluffy and golden brown on both sides. 

A coffee machine was available for ordering fresh, hot cappuccino. It was great!
You could ask for black coffee, regular coffee, or cappuccino.

 Another shot of pancakes with maple syrup. The children loved having them!

Penne pasta in white sauce was also part of the menu. Scrumptious and creamy.

Brownies, croissants, fruitcake, bran and white toasted bread, canned and fresh fruit (apples, figs, apricots and melons) were also available.

Verdict: The food is high-quality, as is everything else at BBQ Tonite. The waiters wear gloves whilst handling the crockery, so you can imagine the kind of quality control in place. 


Tip: if you want a seating arrangement of your choice for dinner, arrive early (before 9 p.m), otherwise parking your vehicle and acquiring a good table could prove to be a test of your patience.


The Sunday breakfast/brunch buffet was thoroughly enjoyed by our family. Our children aged 5.5 and 3.5, were not charged. I recommend that whoever wants to have this buffet arrive early i.e. before 10 a.m. If you arrive after 11 a.m, you'll have to face a lot of crowds in front of the food platters and long lines before the fresh fruit juice and egg-frying stations. Also, you'll be dealing with more frazzled waiters and have less choice of good sitting places. 


To see the official promotional video of the Sunday breakfast buffet, please click here.