New York Coffee, Zamzama, DHA 5

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـانِ الرَّحِيمِ

Apologies to my readers and subscribers for the year-long hiatus in updating this blog. We had not stopped eating out, though, in case you were wondering. Its just that I got tired of waiting for photos to upload here on blogger. :)

In the meantime, though, I was actively uploading photos (and the occasional video) of my foodie experiences on instagram. 

New York Coffee has been around for quite some time now, located on Zamzama boulevard just opposite the prominent building of Pizza Hut. It is a stone's throw away from Bella Vita. 

The cafe is quite spacious and has an open-plan kind of design. 

The seating arrangement includes wooden chairs and soft couches, both. High chairs are available for babies.
That's not a window in the photo above; the walls are all adorned with life-size mural-like pictures of scenes in New York. 

The bar: where the beverage-concocting magic takes place at the hands of the baristas. 

Muffins, chocolate fondue, lava cakes, cheesecakes, chocolate chip cookies, and other delectable baked goodies are on display near the coffee and drinks bar.

The cafe has several savories on offer to go along with coffee and desserts. Prices on the menu are quoted exclusive of taxes.

I spotted their 9-inch, thin crust pizza ordered by diners on an adjoining table. 

Coffees and teas. I have only tried their cappuccino and it was very good! 

Sorry about the blurred shots of the menu. 

I've heard their lava cake called Molten Rock Chocolate is tops! Here is what it purportedly looks like.
I haven't tried it yet, though, much as I love lava cakes. 

They also have special tables for pairs and couples. 

Mix Berries Delight Waffles- Rs 425

This is our favorite item on the menu, for which we keep going back. Few places in Karachi serve fresh, hot waffles straight off the griddle, and New York Coffee is one of them. 

They also serve waffles with plain maple syrup or Nutella. However, their "multi-berry" waffles come with tinned (and frozen) strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, dollops of whipped cream, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, in addition to maple syrup. 

Enough calories for two people! Or, as in our case, 3 children. :)

Fried Eggs With Beef Bacon - Rs 460

We had to ask for more bread, but otherwise, this dish left no room for complains. The egg portion was massive! I can't eat three eggs like this, so we shared (we do that a lot). 

Vegetarian Crepe - Rs 395

This crepe arrives hot, with a sumptuous center filled with mushrooms, melted cheese, and black olives. The crepes are large and soft.

The style of folding the crepes changed on a subsequent visit. And where were the Heinz baked beans? Forget much? :P

Nutella Pancake - Rs 375

The pancakes have Nutella in the batter too. You can see chocolate spots dotting the core of the cooked pancake when you dig in and break them apart to eat. 

Ready to dig in: drizzled with maple syrup and dotted with butter.

One of the best pancakes I have had in K-town: hot, light and fluffy. Much better than the overrated ones I have ordered at Espresso, The Pantry, or Marigold and Honey Cafe.

I don't like how they serve the butter though. Lurpak butter sachets?! Really? 

For a picture of what their "multi-berry" pancakes and a cup of cappuccino looks like, check out this instagram shot that I took: 

Four Cheese Omelet - Rs 450

The omelet was huge and stuffed and topped with melted cheeses! The hash brown was crisp and hot.

They accommodate customers' choice of either bran or white bread with the egg dishes on offer. The portion size of the eggs was once again more than enough for two adults. 

I like my omelets nicely golden browned, so I shall probably pass this in the future, and just stick to fried eggs.

Besides the food, New York Coffee cafe sure knows how to whip up a great cup of coffee! I sprinkled brown sugar on the creamy froth atop my 'small' cappuccino (yes, they serve large-sized caffeine portions too) and stirred it for your viewing pleasure. 

***

Verdict: Portion sizes of the dishes are great. You should go really hungry, if you want to finish your main entree dish and sample some of the great desserts on the menu as well. 

As for the ambiance, it's all good, except for the loud music and cigarette smoke, both of which are a real turn-off when its crowded! Since the cafe is open-plan and allows customers to smoke, you can end up inhaling some of the toxic vapors whilst dining. And who enjoys that?! 

Also, if the table next to you becomes occupied with boisterous youngsters, you probably won't enjoy your meal due to the added louse noise and lack of privacy. So go at a down time. 

The staff is courteous, welcoming, and friendly. The coffee and desserts won't disappoint!

If you like coffee, lava cakes, pancakes, and waffles, this is the place for you to visit next time.

Pane & Amore, Zamzama 5th Lane

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

There was a time when gourmet cupcakes were a thing synonymous with The Cakery.

However, despite the efforts of many local eateries, home-based businesses, and international food chains such as Cinnabon, to take over the cupcake domain, I think that it currently remains conquered hook, line and sinker by Pane & Amore, a bakery and cafe that has recently relocated from it's previous location on Seher Commercial, to Zamzama's 5th commercial lane.

As you enter Pane & Amore, an indoor staircase takes you upstairs to the first floor, where the main dine-in area is located.

Indoor plants can never go wrong in my book!

The interior of the bakery cum cafe is dimly lit.

Blue-colored glass panes, a cobbled floor and more leafy indoor plants keep the atmosphere homely and cozy.

There are no sofas or couches, only white-colored tables and chairs.

We deliberately chose to sit on the balcony, which is what had attracted us to the bakery in the first place. Besides the famous cupcakes of course.



The potted-plant-skirted verandah of Pane & Amore is visible from main Zamzama boulevard.
Though there are pedestal fans kept on the sides to keep the verandah cool and airy, I think the best time to really enjoy sitting and dining here is during the (coming) winter and spring months, when an air-conditioner is not needed to keep the excessive heat at bay.

We chose to sit on this corner table. The sounds of the Zamzama traffic from below were more than clearly audible, though. It was definitely not quiet.

Stitches clothing store is right opposite Pane & Amore.

The view from the balcony when looking out over main Zamzama.

The menu was not even clear enough to read with the naked eye, let alone through a camera lens!

I hope you can still read some of the items, though.
Standard cafe fare is available: soups, salads, sandwiches, coffees, and the icing on the cake that we went for: cupcakes! Pun unintended. :)

The coffee menu is a bit more elaborate than that at most of the other other cafes.
E.g. I have no idea what a "shakerato" is. Heh!

 

 

All day breakfast - the new rage everywhere - is on offer here too. All prices in the menu are exclusive of taxes.
You can avail their deal and have a hot coffee with a cupcake for ~Rs 450.

The specials of the day were written on a blackboard in the balcony. We went on a Saturday evening, which I wouldn't recommend, as the traffic noise from down below was too deafening!

The indoor dessert counter had many sweet delights on display. I have no idea what these were. Your guess is as good as mine.

The specialty of Pane & Amore: Cupcakes!

Chocolate Ganache, Red Velvet, Vanilla, Coffee/Mocha, and Caramel flavors are on offer.
Priced at Rs 160 + tax each.

Does this French Toast with Banana Compote look delectable to you?

Well, looks are deceiving, because it wasn't.



The toasts were totally bland and dry inside i.e. they hadn't soaked the milk and egg mixture enough before being fried. And the banana compote topping them was bitter.

Next time we'll probably not be adventurous and stick to just the cupcakes, like the kids did.

Caramel cupcake upfront, and Double Chocolate cupcake in the background.

The winner, hands down: Chocolate Ganache.
Everyone thought this was the best one.
The Red Velvet was quite okay too. It's inside was chewy and rich, and the white cream cheese frosting on top of it was extremely light and fluffy.

Tea to go with the cupcake, for Rs 90

Verdict: Our little tea-and-cupcake family party ended up being a bit too noisy because of the time that we chose to visit Pane & Amore (Saturday evenings are peak business hours at Zamzama), but their cupcakes are surely not-to-be-missed as an occasional treat, especially if you have children.

The indoor dining area was too dimly lit for our taste, so I'd recommend visiting Pane & Amore just to have a cupcake with tea or coffee on their picturesque balcony. The staff at the bakery was nothing but polite and quick to serve.

Judging by the French Toast, though, I'd avoid the other dessert items on their menu. Let's hope they improve the quality of all the other items that they are offering on their menu over time, because they sure seem to have mastered the cupcake domain!

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.