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.

Biryani of the Seas (BOTS), Clifton

 Biryani of the Seas is an eatery located in Clifton that is rapidly growing in popularity for the unique specialty that it offers: seafood prepared fresh, Chinese, continental and desi (IndoPak) style.

This particular outlet of BOTS is located in a side lane near Clifton Bridge, right opposite PSO House that is located behind Glass Towers.

There is another outlet in the city, located in Karachi Administration Employees Co-operative Housing Society, the details of which you can access at the BOTS Facebook page. 

In addition to other menu details, you can also view innumerable photos of their food, which will probably make your mouth water if you are hungry.

The outlet offers only ad-hoc roadside seating for dine-in, for now, or you can eat sitting in your car. The other outlet of BOTS in Karachi offers indoor, restaurant style dining.

Customers can purchase a wide variety of frozen seafood from here (check the left side of the menu).

As the rest of the menu shows, a range of desi and Chinese-style cooked seafood is on offer for both dine-in and takeaway orders.

The prices are reasonable, considering the good quality of seafood that you can get from BOTS.

Contact details are visible at the bottom of the menu.

A single serving of Prawn Nihari, priced at only Rs 150.

The nihari was spicy, as expected, and quite delicious. The serving size was more than satisfactory for its price.

Fried Fish (English style), with French Fries and tartar sauce, for Rs 300.

The two fillets were huge in size and mildly spiced (not desi masala); the fries were crisp and fresh. Very good value for money - a great meal!

We have since then been regularly eating at BOTS. We usually order two kinds of fish fillets, pictured below:

 Dhaka Fish Finger - Rs 180, and Red Fish Finger - Rs 150, served side by side on one plate.
The Dhaka Fish Finger is mildly spiced, whereas the Red Fish Finger is, as the name suggests, hot and spicy.
The fried fish at BOTS is always served fresh, straight out of the wok, and is tender to the core.

The fish always comes accompanied by spicy tamarind chutney and another red condiment that lends a wonderful and tangy taste to the main sea food spread.

Goan Shrimp Curry -  Rs 500

I had heard rave reviews of this curry, so I decided to try it. It did not disappoint, either in taste or quantity. Unique ingredients (I am still guessing what they are) lend a peculiar zest, taste and aroma to this spicy and somewhat tangy concoction that can be accompanied equally well with either hot naan, or rice.

Verdict: If you like seafood at affordable rates, especially that which is cooked Chinese-style, you will definitely love the food offered by Biryani of the Seas. We once tried their prawn biryani as well, and although it was a bit on the spicy side, it was really good!