Dhaba-style BBQ meets fine dining at Islamabad's Baradari

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Dhaba-style BBQ meets fine dining at Islamabad's Baradari

BILAL AGHA


The menu at Baradari is what we call "wishful thinking”

Baradari is a seasonal restaurant that opens its doors on summer nights at the pool-side gardens of Islamabad's Serena Hotel


Dhaba-style BBQ meets fine dining at Baradari, a seasonal restaurant that opens its doors on summer nights at the pool-side gardens of Islamabad's Serena Hotel.

The buffet at Baradari, though highly priced, is a BBQ haven, and also offers a spread of local dishes and desserts.

The restaurant opened for spring recently, and I decided to take my friends to dinner. It was a treat. Here's how:

What to order

The menu at Baradari is what we call "wishful thinking”.

The four of us split up at the buffet and reunited to discover that each had brought back something different.

Baradari offers a buffet under an open sky


There were pakoras and haleem in one plate, biryani, tawa machli andnargassi koftas in another. Potato cutlets, mint chutney and mutton nihariwas on a third, and I was the only calorie-conscious among the lot who opted for BBQ. How's that for diversity? Baradari checked out on this first buffet essential.

With a focus on Pakistani cusine, Baradari offers a diverse buffet


As for taste, the biryani tasted a bit bland despite the right mix of veggies and garnishing of dry fruits. The nargassi koftas, however, were a winner! The dish got full marks for presentation: hard boiled eggs, coated with minced meat, were laid on a bed of tomato curry. And it tasted like a grandmother's classic recipe on the very first bite. Piping hot tandoori roti and melt-in-the-mouth kofta was an experience that makes Baradari worth the second trip.

Each recipe is an invention of the head chef's Rehmat Hunzai


“Whatever you eat here, is our own recipe, which you will not find in any other restaurant, even in Serena,” claims head chef Rehmat Karim Hunzai.

We were also served two fresh cheese naans on our table as appetizers. The naans were thinner than the usual varieties, and the marriage between cheddar and mozzarella with a light sprinkling of coriander was a success.

Charpayes and gao-takiyas or wrought iron tables, customers can take their pick of setting at Baradari


After the first course, a cascade of meat - skewers carrying fish tikka, seekh kebab and chicken boti - soon descended on our table. It was the muttonseekh kebab that's worth recommending to others. The kebabs were tender and spiced just right. It had us going for seconds.

I feel it's hard to get fish tikka wrong, unless it's marinated for too long, which was not the case here. There was nothing special about the chicken boti.

BBQ is Baradari's specialty


Although the sound of 'kat-a-kat' and aroma of chicken sajji tempted us to eat some more, we thought it best to now round off our meal with dessert. Kheerin clay pots, kulfa falooda in rabari syrup, mithai made from figs and pumpkinhalwa were just some of the options.

“Fig mithai and kulfa are our two most popular desserts. It takes a lot of time and effort to cook these desserts,” Rehmat told us as we helped ourselves.

Damage on the pocket
The buffet at Baradari comes highly priced at Rs 2350+tax.

Baradari is open from 7pm to 11pm. The restaurant is closed on rainy days.

 

[ghazi52]

This BBQ joint in Islamabad is a meat lover's paradise

HASSAN BELAL ZAIDI

BBQ Bazaar is a great place for families and large groups of diners who are serious about their love for meat.

Given the popularity of BBQ, it is no surprise that the starved denizens of the capital are turning up in droves to the latest meat lovers’ paradise in Islamabad – BBQ Bazaar. Photo: Culinar Depot


Since the dawn of mankind, grilled meat is probably the most widely consumed meal – out of choice or sheer necessity – in most corners of the world.

The art of barbequing meat has evolved over the ages; from place to place, generation to generation and culture to culture.

The subcontinent has a rich tradition of barbequed meat; it is the centrepiece of Shinwari cuisine and the crowning glory of the Punjabi palate. But quintessential desi BBQ has always been associated with holes-in-the-wall; roadside joints that could care less about hygiene and, instead, aim to serve up well-grilled meats marinated in a medley of delectable spices.

Given the popularity of BBQ, it is then no surprise that the gastronomically starved denizens of the capital are turning up in droves to the latest meat lovers’ paradise in Islamabad – BBQ Bazaar.

Located in Jinnah Super Market, on Bhittai Road, the eatery has only been around for a few months. The brainchild of two food-loving businessmen – Ahmad Khan and Ali Gohar – the restaurant has quickly developed a loyal clientele, with customers coming back for more every so often.

The new eatery that elevates desi barbeque from roadside food to gourmet-level could be the next big thing.

The look and feel of BBQ Bazaar, though, is a far cry from most dhabas that are known to serve up lip-smacking barbeque. With its crisp, stylish and almost bourgeois environs and cosy outdoor seating, this a great place for families and large groups of diners who are serious about their love for meat.

When asked ‘Why BBQ?’, Mr Khan put it this way: “BBQ is healthier and people like to go out for it, since it’s not something cooked easily at home.”

While most barbeque places can be split between the Shinwari (Pashtun) or Punjabi-style, Mr Khan claims to have kept a balance between the two.

“We serve saltish non-spicy and spicy barbeque as well, to cater to all taste buds. We brought in specialist chefs for each item from different cities of Pakistan so that anyone, be they from Punjab, KP, GB, AJK, Balochistan or Sindh, everyone’s tastes are catered to,” he says.

The pièce de résistance has to be the trinity of Punjabi-style mutton chops, Shinwari style salty lamb chops and grilled spicy prawns. Served in a style reminiscent of rodízio, the Brazilian all-you-can-eat barbeque spread, the skewers of perfectly-cooked meat are a sight to behold, and taste even better than they look.

Each has their own unique characteristics. The lamb chop is slightly dry, very salty and so well-cooked that marrow enthusiasts can safely chew on the crispy ends of bone.

The spicy mutton chops are a symphony of flavours and textures, capturing perfectly the essence of Punjabi spices and slow-cooking.

The grilled prawns seem to come straight from the Karachi-seafront; the spice and the consistency is at a par with the best that established places such as Karachi’s Barbeque Tonight have to offer.

Tamarind sauce is the perfect condiment for the occasion, and is served in liberal quantities alongside most BBQ items. The signature starter, a variation on namak paray, served with tamarind chutney, get those stomach juices flowing while one waits for the main course.

“Amazing food! Their mutton chops, mutton boti and prawn BBQ are great. Also loved their daal makhani and biryani,” raved long-time Islamabad resident Amina Askari.

Mohammad Kashif, who was on a visit to Islamabad, was fascinated by the ambience of the place. Lamenting how most restaurants focus on cosmetics and not their food, he said: “My experience at BBQ Bazaar is very different. The food is tremendous, especially their mutton chops. They have been cooked with just the right amount of spice, and the sauces compliment the food perfectly,” he added.

On his part, Mr Khan seems content with a decidedly Pakistani identity for his restaurant. Indeed, the restaurant has hardly had any publicity; relying mostly on word of mouth and returning customers since it opened its doors a couple of months ago.

 

[friendly_troll96]

nargassi koftas
.

@Mentee

 

[Mentee]

@Mentee

yeh aik khanay Ki Cheez Hain ap k dimagh p b dahi rorni paray gi

 

[friendly_troll96]

yeh aik khanay Ki Cheez Hain ap k dimagh p b dahi rorni paray gi

mn samjha peenay ki.
dahi deedari ho tuo hum tayar hn.