Pakistan Menu

[ghazi52]

Pakistan Menu....................

Lahore..

Poll results



Mostly desi .......... 60%
Only desi ............. 15%
Mostly fastfood ..... 10%
Mostly western ..... 5%
Only western ........ 5%
Only fastfood ......... 5%
.
.
.
Fazal e Haq - aka Phajjay ke Paye

I know the blog has been idle for some time and it isn't a good thing. Anyway, here I am with another review of Fazl e Haq (nicked as Phajja) chain of restaurants. Now this is truly authentic Lahori taste we are talking about. Not even the neighbouring cities of Lahore have been found to be that keen about Paye (feet) or Siri (heads) of goats. It sounds gross, doesn't it? But then again, this is us ..

.

Fazl e Haq or Mr. Phajja was perhaps the first person who commercialized the idea by coming up with a Paye specialty restaurant in the Red light district (Taxali gate) named as Phajjay ke Paye. People would (and still) flock to this place every morning and wait in queues to have a breakfast of sticky and rubbery meat of goat feet. The Siri on the other hand is not a breakfast item. A typical Siri meal is accompanied by assortments like Maghaz (brain), Zuban (tongue) and Khad (Jawbone) - everything cooked of course. You eat it with Roti or Kulcha. Another reason for having started his venture in the red light district of Lahore was perhaps the purportedly aphrodisiac nature of these meals. Aphrodisiac or not, they are rich in cholesterol for sure.



Fazl e Haq has now grown into a chain of restaurants covering almost all the major areas of Lahore. This includes Fortress stadium (you can see that in the picture), Gawalmandi, Red light district, Model town, and a few more places that I am not aware of. The new menu includes typical desi food stuff in addition to their specialty.

You must go to the Taxali gate outlet to have the authentic experience. It is very close to the Shahi Mosque. If you think the Siri Paye experience can be risky, you should go to the Fortress stadium outlet.




.
Khusray ke Kabab



I was as baffled to know the name of this place as you are after reading the title. For those who aren't familiar with the word 'Khusra', it means a transexual. We'll talk about the food in a bit. Let me first share my discomfort for not being able to understand the reason for having such a crude name. I'll have to resort to guesses since nobody could tell me the real reason. Here is one: There was a chap in the waiters forum in his mid-forties (i think), he was wearing a dopatta and walking 'that' walk. He graced us by waiting on our table too. Perhaps it is not them (the management of this dhaba), it is the public that has named the place like this.



Khusray ke kabab dhaba is located at the obscurest possible place in Lahore. At the junction of Mall road and Tufail road in the cantt area, hidden behind a sort-of-skyscraper hotel building. The dhaba is actually a movable cart parked in an open-air parking lot and customer tables on the other side.


There is no sign of any sort on the road indicating its presence which means they don't have walk-in customers. It is a living example of the word of mouth marketing.

They make really good chicken tikka and chicken boti - boneless chicken meat cubes on skewers and barbequed (see the picture). Although the real popular item is beef kababs but I think I've had better kababs than theirs. Try Bhayya's kababs if you haven't done that already. The next best item is called chicken piece which is around a quarter of a chicken also barbequed on a flat skewer. Raita and Salad are the typical accompaniments. I wouldn't recommend their Raita though.

 

[ghazi52]

Butt Karahi

emm .. no, this is not buttocks of an animal in the dish .. thats not what 'butt' karahi means. Butt is a cast in Pakistan and they are famous for their eating habits (lets just say no more). Butt karahi is a restaurant in Lahore. They make chicken and mutton karahi, and man .. they are GOOD at it. Butt karahi is also known for its Takatak - a mix of goat kidney and testicles (yes, testicles!) finely chopped and fried on a tawa with
masalah.




I've suddenly realized, this text has become more of an anatomical review of animal privates than the review of the food itself. So, I'll get straight to the taste. Desi chicken karahi tastes excellent. Meat is tender, deeply marinated in the masalah and uniformly cooked. Presented in the original cooking dish (Karahi) and you are free to eat from within the karahi without bothering about the cutlery, plates and other accessories. Thats the whole fun about this place. Interior of the restaurant is rubbish. Tableware is not very fine either but the place still calls for a dine-in visit and will force you to come back sooner or later.

It is located on the main McLeaod Rd. Lakshami crossing in Lahore (Gawalmandi). Two imitates with the same name surround the original butt karahi restaurant. So beware!If you've been there, do leave a comment and let us all know about your experience.

 

[banvanaxl]

Pakistan Menu....................

Lahore..

Poll results



Mostly desi .......... 60%
Only desi ............. 15%
Mostly fastfood ..... 10%
Mostly western ..... 5%
Only western ........ 5%
Only fastfood ......... 5%
.
.
.
Fazal e Haq - aka Phajjay ke Paye

I know the blog has been idle for some time and it isn't a good thing. Anyway, here I am with another review of Fazl e Haq (nicked as Phajja) chain of restaurants. Now this is truly authentic Lahori taste we are talking about. Not even the neighbouring cities of Lahore have been found to be that keen about Paye (feet) or Siri (heads) of goats. It sounds gross, doesn't it? But then again, this is us ..

.

Fazl e Haq or Mr. Phajja was perhaps the first person who commercialized the idea by coming up with a Paye specialty restaurant in the Red light district (Taxali gate) named as Phajjay ke Paye. People would (and still) flock to this place every morning and wait in queues to have a breakfast of sticky and rubbery meat of goat feet. The Siri on the other hand is not a breakfast item. A typical Siri meal is accompanied by assortments like Maghaz (brain), Zuban (tongue) and Khad (Jawbone) - everything cooked of course. You eat it with Roti or Kulcha. Another reason for having started his venture in the red light district of Lahore was perhaps the purportedly aphrodisiac nature of these meals. Aphrodisiac or not, they are rich in cholesterol for sure.



Fazl e Haq has now grown into a chain of restaurants covering almost all the major areas of Lahore. This includes Fortress stadium (you can see that in the picture), Gawalmandi, Red light district, Model town, and a few more places that I am not aware of. The new menu includes typical desi food stuff in addition to their specialty.

You must go to the Taxali gate outlet to have the authentic experience. It is very close to the Shahi Mosque. If you think the Siri Paye experience can be risky, you should go to the Fortress stadium outlet.




.
Khusray ke Kabab



I was as baffled to know the name of this place as you are after reading the title. For those who aren't familiar with the word 'Khusra', it means a transexual. We'll talk about the food in a bit. Let me first share my discomfort for not being able to understand the reason for having such a crude name. I'll have to resort to guesses since nobody could tell me the real reason. Here is one: There was a chap in the waiters forum in his mid-forties (i think), he was wearing a dopatta and walking 'that' walk. He graced us by waiting on our table too. Perhaps it is not them (the management of this dhaba), it is the public that has named the place like this.



Khusray ke kabab dhaba is located at the obscurest possible place in Lahore. At the junction of Mall road and Tufail road in the cantt area, hidden behind a sort-of-skyscraper hotel building. The dhaba is actually a movable cart parked in an open-air parking lot and customer tables on the other side.


There is no sign of any sort on the road indicating its presence which means they don't have walk-in customers. It is a living example of the word of mouth marketing.

They make really good chicken tikka and chicken boti - boneless chicken meat cubes on skewers and barbequed (see the picture). Although the real popular item is beef kababs but I think I've had better kababs than theirs. Try Bhayya's kababs if you haven't done that already. The next best item is called chicken piece which is around a quarter of a chicken also barbequed on a flat skewer. Raita and Salad are the typical accompaniments. I wouldn't recommend their Raita though.

Thanks a ton for these lovely posts. Me being a bit of an epicurean and food connoisseur myself do appreciate them a lot.

Wish you could drop by. I would take you to Karims near Jama Masjid. "Out of the world" would be an understatement for the fare you are presented with out there.

Fit for an emperor: Old Delhi's most enduring restaurant Karim's celebrates its centenary - Features - Food and Drink - The Independent

On a different note, this being a defence blog and all that, I was thinking -Would it be feasible to start a "stickied" thread with all of us contributing the recipes for the best South Asian meals they have had till date? Would be awesome fun for starters and a welcome break from the usual mudslinging that goes on in here.

 

[ghazi52]

Mohammadi Nihari

Take a plunge into the greasiest of Lahori dishes, the famous beef nihari from Mohammadi Nihari. Did I hear 'Cholesterol'? ... Are you kidding? If Lahoris start worrying about cardiac problems, we will be left with nothing to eat and will have to migrate to the nearest Chinese city.


Beef nihari

Nihari is a thick spicy curry with very tender meat pieces of beef. A thin floating layer of cooking oil on the surface is considered a delicacy. You eat it with freshly prepared oven baked loaf bread, called 'khameeri roti'. Finely chopped ginger, lemon and fresh coriander leaves are also served for the dressing on the table side. The combination results in a scrumptious meal that you will find very hard to forget.



Beef nihari with Nali
That's not it. You have some more options to further enhance the experience. e.g. you can order some bone marrow (cooked of course) to be added in your serving. This is calledNali. If that doesn't fulfill your appetite for fat, you have the option of adding fried goat brain. Yes .. that is exactly what I said .. goat brain .. fried. It is called 'Maghaz'.

They offer both takeaway and dine-in. Mohammadi Nihari has many branches in the city e.g. Mozang Chowk and Cantt.

The word Nihari originates from 'Nihar' which means morning. So it is meant to be a breakfast meal. However, it is not restricted to only breakfasts anymore.



Mohammadi Nihari Menu

 

[Shamain]

Annnhannnhannnn all of this has got me so hungry. Mujhayyy khana hai yeh sab minus paey minus nihari.

 

[ghazi52]

...............
Tawa gurda kapoora - aka Taka tak

While the world is talking about the weirdness of Beijing style food, I thought of highlighting the position of Lahori food on the chart of bizarreness. I am sure it stands somewhere in the top 10. So here we go:




Roughly translated, Tawa gurda kapoora means kidneys and testicles in a large frying pan. To avoid the embarrassment of associating such words with food, most of us now call it Taka tak. It refers to the sound made by the skillful chef while frying these organs and hitting the pan with two sharp slicers in a captivating rythm. He keeps slicing and frying them until the kapooray (testicles), gurday (kidneys), dil (heart), maghaz (brain) and chaampain (ribs) become a homogeneous mixture of meat and thick masala curry. You can make your pick and choose which parts to include in your serving. It is DELICIOUS.

One of the most famous spots to try this out is Butt taka tak at Lakshmi chowk, Gawalmandi. It islocated right next to Butt Karahi that has been reviewed earlier. Not only will you enjoy the typical outdoor dining experience in the heart of Lahore, you will also find a bunch of live chickens to give you company while you listen to the magical beat of taka tak. Not to mention all those large tables smothered with uncooked goat organs (as you can see in the above picture) giving you a feeling of being part of a massive autopsy project.



.....................................................................


What? .. Yikes? .. No! The moment you take the first bite of this scrumptious meal, will be the time when everything else, such as traffic noise, diesel smoke, smell of chicken shit, autopsy tables, etc., will stop bothering you. So dive in and give it a try.

 

[ghazi52]

Student Biryani

I think now it is official that Lahoris, despite all the struggles, could not come up with a successful biryani. I admit this with utmost distress that all the Lahori restaurants that have had biryani on their menu, haven't been able to go past a typical Pulao. It caused half of the Lahori population to misunderstand the true taste and potential of biryani and the other half to hate it. Biryani Express (sindhi recipe) first and now Student biryani from Karachi have jumped in to fill the gap. I am not sure about Biryani express, but Student biryani has been a perfect hit so far.


Take a trip to the fortress stadium and you will find Student biryani right next to the Joyland. They started in Lahore only a few months ago so the interior is new and tidy so far. It is even better than the ones in Karachi.

Student biryani is a variant of the Bombay biryani and therefore includes potatoes in the most tender, yet undamaged, form. Rice grains are soft but separate from each other, almost religiously following the definition of an ideal biryani. Taste is better than just good. You will begin to feel the aroma as soon as it is served and it will follow you even after you have left the restaurant. If you had it in lunch, Occasional belches will keep reminding you of the same aroma for the rest of the day, but that can be a bit annoying of course. My fellow readers who have been to Karachi or southern India will instantly recall the fragrance and the ones who have not been there will not be able to forget it.

 

[Sinnerman108]

Student Biryani

I think now it is official that Lahoris, despite all the struggles, could not come up with a successful biryani. I admit this with utmost distress that all the Lahori restaurants that have had biryani on their menu, haven't been able to go past a typical Pulao. It caused half of the Lahori population to misunderstand the true taste and potential of biryani and the other half to hate it. Biryani Express (sindhi recipe) first and now Student biryani from Karachi have jumped in to fill the gap. I am not sure about Biryani express, but Student biryani has been a perfect hit so far.


Take a trip to the fortress stadium and you will find Student biryani right next to the Joyland. They started in Lahore only a few months ago so the interior is new and tidy so far. It is even better than the ones in Karachi.

Student biryani is a variant of the Bombay biryani and therefore includes potatoes in the most tender, yet undamaged, form. Rice grains are soft but separate from each other, almost religiously following the definition of an ideal biryani. Taste is better than just good. You will begin to feel the aroma as soon as it is served and it will follow you even after you have left the restaurant. If you had it in lunch, Occasional belches will keep reminding you of the same aroma for the rest of the day, but that can be a bit annoying of course. My fellow readers who have been to Karachi or southern India will instantly recall the fragrance and the ones who have not been there will not be able to forget it.

Student Biryani is Karachi based enterprise.
So it is a bit unfair to associate it with Lahore.

And, this may sound offensive, but Karachi is far ahead of Lahore when it comes to matter of tongue and stomach.

 

[ghazi52]

Student Biryani is Karachi based enterprise.
So it is a bit unfair to associate it with Lahore.

And, this may sound offensive, but Karachi is far ahead of Lahore when it comes to matter of tongue and stomach.

Yes..Biryani is Karachi specialty.that Lahoris, despite all the struggles, could not come up with a successful biryani.

 

[friendly_troll96]

Khusray ke Kabab
Butt Karahi

What next...poop burgers?

 

[ghazi52]

........... KB Burgers



I have grown up eating KB burgers. It is my childhood association with them more than its fame that is compelling me to write this review. The taste, nonetheless, is fantastically unique and unforgettable. Two fried beef kababs are spread inside the freshly baked long bread topped with sauces of various sorts and a sizzling hot fried egg (or boiled if you choose so). It is finally garnished with finely chopped fresh mint leaves before being capped with the remaining half of the brown surfaced partially fried bread. Above all, everything is done in front of your eyes. An expert chef is skillfully managing the assembly line of a few dozen burgers wearing polythene gloves behind a wall-sized glass window. What a treat!

You can find it on the Poonch road in Samanabad near Choburji. 20 years ago, this used to be a simple roadside dhaba. They have maintained the unique taste even today but changed the outlook entirely.
Prices are very affordable.



A regular double beef burger costs you around Rs. 44 and you can eat two for a meal. To keep up with the trends, they have included a bunch of continental burgers in the menu as well. That is the ordinary part of their menu and is not something for which you would want to travel a long distance to come all the way to this place. As far as traveling for the beef burgers is concerned, I know a couple of friends who traveled all the way from Ireland and Washington to satisfy the urge. Everyone who has experienced the addiction, please feel free to leave a comment and share your experience.