Karachi Cuisine
By Ras Siddiqui
CA


Landing in Karachi after fifteen odd years was not an easy undertaking. To the outsider it may just be another mega-city in South Asia, maybe a more chaotic, distant cousin of Bombay, but to this sentimental old fool (the emphasis here is on being “old”), this was (and is?) home. And home is where the heart is and will remain for a long lost son. Karachi now (I cannot write this easily) has many lost sons around the globe.
The fact is that this writer does not have a great grasp of the current generation’s collective and unfulfilled dreams for this city. But let me also add here that there is no place on earth that many born in Karachi love more. Karachi lives, loves and celebrates without these distant souls today, as many have fled its mini-wars, political turmoil and economic neglect (till recently). But its cuisine still remains etched in our memory. And it is through this culinary route that we still get misty eyed and nostalgic.
Being the focal point of much internal Pakistani and regional immigration, Karachi, naturally also has become a hub for their ethnic cuisine. The Sindhi (obviously) plus the Baluch and the Gujaratis have been here from the very beginning. Add to that the UP/Delhi influx, the Pathan and Punjabi, Afghan and Irani and let us not forget the Bangladeshi and you can get to see the beginning of the food picture. And Middle Eastern and Western influence cannot be ignored here either. The foods of this region are well represented here because millions of outsiders have made Karachi their home now.
First and foremost, many words of thanks are due to each household that I visited and the great food that old friends and people in my extended family in Karachi served their long lost one. The family cuisine is surviving very well in my absence and is not diminished in any way by this journey into Karachi’s Restaurant or Bazaari food.
The first stop outside was Sabir Restaurant off M.A. Jinnah Road for some superb Nihari and Bheja. Not to be confused with Sabri on Burns Road (where the REAL food is still alive and well) and neighboring Malik’s for more of the same. This is where Karachi food is at par if not better than Delhi food (where this cuisine actually originates).
If only we could transplant that taste here to the US.?
But let start from the beginning. That Rs. 70 plate of Student Biryani in Saddar was certainly still well worth the taste, although the ambiance could be much improved. Baloch Ice was rather disappointing but maybe the ice cream is better here in America except for the Faluda that I had in Bahadurabad which reminded me of the old Sunshine days on Tariq Road.
And while we are on the subject of dessert, the mithai standard has not fallen, not even a notch since the old days, at S.M. Sweets and Darbaar-e-Shireen, and who can forget Dacca Sweets in Gulshan where the Date Palm Juice flavored “Dohi” (yogurt) melts in the mouth like the original from Bogra in Bangladesh. But it would not be fair if I neglect to mention the Nirala chain here because not only was their traditional khoya mithai great but it was displayed, packaged and presented in such a hygienic way that one wonders if ISO 9000 type certification had reached this industry in Pakistan?
Ghaffar’s at Riaz Masjid still cooks and serves delicious kababs (with dhaga/strings) right off the skewer and you can also indulge in their nihari if you don’t have time to go to old Karachi. And somehow I missed old Firpo and Fizaro off Tariq Road this time and wonder if they are still there?
For a taste change towards mild, the chicken and goat at Agha’s Sajji Corner on Burns Road near Malik’s was quite refreshing. But who can stay away from Sabri or Malik Hotel’s nihari while in Karachi? It would almost be like going to Karachi and not trying Bundoo Khan’s paratha and kabab!
This was just a glimpse of my food journey into the traditional or economy model of Karachi food which is very rich on taste but lighter on the pocketbook. But what about the upper end restaurants?
The five star hotels in Karachi all have superb restaurants, but that is not what I meant. The gathering places for the rich and successful these days are mainly around the localities of Clifton and Defense. And I only had a chance to visit them twice.
My favorite discovery on this trip had to be “Bar.B.Q. Tonight” in Clifton. And I can write this in jest because it appeared as if the rest of Karachi’s social movers and shakers had already discovered the fine Pakistani-Afghan fusion food here (they can even do justice to steak and ribs). With few chili spices, heartburn is not an issue here. There is little to criticize about this restaurant except for the fact that on some evenings you will be lucky to get a table even in their parking lot. But the wait for their Kandahari nans alone is worth it.
The other place that I visited is expensive. The restaurant is “Nawab” on Zamzama Street which is a Dubai started franchise. Here the food was Mughlai and they do not hold back the spices. The service is excellent and the ambiance worthy of a Nawab.
Had to save this last one because it is certainly a place where Pakistani Americans could take their families while in Karachi. It is a bit of smoke and mirrors but “Lal Qila”
or “Red Fort” on Shahrah-e-Faisal somehow works well. At around Rupees 400 per person, you can indulge in a buffet that covers the wide spectrum of the food available in Pakistan. There is such a selection here that everyone in the family will find something that he likes. And the ambiance plus entertainment will touch a funny bone or two, enough to impress most foreign tourists.
And if ever you want a change or Baklava or just to kick back and relax, you can join the hukka smokers of “Sheesha” outside the Damascus Restaurant in Clifton. Being a non-smoker is fine here too, but you just have to experience the heavenly December breeze in Karachi more than once.
One cannot really close this Karachi Gourmet tour easily. This was just a small glimpse of what is available there. And if you are not a fan of South Asian cuisine at all and your kids are into fast foods, Pakistani Americans will find that this city is full of McDonalds, KFC and Nando’s where you can feel right at home. But for us “old timers” Karachi still has some of the best food in the world. And just in case you eat too much, keep some of that Pepto or Imodium handy! Bandar Road say Kimari Hamari.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Editor: Akhtar M. Faruqui
© 2004 pakistanlink.com . All Rights Reserved.