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    Karachi Eat 2016: Celebrating Diversity through Food

    Written by: Javeriah Farrukh
    Posted on: January 25, 2016 |

    (Photo by Shehnaz Saeed)

    Karachi is known for its diversity, and the most delightful way to experience it is through the city’s delectable food. For Karachiites, food is not just a need, but a facet of their culture that mirrors the city’s diversity. This diversity is what Karachi Eat 2016, held this weekend at Karachi’s Frere Hall gardens, aims to celebrate. With a fitting tagline of “Eat. Eat. Repeat.”, the festival provides a common ground for all and sundry to gather and celebrate their love for food, and for this beautiful city. On Friday evening, the city’s iconic Frere Hall, aglow with a mystic purple haze, hosted throngs of people who had turned up with friends and family to enjoy Karachi’s most popular foods. From juicy steak burgers to sizzling chapli kebabs, from the signature Burns Road kheer to freshly baked waffles, from Boba tea to aromatic paans, Karachi Eat was truly a foodie’s haven.

    Karachi Eat 2016

    Juicy burger patties at 'Big Thick Burgerz'

    Karachi Eat 2016 was the third edition of the signature food gala brought together by CKO (Chapra Khan Omari) Events and Architecture. It is the brainchild of three individuals, Sara Chapra, Omar Omari, and Aslam Khan. Their purpose for organizing the event each year is to promote local food as well as to give the inhabitants of this entertainment-starved city a chance to enjoy a weekend of food and fun – two things that are characteristic of Karachi.

    This year’s event offered an enormous selection of food. 92 vendors had set up stalls at the festival, including popular local food chains, upscale cafes, home bakers, and roadside vendors. As soon as one entered the manicured gardens of Frere Hall, the aroma of barbecued tikkas and freshly baked waffles tantalized one’s taste buds. Local food companies such as Shan and National Foods had set up elaborate stalls, selling some of their signature dishes including shahi haleem, a thick spicy broth of lentils and meat, and samosa chaat, a tea-time favorite. Old favorites including Hoagies, Pantry, Patio and Vintage returned with delicious local and continental dishes including sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, soups, and steaks. The best-selling item of the event, however, was the classic Chapli Kabab (a patty of minced meat with strong spices fried to a crisp golden-brown) from the Chapli Kabab House which remained flooded with customers throughout the evening. Other varieties included indigenous cuisines such as hyderabadi kabab from Nano’s Hyderabadi Cuisine, masala dosa from Khao Dosa, and chaat from Saniya’s Kitchen. Chinese cuisine remained another popular choice, prepared by vendors including ‘Chairman Mao’ and ‘Mr. Chow’ that wowed people with their sizzlers and chowmein.

    Karachi Eat 2016

    (Photo by Shehnaz Saeed)

    How could a foodie’s paradise be complete without dessert! Karachi Eat had an entire section dedicated to the most scrumptious sweet treats including cakes, pastries, cupcakes, and waffles. ‘Spoonful’ of nutella samosa fame returned this year with another addition to their creative menu – nutella gol gappas. Churros and Choc was another hot favorite. Magnum’s mini ice-cream parlor also served tempting Belgian chocolate ice-cream at the venue.

    Speaking of a food festival and not mentioning chai (tea) would be a disservice to the culinary senses of Karachiites. Chai is a recurrent feature in a typical Karachiite’s day. With breakfast, during work, in the evening, after dinner, and sometimes even as comfort food, a piping hot cup of kaddak chai is often all one needs to get through the day. Chai Wala, with their lip-smacking parathas and chai were also present at the festival. Boba tea also made a return with their exotic selection of teas.

    Karachi Eat 2016

    A panoramic view of the crowd (Photo by Karachi Eat Festival)

    Karachi Eat lasted for three days, providing some much-needed relief from the stressful life of this buzzing metropolis. This event was not merely a culinary treat; it also set the bar higher for entertainment in Karachi as a whole. Although it started off as a food gala, this festival has now become a representation of Karachi. It serves to highlight the need for celebrating things that are woven into our cultural fabric. It also serves as an avenue for promoting the city and its diversity while giving its inhabitants a chance to come together and celebrate under one roof.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021