Written by: Kinza Peracha
Posted on: January 13, 2020 | 
| 中文
Pesto's Interior with its Green Door (photo credits to Pesto)
Pesto offers a unique solution to a very particular problem. The restaurant came to life as the brainchild of two couples, who also happen to be best friends. They realized that the city of Karachi lacked healthy eateries for families, and immediately sought to amend that issue. With the idea of providing well-balanced meals that are not only appetizing but also appeal to the senses, Pesto promises to give you healthier food with calculated macros. In fact, the menu comes with a nutrition breakdown for each dish, to cater to the calorie conscious.
Pesto is located on Saba Avenue, a street away from Chai Wala at Chhota Bukhari. Its emerald door and big windows with wooden blinds are not the easiest find. I found the dim lighting to have a negative initial impression of the place. Their valet service though is a bonus, as it's difficult to find parking on such a cramped street.
Pesto opens its door for customers at 7:30 PM, and shuts at 11:45 PM. It recently opened its doors for lunch (12:00 PM), and plans to introduce breakfast shortly. A group of friends and I decided to order a few things from their menu, and shared all of them.
First up was the Pulled Beef Sandwich, which simply melted in my mouth. The slow-cooked beef was served on bed of iceberg lettuce, and topped with tomatoes and jalapeños. The whole thing was served with a Panini grilled whole-wheat bread, and non-oily French fries. The sandwich was definitely a hit, with a beautiful blend of all the ingredients, and the perfect cook on the beef served with a creamy herb dip.
Pulled Beef Sandwich (photo credits to the writer)
Next up was Air-fried Halloumi Sticks, halloumi cheese coated with whole-wheat breadcrumbs, and served with a pesto sauce. When the dish arrived it looked a bit lackluster, with four small sticks and sauce on the side. But it was completely different story once I dunk it into their in-house pesto sauce. First thoughts: the pesto! The crunch!
Air-Fried Halloumi Sticks (photo credits to the writer)
The coating was light, crunchy and non-greasy. And then the smooth, semi-soft cheese flavor (courtesy of Karacheese), came through. But their fresh, homemade pesto scored the homer.
On Team Pesto’s recommendation, we tried the deliciously sticky Chicken Spinach Wraps! It was a whole-wheat spinach wrap, that was filled with sticky char grilled chicken and included carrots, rocket leaves, red cabbage and whole-wheat noodles. Served with fries that were lighter than air, this dish on the menu was the winner with its crunchy, fresh ingredients.
Chicken Spinach Wraps (photo credits to the writer)
We also ordered the Thai Prawn Bowl, a hearty bowl of salad, with a decent serving of spicy grilled prawns. The salad consisted of lettuce, mint leaves, rocket leaves, purple cabbage, bird's eye chili, chopped peanuts and that amazing flavored chili lime peanut dressing. The combination of the greens with the shrimp was flawless. That sauce elevated the dish even more, and we licked those little ramekins clean. However, we would have liked more prawns in the dish, and the dish needed more mint leaves or less rocket to achieve the perfect harmony in the dish.
Next up was a burger of which we had heard a lot of great things. Their Jalapeño Chicken Burger consisted of grilled chicken patty, served with jalapenos, low-fat cheese, lettuce and slaw in a whole-wheat bun. The dish came with fried greens and French fries. I recommend this for people who love burgers but are struggling with shedding pounds. The dip also complimented things perfectly. For drinks we tried their Mint Lemonade Stevia, which was refreshing but a bit too overwhelming for me.
Jalapeno Chicken Burger (photo credits to Pesto)
The last item on the table was the divinely mouthwatering Dark Chocolate Tart. Made with an almond flour base, and filled with Lindt's 80% dark chocolate and natural sweeteners, this dessert makes you drool while keeping in mind Pesto’s main objectives for healthy eating.
After such a great dessert, we asked for their Hot Chocolate. The sugar-free drink caters to those with diabetes or high cholesterol. The dark chocolate used in the recipe added that strong kick in the otherwise creamy, rich cocoa.
Hot Cocoa (photo credits to Pesto)
As much as we liked the place and its healthy items, I don’t think I’ll visit it unless someone else is paying for the food. The entire bill was 9k, which is a bit heavy on the pocket. But Pesto lives up to the hype, and provides quality food to those looking to live a healthier lifestyle. I would certainly visit for their Hot Cocoa and Chocolate Tart, which were the real superstars of my meal.
You may also like:
