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    Wok Fusion Café

    Written by: Zainab Hasan
    Posted on: October 09, 2017 | | 中文

    Outside view (Source: Wok Facebook)

    Although Centaurus is brimming with high-end restaurants, serving both desi and contemporary cuisines from around the world, ‘Wok Fusion Café’ only recently opened up on the third floor. Adjacent to Gloria Jeans and Bhatti Gate, Wok has spectacularly beautiful stone-themed walls, which serve as a great backdrop for the elegant interior of the restaurant. Gold – accented light fixtures, rustic table tops and red striped chairs are arranged inside, while an expansive terrace, with a view of the Margalla Hills, is an additional attractive feature.

    Wok’s fusion menu flits between Chinese, Singaporean and Thai cuisines. The menu placemats on all tables have unchecked boxes alongside the dishes names, and so each menu can be filled out by the customer, allowing you to make your choices in peace. This strategy encourages guests to take risks and try different dishes. An interesting fact about Wok’s ambiance is that the music being played by the restaurant is also South-East Asian and Chinese.

    Interior of the Wok Fusion Cafe

    Interior

    Upon skimming the entire menu, the three step wok proved to be the most exciting and time consuming to choose from. Otherwise, most dishes listed on the limited menu at The Wok are neither new nor novel and it’s only the priority given to individual preferences that sets them apart. Their menu also provides you with a heat index scale, so that every dish can be gauged for its spiciness. This gives you the freedom to experiment with flavors and establish favorites.

    A variety of starters and soups, including coconut shrimp, sweet and sour wings, and chili prawns are available. The fusion bar introduces a concoction of natural juices, orange lemonade and mint lemonade. However, we went straight for the main courses.

    With the ‘Three-Step Wok,’ I could choose from a base of a variety of rice and pasta, including Singaporean rice, vegetable fried rice, penne pasta and fettucine. Next, I had to select flavor from Italiano, Chinese and Thai. They’ve added exciting protein options such as Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Fajita, beef, shrimp and so on. Four delicious stir fried vegetables can be picked, to add texture to the dish. Penne pasta tossed with chicken fajita, sweetcorn, carrots, capsicum and fresh beans, in a Puttanesca sauce, was my choice. The sauce was quite spicy, but enjoyable if one is used to having such food. The chicken was tender and plentiful, while the pasta was perfectly stir-fried. Overall, a delicious dish that left me wanting more.

    Penne Pasta with Chicken Fajita and Capsicum

    Penne Pasta with Chicken Fajita and Capsicum

    ‘Chef’s Wok’ are ready to order recipes, including Thai Chicken Lime, Chicken Mexicana, Nasi Goreng, Singaporean Chili Prawn with Pineapple Rice, to name a few. All specialties are served with the rice of your own choice. I picked Chicken Mexicana, which had chicken morsels and capsicum pieces, dressed in a spicy Mexican sauce. Unfortunately, the salt in the dish overpowered all other elements. Moreover, the chicken was a little overcooked. The saving grace were the crunchy vegetables.

    Chicken Mexicana

    Chicken Mexicana

    Herb and Beef Chili was served in a simple noodle bowl. The aroma of the food was enticing and I dived in immediately. The marinated beef fillets sautéed in a savory oyster sauce were balanced by the zesty black pepper. The meat was cooked perfectly and I was quite happy with this item.

    Overall, the experience at Wok was good. Though I was disappointed with one dish, other factors such as the cooperative and helpful staff made up for it. All dishes had portions fit for a single individual; perfectly good for the inexpensive amount paid per meal. Standard serving costs 595 Rupees, and large serving goes up to 665 Rupees. Each dish was served within 15 to 20 minutes of arrival, since the restaurant was not busy. Reservations can be made, if time is a constraint.


    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