Written by: Aiman Javed
Posted on: November 26, 2018 | 
| 中文
Taco from Shakespeare's Lounge
Predictably so, the Jinnah Convention Centre, Islamabad was packed all weekend, from 23rd November to 25th November, 2018. With an entry ticket of 250 PKR, Islamabad Eat was a roaring success just like last year. It brought together a wide variety of old and new eateries to the capital city, along with musical evenings and activities for children.
Our food tour began with some Fish and Chips from Baauz (300 PKR), one of our favourite restaurants in the city. The six pieces of fish had a delectable and crispy coating, which paired well with the creamy tartar sauce. Unfortunately, while the fish was quite tender, it tasted slightly bland.
From Shakespeare’s Lounge, we selected their tacos (250 PKR). Thankfully, the single Taco was large and the filling was delicious. With corn, red beans, chickpeas, chicken, tomatoes and black olives, there was so much packed in there complimenting the crispy corn tortilla. Though a little expensive, and messy to consume, it was worth trying.
Next, we selected a desi speciality, the Chicken Pathooray from The Red Door (250 PKR). Cooked right at the spot, these were warm, airy and soft paratha/puri, paired with sweet and sour imli chutney and some complimentary channay. Light on the stomach, we gobbled them down quickly.
One of the most popular eateries, Noor’s Kitchen, had quite a long waiting time, but we knew we had to have their Dosa. The Splitz Dosa had a half potato and half chicken tikka filling (350 PKR). Cooked in front of us, the dosa was warm, thin and crispy. The chicken tikka filling was spicy, but it was the potato filling that stole the show. The well-seasoned soft potatoes wonderfully complimented the crunchiness of the dosa, and we can honestly say it was well-worth the hype.
A more average snack of the day was the Potato Pockets from Mom’s Cookbook (100 PKR). The two pockets were good comfort food in the chilly evening, but there wasn’t anything novel about them. They tasted exactly like any other samosa, but were square in shape.
Our worst experience was the Gol Gappay Shots from Chai Pay. We were excited about trying the six shots (150 PKR), but not only was the quantity of the filling disappointing (potatoes, channay and imli ki chutney), the Gol Gappay were stale and lacked a much needed crunch.
To have something more filling, we headed over to Rewayat for some good old Puri, Channay and Sooji ka Halwa (160 PKR). The Puris were soft, layered and freshly cooked while the Channay and Aloo Achaar were spicy and tangy. The Halwa was mildly sweet, and overall this was a filling and inexpensive dish.
Our best pick of the evening were the Dum Kebabs from Gufti’s Kitchen. For 300 PKR, we got five kebabs, one naan, some onions and imli ki chutney; an entire box full of appetizing food. These kebabs were hands-down the most delicious ones we’ve ever had; not only were they well-marinated, they literally melted in our mouth. The chutney and onions paired well with the meat, giving the kebabs a nice kick.
For dessert, we headed to Funky Pop, which had quite a long line. Finally, we got the only flavour available: the Belgian Chocolate Popsicle. Though expensive (220 PKR), it was large in size and thoroughly creamy. With just the right amount of sweetness and a brownie inside, it made for a really filling dessert. From Bake for Me, we picked up the Cookie Shot (150 PKR), which they ran out of each time it was restocked due to its popularity. It consisted of a glass of warm and creamy hot chocolate, with a glass shaped cookie dunked inside. Everything about this dessert was scrumptious, and we felt completely sated after having it. A glass of warm and tasty Kashmiri Chai from Gufti’s Kitchen brought our food tour to an end.
Overall, Islamabad Eat 2018 had a great turnout of attendees, with a lot of restaurants getting the chance to showcase some food innovation. Other popular eateries included Wingitt, PopNosh, Awesamosas, Sinfully Sweet, Karachi Kitchen, Punjabian Dhaba, Chai Junction and Mian Jee ki Daal. Adequate seating had been arranged this time around, which made for a more comfortable experience. By the end of the day, trash started accumulating and the management should focus on this issue next time. Nevertheless, it was a well-organized event by CKO Event Architecture, thoroughly enjoyed by everyone who visited.
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