Written by: Hurmat Majid
Posted on: December 27, 2021 | 
| 中文
A view of the baked bar
Have you ever had an experience so good that you have a hard time articulating it in words? TestKitchen by Okra was just that for me. In a city like Karachi, which is teeming with restaurants with people waiting their turn outside the door, can mean only one thing, you’re sure of the quality and taste of the food that is being served.
The establishment doesn’t take reservations, and since it comprises of a handful of tables and chairs you have to wait at least ten minutes, no matter which day and what time you visit. But boy is the food worth the wait!
Once inside you are seated and given a menu card, there’s also the option of reading the menu off the long roll of parchment hanging from the wall.
Before we talk about the food, let me explain the novelty of TestKitchen. The establishment is right next door to Okra and is even smaller, the concept is that you’re literally sitting inside the kitchen and watching your food being prepared. Basically, every table is the chef’s table there.
The interior of 'TestKitchen by Okra'
When we were ready, a waiter swiftly took our order and told us there would be at least a 20-minute wait before our sandwiches are served, as they would be prepared fresh for us. He also asked if we wished for our drinks to be served before or with our meal.
We ordered a Cuban Sandwich, an Umami Beef Sandwich along with a Lemon Iced Tea and an Iced Latte. The sounds from the kitchen, the waiters bustling past your table and people going in and out of the tiny space as they pick up goodies from the fresh selection of baked goods that are laid out beautifully, somehow doesn’t bother one at all. Of course, it isn’t the best spot if you intend to grab a bite while having a serious discussion, but in case you’re in town looking for the most wonderful culinary experience ever, TestKitchen is definitely the place to go.
Cuban Sandwich
How does anyone who has watched the movie Chef order anything other than a Cuban sandwich, when it is on the menu? And boy, are we glad that we did! The sandwich was love at first bite, it tasted exactly like it should, with thin slices of beautifully marinated and seared beef, cheese, (turkey) bacon and pickles all sandwiched between slices of freshly baked and then seared bread. Plus the portion size was big enough to share. We couldn’t finish the whole thing, in fact, we probably should have stopped eating after the first half was done, but we literally couldn’t stop ourselves from taking another bite. We stopped when we were ready to burst at the seams.
Our companion chose the Umami Beef with Spicy Creme Fresh, and this sandwich was huge, cut in fours, the sandwich had a generous helping of marinated beef, cream cheese and creme fresh. To say that we only took a bite of this dish and have been dreaming of going back to Test Kitchen to have some more, would not be a lie. The bread was crumbly and toasted with butter, the beef melted in our mouth and was bursting with flavour and the creme fresh, I mean we really don’t know what they put in that, but I can have tubs of it stored in my fridge and eat it on toast for the rest of my life.
Umami Beef
Even though the sandwiches were amazing, we couldn’t resist the baked goods displayed right behind us, so my companion and I decided to have a slice of their wafer cake. Let me tell you this, between the Lisbon cake and the Wafer cake, Test Kitchen has raised my personal bar for cakes so high that I may end up refusing all other forms of chocolate cake from all other places for the rest of my life. Yes, they truly are that good.
The Wafer cake was basically a mousse over a layer of the world’s best chocolate cake with a layer of Fererro Roche flavoured chocolate icing in the middle. I never want a cake that does not taste as good as that. The helping was generous again, and we had a hard time finishing the single slice between us.
As for the drinks, the Lemon Iced Tea was freshly brewed and tasted exactly like the iced tea we had in China, and the Latte was literally made in front of our eyes as the coffee machine is half a step away from the tiny seating area.
Lemon Iced Tea
Before we left, we got some goodies to taste at home, including a third beef sandwich because our server said so, and because we really wanted a taste of heaven to go home with us.
Our selection included: Shaved Beef on Mini baguette, Lisbon Cake, Banana Nut Bread, Gluten-free carrot cake and Apple pie.
Shaved Beef
We had all of these things later in the evening, and can safely say that Test Kitchen is doing takeaway items right, as everything tasted wonderful and was worth paying full price for it. Nothing made us think we should have eaten it back at the eatery, and not brought it home.
The sandwich, which we warmed up a little before devouring it was awesome, the fresh tomatoes along with the beef brought so much flavour, the bread was so fresh and the seasoning was so on point that we literally inhaled it within seconds.
As for the sweet stuff, we turned it into a little tasting board as we had guests coming over, and it was the perfect thing to serve with hot cups of tea. To start, the Lisbon cake seemed to have come straight from heaven, with bitter chocolate on top and a dark chocolate cake on the bottom, it was so rich and flavourful that just one bite was enough to satiate us, not that that stopped us from demolishing what was left once the guests were gone!
Lisbon Cake
The gluten-free carrot cake was also really nice and we loved the early winter vibes it gave, the ratio of cinnamon to sugar was perfect and the walnuts added the perfect crunch.
The apple pie, a seasonal favourite was great, if we absolutely had to critique something we would say that it was a tad bit more cinnamony than we would like, but that’s it.
Bakery
The banana nut bread slice was delicious, all we want is that slice, a nice book and a warm cup of coffee and no sadness will ever descend upon us.
To wrap up this praise for Test Kitchen, we would say that everything all together cost us just a little under Rs7,000, but not one thing among our choices was not worth the price. The best bit is, prices at Test Kitchen start at under Rs 100 and go up to 2,500 bucks, and one can pick and choose what treats they want according to their budget.
Also, the establishment often has an impromptu ‘sale’ of sorts, where all ready-to-eat and grab-and-go items go on a 30% discount for a few hours in the evening. They announce it on their Instagram page, and the only requirement is that people pay cash. Keep an eye out for that, in case you want to visit but think the menu items are a little out of your budget.
Lastly, do I recommend the little deli? Definitely, everyone should go at least once. Would I go back myself? I’m already saving up for my next trip and frequently find myself on their Instagram page, browsing through all the pictures mentally deciding what I want to get the next time I’m there.
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