12 Desi Food Places in Karachi You Must Try

[Adecypher]

There was another pan shop on karsaaz road that served cold pans. I don't know whether it's still there or not.

Definitely, try some from Karsaaz on my next trip to Pakistan.

 

[ghazi52]

Karachi’s love of paan

TO date, this writer recalls the antique silver ‘paandan’ always kept under the watchful eyes of our grandmother. No matter how hard we tried to get the enticing paan from inside the mysterious silver pot, we were never successful. “Buri baat, bachay paan nahi khatay” (kids don’t eat paan), was what we were told to keep us away.

Although being an occasional addict of this green delicacy, I strongly feel the way paan cabins or khokas have sprung up all over Karachi is cause for alarm. Considered a mouth freshener, this sweet delight is now easily available at every corner. It’s not very difficult to miss it; wherever you see a bunch of guys glued to a cabin, you know you have reached a paan shop!

In earlier days, this city had a few renowned paan shops. Perhaps the most famous is the PIDC ka paan. Families used to make special plans to get their favourite paan, and even to this day having paan is considered the perfect way to end an outing.

However, of recent the fact that paan can be unhealthy has been highlighted, leading to mouth cancer and other ailments.

Also, its red peek, which is usually spat rather than swallowed, ‘decorates’ the city walls and neighbourhoods quite awfully.

But if you ask your elders, Karachi had less patterns-cum-abstract art caused by peek in the past compared to today.

Perhaps people were more well-mannered then. The awful red liquid resulting from chewing paan is playing a pivotal role in ruining the cleanliness of our city, after wall chalking of course.


From saada to saada khushboo, saada saunf to meetha embellished with lots of desiccated coconut and sweet betel nuts, these are tobacco-less options available at almost all paan khokhas in the metropolis. You may ask for clove or cardamom to add to the flavour of your paan. However, as the health warnings declare, the deadliest of all are the paans filled with tobacco, usually containing a strong blend of Pakistani and Indian edible tobacco brands.

Paan-shop owners have seen a radical change in their earnings over a decade in this city. No wonder they have transformed the simple cabins into small tuck shops from where you can get snacks, mouth fresheners, suparis, candies, chewing gum and all sorts of prepaid scratch cards.

“Kal bhi hit tha, aaj bhi hay” (it was a hit yesterday, it remains a hit today) remarked a paan salesman when asked about the green leaf’s popularity and increase in sale in Karachi. “There are five types of paan leaves available in our city: Bangkok, Ceylon, Karachi, Bangla and Sachi. Rates normally start from Rs5 per paan and the price varies from type to type. Zahoor Raja Jaani is one of the most popular tobacco paans. Nowadays, paan is an essential part of the menu, especially in Karachi.

Hence we usually get orders in bulk for weddings”, said the paan-wala.

 

[Banglar Bir]

NOW THAT WHAT YOU CALL DELICIOUS, FINGER LICKING GOOD FOODS. BOY MY MOUTH'S WATERING ALREADY.

AND TO FINISH WITH TWO SWEET PANS.

HOPE THEY GIVE ME A VISA

 

[WarFariX]

Gutka too

 

[ghazi52]

 

[kamrananvaar]

I am from Karachi and I can rate restaurants (my own opinion of course):

1 - Javaid Nihari - I don't think any other nihari comes close to it. There was a time when Zahid and Sabri used to be good, but now their quality has seriously deteriorated.

2 - Burns Road's Fry Kebab

3 - Meerath Kebab House - All BBQ items are top notch.

3 - (Sharing third place) Abdul Ghaffar's Bar B Q - All the BBQ items

4 - Food Center's Biryani - I haven't eaten any biryani more tastier than this one anywhere in my life.

5 - Mazedar Haleem

6 - Dhora ji's Gola Ganda

7 - Anwar Baloch - Karhai

8 - Salateen at highway - Karhai

9 - Cafe Piyala - Best tea in town. There was another tea cafe at NIPA. But MQM goons threatened him to close it and the pathan sold that place.

10 - Donisl - Nazimabad - Karhai,Katakut, BBQ tasty food.


The above restaurants can be afforded by middle class but can beat the taste of any expensive restaurant in Karachi.

me from karachi as well
have u tried white biryani thats just awsome i would say better than food centre , go with extra spicy believe me i dont like spicy but when ordering from white biryani thats the way to go also they deliver all over karachi at very reasonable rates , better than johny rockets and hardees that does not even have defence phase one and just say not in system

have u tried chai wala its tea and parathas plus the ambience is awsome

also plzzzz tellwhich karahi to order at anwar bloch tried it twice , dont know which version i ordered the first instance but on the second it was shahi chicken

 

[Banglar Bir]

me from karachi as well
have u tried white biryani thats just awsome i would say better than food centre , go with extra spicy believe me i dont like spicy but when ordering from white biryani thats the way to go also they deliver all over karachi at very reasonable rates , better than johny rockets and hardees that does not even have defence phase one and just say not in system

have u tried chai wala its tea and parathas plus the ambience is awsome

also plzzzz tellwhich karahi to order at anwar bloch tried it twice , dont know which version i ordered the first instance but on the second it was shahi chicken

NOPE. I have not visited Pakistan since 1960s. in fact I have never been to INDIA, yet. Criss crossed the globe, leaving the REST OF SOUTH ASIA, EXCEPT SRI LANKA, WHERE I WENT AT LEAST 4 X TIMES.

VISA WAS NEVER A PROBLEM, IN FACT, I HAD SAARC VISA ENDORSED IN MY PASSPORT. WELL THAT'S PAST.

NOW, I SHOULD FOCUS ON SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRIES, THE PROBLEM IS MY PASSPORT IN NOW AN ORDINARY ONE,AND I HAD NEVER HAD TO STAND IN A QUEUE FOR TRAVELLING ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, A NOTE VERBALE WOULD SUFFICE.

TIMES HAVE CHANGED, FOR ME, MY BROTHER.

HOWEVER, THE FAINT MEMORIES OF MURRAY, SWAT, KISHORA, QUETTA .ETC, CANTONMENTS,ARE VIVIDLY EMBEDDED IN MY MIND, ALONG WITH SACK FULLS OF AKHROT, CHALGOSAS, PESTA BADAMS, ETC.

I STILL CARRY THE BURNT MARKS, IN MY RIGHT HAND BICEPS AND LEFT THIGH, THAT OUR BATMAN, LEFT ME WITH,JUST AS A REMINDER OF MY PAST, WHILE SMOKING HOOKAH, AND THE RED HOT CHARCOAL FELL IN MY BODY.WHILE I WAS SITTING IN HIS LAP.

 

[ghazi52]

Not here...

 

[Trumpcard]

Not here...

What is this? Looks like the liver and kidney of some animal if I'm not wrong! Doesn't look appetizing to me atleast!

 

[ghazi52]

What is this? Looks like the liver and kidney of some animal if I'm not wrong! Doesn't look appetizing to me atleast!

Katakat Brain Fry Street Food Of Karachi,