Restaurant review: Hunger’s Pack leaves you hungry for originality

There is little that sets apart fast food joints these days other than well-thought-out flavour profiles and of course the restaurant’s logo. Sadly, the newly opened Hunger’s Pack in Saba Avenue, on the corner of the busy Badar Commercial Street in Phase 6, fails on both accounts, their all-tastes-the-same burgers and Hard Rock café-lookalike logo do little to add flavour to the fast growing food scene in Karachi.



As you walk in through the glass doors, nothing will strike you as out of the ordinary; you are hit by a splash of colour from wallpapers narrating the history of the modern burger and asserting Hunger’s Pack sources ‘only the best ingredients from around the world’ and promising aromas from the open kitchen. The seating arrangement, divided between cubicles and tables, is also very familiar barring one unique feature: annoying table legs have been replaced by a single, slim cylindrical cage filled with large grey pebbles and plastic effervescent leaves.

Does the logo look familiar?

Hunger’s Pack is a combo of sorts; it’s a cross between a traditional burger joint and a modern sandwich shop and attempts to serve up everything under one roof. Don’t be deceived by the fancy food names on the menu as it pretty much offers staple choices, such as burgers, sandwiches, baked potatoes, milk shakes and ice cream, in addition to a few new twists on the standard sandwich offering at Subway and a spiral potato aptly named ‘Tornado’.



Their bite-size, half sandwiches called melts are part of appetizers and come in a variety of bread choices and an accompaniment of fries, but (and this might be good news for some) the sheer volume of filling in these melts can put you off the main course altogether.

Chicken Melt

 

The new burger on the block has also cleverly attempted to appease fish-lovers with a cheesy tuna melt, who for a lack of choice always have to fall back on either McDonald’s’ filet-o-fish or Subway’s mayo laden tuna sandwich. Although Hunger’s Pack gets top marks for variety, when it comes to taste, the chicken melt I ordered had the desirable melt-in-the-mouth feel but it was way too cheesy and their ‘top-secret’ sauce lacked any taste (perhaps because they were so light-handed with it). The accompanying fries, however, which is the make-and-break factor in any fast food joint, were crisp and seasoned to satisfaction.

Hunger's Pack has great service

The baked potatoes on the other hand, were a complete disappointment; it came across like a decent home-cooked bake potato with hardly any topping. The only redeeming point was that all the ingredients used were fresh and the food was served hot.

Baked potato topped with corn, minced beef and a 'top-secret' sauce

Overall, Hunger’s Pack isn’t your best bet, but if you plan on dining with an indecisive group of friends who are hungry for options then Hunger’s Pack is the easiest way to satisfy everyone and is a relatively affordable option. It is a decent place with friendly waiters who’ll manage to put a smile on your face even if the food doesn’t.

Restaurant Scorecard:
Food: 2 out of 5
Decor: 2.5 out of 5
Hygiene: 4 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Pricing:  3.5 out of 5