The Best BBQ

The Express Tribune searches for the best BBQ in town

PESHAWAR/ ISLAMABAD/ LAHORE/ KARACHI:

Lahore

Babli Sajji Dera



Fish is mostly consumed here in winters. Barbeque the fish and you’ll have a culinary experience you will rave about for a long time. Babli Saji Dera offers fish sajji – marinated boneless fish placed between two grills and cooked on coal.

Standing behind the grill, Usman Tariq, son of the shop’s owner, places the meat on skewers and adjusts the coal. “We need to meet orders promptly and make sure no one is kept waiting,” he says. Babli Sajji Dera is the oldest sajji corner in Mozang, he adds proudly.

He further says they only sell fish sajji in winters and people love it but chicken sajji is their claim to fame.

The flavoursome rice accompanying the fish sajji complements it beautifully. It has strong notes of star anise. The fish is flaky and cooked to perfection.

The address of the shop is 96 Temple Road. It’s a roadside set up and does not have proper seating arrangements. The food they serve, however, makes up for it. To place orders please call Muhammad Saddam at 0321 6375037

Word to the wise: You cannot do what we do [that is, make fish sajji] so it’s best you come over to our joint and enjoy the best fish sajji in town — Usman Tariq, son of the owner



Rating

Taste 4.5

Hygiene 3

Value For Money 4.5

Service 2.5

Grill n’ Bake



If you love your barbeque slathered in spice, the food at Grill n’ Bake will make you rethink your food philosophy. “The quality of the meat you consume should speak for itself,” says Afrin Hussain, owner and procurement manager of Grill n’ Bake.

Hussain and his wife Saffana opened the restaurant to provide nutritious food to meat lovers. The meat is set aside from the flame and is slow-cooked so that it retains its juices and does not char. “People tell us that you cannot make kebabs without onions or fat...we do just fine without them,” he says.

Grill n’ Bake’s kasturi boti and lamb chops are a must have. The chops are ginormous and the taste of the lamb leads the flavour. Aseel Murgh, made from roosters bred to fight, is a delicious experience. Hussain claims that no other restaurant in the city serves whole-wheat naan and parhattas. The meal ends with a surprise – the unpretentiously named meetha naan leaves the consumer wide-eyed in raptures. It is washed down with chai made on coal.

The restaurant is situated on the corner of a nondescript market in L-Block Model Town Extension. For queries and reservations call: 0308 444 2253

Word to the wise: Do not be afraid to experiment. You’ll be amazed at the food you can make by simply going with intuition — Afrin Hussain, owner of Grill n’ Bake



Rating

Taste 4

Hygiene 4

Value for money 4

Service 4

Karachi

Jehangir Meeruth Kabab House



What made the owners of Jehangir Meeruth Kabab House claim the patent on barbeque dishes? Manager Muhammad Kamran believes it is their ancestor’s special recipe that they brought over from Meeruth in Uttar Pradesh in India following Partition.

“Barbeque was actually a specialty of Meeruth,” he said. “How can others excel in a cuisine that is our specialty?”

Kamran went on to say that it is a mixture of 14 kinds of ground spices that made their food standout. “The consistency of each ground spice matters,” he said. “Our ancestors had set it up years ago, which gives the sheer ecstasy of barbeque flavour when you chew it.”

Spicy seekh kabab, their specialty, is served with paratha and chatni and is ideally washed down with a chilled soft drink. Ending the meal with sooji ka halwa for dessert provides a fitting finale to the experience.

The restaurant has branches on Tipu Sultan Road and Sharae Faisal, near the Baloch Colony flyover.

For more information call: 0300 825 9656

Word to the wise: Bar BQ was actually a specialty of Meeruth. How can others excel in a cuisine that is our specialty? — Manager Muhammad Kamran



Rating

Taste: 4

Hygiene: 3

Value for money: 5

Service: 4

Abdul Ghaffar (PECHS Branch)



Abdul Ghaffar Kabab House is a great place to dine with family and friends. Their casual sitting area makes for a very comfortable dining experience.

It is located on 4th Street, Delhi Mercantile Society, PECHS. It has two branches, one in Port Grand and the other on Tariq Road.  Run by Sheikh Abdul Ghaffar as a family business, this restaurant is one of the most popular places for barbecue lovers.

The food items they offer include well-cooked and very well grilled chicken tikka, reshmi kabab and malai boti. The restaurant’s patrons do not exaggerate when they say their food tastes out of this world.

The regular order is served with salad, raita and chutney. The raita is well blended but the chutney is nothing to write home about. Their rates too are pretty affordable. A regular serving for four, with three different items, costs under Rs1,000.

Muhammad Usman, a server at the restaurant, says, “We have maintained the quality and [serving] quantity of our food. It is the quality of the meat and ingredients they use that makes their food standout from other barbeque outlets in Karachi,” he says.

The restaurant offers takeaway facility. There is usually a long queue of people waiting to place their orders. Abdul Ghaffar Kabab House also takes large orders for wedding and other ceremonies.

If you claim to love food, you cannot not try Ghaffar’s.

Word to the wise: It is the quality of the meat and ingredients we use that makes our food standout from other barbeque outlets in Karachi — Muhammad Usman, a server at Abdul Ghaffar (PECHS branch)

Tuba Athar

Rating

Taste: 5

Hygiene: 3

Value for money: 5

Service: 4

BBQ Tonight



BBQ Tonight, one of the oldest restaurants of its kind in the city, starts humming as the night wears on.

The restaurant commenced operations in 1988 as a small shop. Today, it has two branches in the Malir Cantt and Boat Basin areas. The restaurant is on the pricey side and one needs to have at least Rs10,000 in their pocket if they are paying for their family and friends. The BBQ special platter that includes grilled prawns, fish tikkas, mutton ribs, reshmi kabab, chicken boti, Afghani tikka, malai tikka, mutton boti and kabuli pulao costs Rs7,250. It is served with raita and special flatbreads. BBQ Tonight’s special flatbreads include Kandahari nan, roghni nan, paratha, garlic nan, qeema nan, chicken qeema nan and whole-wheat nan.

Operations manager Ali Zaman believes that it the quality of meat that makes the restaurant stand out among its competitors. “No restaurant can rival the quality of the meat we use,” he said.  Zaman says that the spices used in their food are the best money can buy. “We marinate meat in a special paste that includes garlic juice, salt, red chili and white pepper,” said Zaman. “The marinated meat is grilled after applying butter to it. This makes it a treat for the taste buds.”

For more information call 111-227-111

Word to the wise: No restaurant can rival the quality of meat we use — BBQ Tonight operations manager Ali Zaman

Oonib Azam

Rating

Taste: 4

Hygiene: 5

Value for money: 4

Service: 5

Peshawar

Habibi Restaurant 



Habibi Restaurant, located in Hayatabad, is renowned for its barbeque across the city. Prices here are at par with restaurants in Namak Mandi and cheaper than Bukara at the Pearl Continental hotel. Chief supervisor Aslam Jan said everything at the establishment was offered in keeping with time-honoured customs and traditions. “This makes us stand out among our competitors,” he said. Jan added the restaurant could arrange private barbeques for up to 50 people and the restaurant offers home delivery but the service was restricted to the precincts of the city. The Habibi special BBQ platter costs Rs2,600,  Habibi special malai tikka is priced at Rs320, barbequed chicken at Rs440, barbequed fish at Rs320 and barbequed quails at Rs360.

Word to the wise:
Everything at the establishment is offered in keeping with time-honoured customs and traditions. — Habibi Restaurant chief
supervisor Aslam Jan



Rating

Taste: 5

Hygiene: 5

Value for money: 4

Service: 4

Bukhara at the Pearl Continental Hotel 



Bukhara is one of the latest additions to the hotel’s restaurants. Pearl Continental food director Ahmad Khan said the restaurant had earned plaudits for its food and service. “Those who sample the dishes on offer here are bound to return for more,” he said.

Situated at the hotel’s rooftop, the restaurant offers panoramic views of the old city including Bala Hisar. Customers are also regaled with folk music at Bukhara. The barbeque buffet offered at Bukhara makes it a gastronomic force to reckon with. However, the food tends to be on the expensive side. The restaurant also offers a range of catering services. The staff at the restaurant excel at what they do and Bukhara’s kitchen is staffed with gifted chefs. Rigorous standards of hygiene are maintained at the restaurant. Auditors routinely inspect hygiene standards. The meat used at the restaurant is not touched by hand as it is processed by automated machines.

Word to the wise: The restaurant has earned plaudits for its food and service — Pearl
Continental food director Ahmad Khan



Rating

Taste: 5

Hygiene: 5

Value for money: 4

Service: 5

Kabul Restaurant



Kabul Restaurant, Islamabad’s pioneer Afghani barbeque joint sits amid the bustling Jinnah Super Market in Sector F-7 and merits every foodie’s visit. The tender charred meat marinated using salt, garlic, lemon and vegetable oil is mild enough to suit everyone’s palette.

Afghani kebabs and tikka boti that come on a skewer with salted grilled tomatoes, coupled with a sweet and sour chutney prepared using green chilies, green tomatoes, vinegar, home-grown coriander and mint is a treat for the taste buds. Hot, fluffy whole-wheat naan is served with the mouth-watering food, making the experience even better.

Muhammad Javaid, the chef, who has been working at the restaurant for the past 15 years, says, “We start preparing our meat at 4am every day. Our food is healthy and mildly flavoured, which is why people of various nationalities enjoy it.”

Javaid says their clients are from various socio-economic brackets since the price for a dozen skewers of any kind of meat is less than Rs500. Sides such as raita, achar and chutney cost Rs60 each. Other specialties at the restaurant include Kabuli pulao and kofta challaw.

Word to the wise: Prepare barbeque using fresh spices and herbs, not powdered spices. You could add lamb fat to all meat even chicken — Chef Muhammad Javaid

Huma Choudhry

Rating

Taste: 5

Hygiene: 4

Value for money: 5

Service: 4

Islamabad

Des Pardes 



Think barbeque and one is spoilt for options in the capital. Ranging from Lebanese and Turkish recipes to Afghani and Irani delicacies, there is a diversity of multicultural cuisines for the average meat lover.

As far as the Pakistani variety is concerned, the oriental restaurant Des Pardes is not to be outdone. The restaurant boasts a magnificent view of the Margalla Hills, overlooking the sprawling Saidpur village.

The restaurant exudes a rustic, laidback aura with some exotic food options. Traditional charpoys and cushions make for a cosy outdoor setting so that one can take in the ambience and enjoy the mildly spicy food.

Three of the most popular barbeque items on the menu are mutton chops, chicken malai boti and fish tikka.  The chicken tikka comprises chunky boneless, cubes of chicken cooked on charcoal with a creamy texture.

The Makrani fish tikka is a delightful combination of Beckti fish marinated with yellow sauce cooked on charcoal and served with spicy sauce. Served in individual platters, the selections are coupled up with dips such as raita, imlee chutni, green chilli chutni and mint chutni.

Mutton chops are roasted over a low flame, lending them the characteristic crispy and crunchy texture on the surface and a juicy core with a tangy flavour.

The restaurant that prides itself over preparing fresh barbeque, also takes delivery orders. It also has a branch in Sector E-11. For queries please call 051 8431234

Word to the wise:
Mutton chops are roasted over a low flame, lending them the characteristic crispy and crunchy texture on the surface and a juicy core — Assistant chef Muhammad Imran

Maryam Usman

Rating

Taste: 5

Hygiene: 5

Value for money: 3

Service: 3

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2015.