Karachi Eat 2015: Bringing foodie nirvana to the city

KARACHI: Foodies and culinary mavens are in for a treat as Karachi Eat 2015 kicks off at the Frere Hall on Friday.

The food festival, which is running from January 23 - January 25, provides a delectable culinary snapshot of various cuisines, from sandwiches and pizzas to chapli kebabs and khaosay, a variety sure to satiate every foodie’s appetite. And, of course, no food festival would be complete without desserts, including cupcakes and churros.

Stay tuned for our coverage of the event, including photos, videos, interviews and polls.

For a chance to feature on our site, tweet us pictures and exciting things you overhear using #KarachiEatTribune.

Follow our Twitter account @etribune and Instagram account @etribune.

Make sure you don't miss out on some amazing entrées, as suggested by the vendors themselves.

POLLS:

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That's the end of our coverage. Hope you enjoyed and ate as much as we did.



Overheard at Karachi Eat: "How long do we have to wait? One hour? Forget it."



With few hours left for the festival to end, the lines at restaurants keep getting longer.

"I have been waiting for half an hour for my burger at the Chosen Bun but the wait is worth it," a hungry customer says.



Hoagies owner Saad Nasir says, "The response has been wonderful, it has been non-stop."



The owner of Pantry says they have had good feedback on their three days at the festival.

"We keep selling out and calling for stuff. Too many people but it has been a great experience."



Divine French cake at La'Sacher.

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Customer reviews:

"I had the Chapli Kebab it was ordinary, but Beefeater was divine," says an attendee.

"My favourites so far are Pantry's sweet potato fries, Rowtisserie's chicken strips and Lals Nutella gelato."



Mohammad Tobeh, the owner of Pane & Amore takes competition well.

"I tried the churros at Churros & Chocolate, those are really good as well," he says, while selling churros himself.

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https://twitter.com/Rkuxxx/status/559328705164505088



Overheard at Karachi Eat: "I hate churros. They are so useless."

Overheard at Karachi Eat: "My lipstick has gone. I need more for pictures."



Even though the weather is chilly, the owner of Snowflake says the response has been tremendous.

He recommends Pina Colada flavoured shaved ice.

PHOTO: RAISA VAYANI/EXPRESS

If you want to grab a quick snack, head to Hazel/House of Fresh Baking. They are offering blueberry brownies, chocolate cupcakes and sandwiches.

"We just started 30 minutes ago and the response has been excellent," says the owner.

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Owner of home-based business Chefni says: "It's going really well at the festival; even though I was intimidated by all the big names participating at first, the response has been great."

Here's a sneak peek at what's on offer:

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And we're back! As we clear our way through the crowd, stay tuned for our coverage of the final day.



Karachi Eat is running for the third and final day today. Along with lots of amazing food, you are in for a surprise with the special performance by Rani Taj.

https://twitter.com/RANITAJINT/status/559176002904276992



So that was our coverage of Day 2 of Karachi Eat 2015. Make sure you follow us on Day 3 as well.
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Nando's never fails to amuse.

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A customer expresses his disappointment with the liquid nitrogen ice-cream.

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Food vendors are taking to the mic to market their food. There is some serious competition here.



Overheard at Karachi Eat: I saw a reporter from The Express Tribune, I hope their coverage isn't better than ours.



After all that food, you definitely need some exercise.

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Great view, amazing food and awesome company.

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Overheard at Karachi Eat: "Wait, don't eat that! I want to Instagram it first."

Overheard at Karachi Eat: "Oh no! I think I just saw my ex."



Pakola relaunched its original bottle for only Rs. 10 yesterday.

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The cake-off is happening right now. Stay tuned for our pictures.

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Overheard at Karachi Eat: Go for the cake tasting. It's for free. I swear we won't judge you.

 

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Overheard at Karachi Eat: "There is no McDonald's or Pizza Hut here. What is this nonsense?"

Overheard at Karachi Eat: I can't sit on the floor. Look at the eagles, they'll take my food!"



Reader review:

@etribune This was the most inspiring thing at the #KarachiEat but now hidden on day two behind Jumping Castle. pic.twitter.com/8b5j1Eumgo

— IA (@ImmranAhmed) January 24, 2015

Hungry customers are disappointed as Beefeater announces they are running out of sandwiches.

Meanwhile, feast your eyes on scrumptious, seasonal fruit tarts from The Deli.

PHOTO: ALI NAJIB/ EXPRESS

The nitrogen ice-cream seems to be a favourite on Day 2 as well. Watch what some Karachiites have to say about it:

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The Karachi Fudge Company invites you to try six different flavors of fudge at their stall.

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Overheard at Karachi Eat: "I've been starving myself for a week just so I could come and explode here."



If Okra's Moroccan style chicken in focaccia bread won't make you to head to the food festival, we don't know what will.

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FYI: They are only here today and prices start from Rs250.



The second day of the Karachi Eat has kicked off with throngs of people enjoying breakfast under the sun on this cold winter morning.

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Zoe Viccaji and Captain Aqeel will be performing at Karachi Eats tonight.

PHOTO: EXPRESS/SUNDAR WAQAR

“We are just home cooks who enjoy doing this and want to introduce new flavours in Karachi," say owners of Beefeater. "We we love the chance to interact with people and do something new.”
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The venue at night, with Frere Hall in the background.

PHOTO: EXPRESS/SUNDAR WAQAR

Overheard at Karachi Eat: "I think this is the first time I've seen people checking out other people's food and not their clothes."



Sabeen Mahmud, owner of T2f says: "I think it's lovely, under the open skies and a venue like Frere Hall. It's vibrant and colorful. People have really put effort into their stalls."

The T2f stall at Karachi Eat:

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Celebrity spotting: Shahroz Sabzwari and Syra Shahroz

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"I am a food lover and love anything to do with food. That's why I love Karachi Eat," says Syra Shahroz. "I think we should have more of these events. It's for all age groups."

"I'm here only for churros," Shahroz adds.



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"Karachi Eat is an excellent event," Hoagies owner Saiem Nasir says. "It brings together a lot of great restaurants, with chefs cooking away from kitchens in booths. Come and try our Hogalicious and Honky Fries."

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Pakola relaunches its original bottle for only Rs. 10.

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There's a photo booth at the Nando's stall:

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Celebrity spotting: Adnan Malik talks about what makes Karachi Eat the place to be.

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"It's very good!" Former Minister Naveed Qamar says of the event. "I like the fact that you get all kinds of food, Eastern, Western, expensive, not so expensive, the lights and the ambiance."



Former Minister Naveed Qamar with his family. PHOTO: EXPRESS/SUNDAR WAQAR



Customer review: "The Deli's sesame chicken is amazing. Only good thing I've eaten so far."



Owner of local restaurant Pantry says: "This is our first time at Karachi Eat and we love the experience. Please come and have our Nutella and strawberry crepes."
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Customer review: "The yummiest bun kebabs I've had."

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Alishba Yousuf, a participant says: “This is my first time here and I am just doing this for fun. I am serving ‘limo pani’ and Afghan dumplings called ‘mantu’.”



A visitor says having liquid nitrogen chocolate ice-cream is like having "a bar of chocolate".

"It's really nice. It's different from other ice-cream, not spongy," she added.

"We have bases to which we add liquid nitrogen which gives you a very smooth, instant ice-cream," says the liquid nitrogen ice-cream vendor.

Here's a look at how it's made:

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Fika owner tells The Express Tribune that this is their first time at Karachi Eat. Fika, a cafe that opened in December last year, offers a range of items from seafood chowder to fish and chips, chipotle chicken and chocolate milkshake.
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Here's what Karachiites had to say about the event:

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Here's a look at what's on offer:

http://instagram.com/p/yMjWwOHJjy/

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Find what the brains behind Sugaries has to say:
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The venue: Frere Hall

Located on Abdullah Haroon Road, Frere Hall, built by during the British Colonial era, has been chosen has the venue for Karachi Eat 2014, as it was last year.

Open to the public on daily basis, its courtyards and gardens are ideal for a food festival.

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https://twitter.com/KarachiEat/status/558532332542365696

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There is free Wi-Fi at the event provided by 141 Schools:

Hey #KarachiEat2015 We're bringing you free Wi-Fi all weekend. SUPPORT #141SchoolsForPeace http://t.co/rc4FRGzGVs pic.twitter.com/Vyl61QkM4U

— 141schools.org (@141schoolspk) January 23, 2015

Aman Foundation also has a stall at Karach Eat:

Eat for a cause and visit the #AMANGHAR food stall at Frere Hall today from 4PM onwards. #KarachiEat2015 #Buy1Feed2 pic.twitter.com/JO830WYrg8

— Sindh Integrated Emergency & Health Services (@Sindh_iehs) January 23, 2015