Tea O Clock

Tea is the basic need for 80% human in the world. And in Pakistan almost 90% people drinks tea twice a day. Here in Islamabad, we have been noticing the shortage of tea spot from years but now many small khokas and cafes started their setups for basic tea and tea related items. One of the best tea serving cafes in Islamabad Is TEA O Clock. It is situated beside F-7 Markaz Islamabad.

I have personally visited tea o clock many times and I love to spend my evening with my friends on tea o clock . The ambience and the surrounding of the café is too good and refreshing. People from good backgrounds usually sit their and enjoy their time. The food quality is normal, but the tea is very good. They serve tea in traditional Pakistani way in specially designed cups and with a tea pot.

In winters the café is opened between 4 pm till 2 am and in summer the timing for café is 6 pm till 2 am. The evenings are so refreshing there and you can spend quality time with your friends.

Chai Junction

Good weather calls for a good session with friends, a good ambiance, a good seating place and a fine cup of tea. Low on budget? Want to go with friends to enjoy more and spend less? Located in phase IV bahria town, you should pay a visit a Chai Junction if you live in bahria town, DHA or Soan gardens. This place has got one fine seating arrangement as well as a good location in phase IV.

The main thing, they offer a vast variety of teas to choose from. So if you are a chai lover and you cannot start your day without a cup of tea.. this place is exactly for you people! They offer different types of black tea, green tea, coffee, milk shakes and also, they offer chaats, desserts and short eats as well

I have tried their matka tea only ( PS. I am always low on budget haha )  and I would say that it was just the way I imagined it to be. Hot, not so sweet yet not so unsweet, served in a little round pot instead of typical cup serving, that’s why the name MATKA TEA. A must visit place for chai lovers!

Some healthy tips for ramzan

I know Pakistan is a homeland for people who love pakoras and samosas for iftari and parathay with heavy Kisam ka salan for sehri but I’m sure you don’t want clogged arteries at the age of 30 or 40.. right? But I know what you’re thinking ‘there’s no ramzan without pakoras and roohafza (jis mai adhi toh sugar hoti hai)’ but let me tell you guys there is ramzan without these and it’s much better. The feeling you get at the end of the day when you eat healthy is far better then eating all these deep fried stuff filled with unhealthy fats!

This ramzan instead of roohafza or tang try having fresh juices or shakes. The delicious taste and a lot of other healthy benefits makes it an awesome ramzan treat for your mind and body.

Instead of putting loads of sugar in your fruit chaat try having fruits without it. It’ll help you replace fluids lost during the day and to start the next day of roza well hydrated. 

You guys should also try having ginger green tea at the end of the day. It not only helps you with weight loss but also helps you sleep and improve digestion. It also has a calming effect to your mind.

Happy and healthy ramzan you guys! :) 

Iftar Deals 2019

Feasting is an integral part of Ramadan. Fasting all day naturally makes you want to treat yourself with a variety of delicious food and along side that all we food lovers like to go out with our families and friends to our favourite restaurants where we can eat our favourite meals to satisfy our hunger after a long fast. Well it is now easier than ever. Deals, packages and buffets for Iftar and Sehri are offered by almost all the restaurants where they offer a variety of beverages, essential snacks and meals along side their best quality and pleasant ambience.

Hence to help our viewers choose which restaurant they should go for iftar we have come up with a list of your favourite restaurant’s iftar packages and their prices.

Apart from these Remanence offers a complimentary Iftar with an order of main course. Certain restaurants offer discounts on buying a greater number of deals for example at Khiva restaurant you get free fourth buffet on buying three and at Havana Terraces a buffet is for 1,399 but if you are twenty or more people you pay 150 rupees less per head. 

Tayto

Sometimes you get bored of routine food items, and you want to have a something special to eat, then I have found an amazing place for all of you. The title is Tayto. Tayto is the first casual dining chain in Pakistan that gives you choice to dine festively whereas you don’t have to be compelled to get into a fine feeling mood. Yes, the entire menu vary that contain a 5-course meal possibility even whereas you are on the go. From a rich café ambiance for café dinning to Take –Away, they give you complete freedom of choice.

Starting from my favorite dish from restaurant the yummy delicious Chicken Parmesan (You can call it Chicken Pareshan too). The dish is served as fried chicken breast topped with parmesan sided with penne pasta and garlic bread roll. And this is not much expensive food to spend your money. The price for the dish in around 700 exclusives of tax.

Second food item which I personally liked, and my friends also like it is their Dallas Beef mushroom burger which is a grilled beef patty (200g) burger with mushroom relish served with fries and vegetables. The burger is too yummy and appetizing and it’s a heavy burger which make your tummy full.

The side items of the restaurant are onion rings, fries, chicken wings and much more. Their Fried platter is also too good which is filled with different kind of fries served with mayo dip and some onion rings.

My overall experience with Tayto is fine and you can take your family and friends their sometime for special treatment :P

Chaat Shaat

My favorite snack place so far is Chaat Shaat. I discovered this place in winters. It’s located in f-7, right next to what’a paratha. The reason it’s my best go to place is because of the perfect food items and ambiance (indoor and out). The indoor part is very cosy and small. Décor and lighting is just perfect. However I usually prefer to sit outdoor which is quite pleasant and comfortable. Last time I came here with my friends and we ordered:

 Ø  Papri chaat for Rs.165. The taste was superb. It had perfect amount of sweetness and all ingredient in it made up a perfect flavor. It’s a healthy dish with good taste so all the chaat lovers and people who are on diet should definitely try this one.

  Ø Student Biryani for Rs.299. For such a price the quantity was quite enough. It was quite flavorsome but had loads of spices. I love spicy food so this biryani was the one for me. I couldn’t wait to dig in so took the picture after I tasted some of it first.

   Ø  Hot and sour soup for Rs.200,had average taste.

  Ø Green tea and Kashmiri chai for Rs.95.I was disappointed with the green tea because it had teabag and price was too much for it.Kashmiri chai was delicious but it’s available only in winters.

Another good news. I read its iftar buffet deal and it had 20 items for Rs.999 only! And they have sehri deal too which offers Nehari with 2 naan for Rs.399. I am definitely going to try this out. Service is quite active and environment is very peaceful. I would rate this place 8/10.

Desi Bites

Craving to eat something desi? Fed up of burgers and steaks? Want something tasty, healthy yet wholesome? Head over to desi bites in F-11 markaz. They serve the best continental food. I went over there after university. searching for a good spot to sit and talk and eat something like chicken Manchurian or malai boti we came across desi bites and we thought we should try it and I must say we were not disappointed at all! They offer quite a vast menu to choose from; i.e. chicken, mutton, handi, rice and BBQ! and  the ambiance was also quite good ( according to myself if the ambiance is good enough the people do not care about the food they get served).the seating place is not so large but it is fair enough to accommodate 15-20 people (indoor seating). we ordered malai boti , rice and chicken tikka.  The serving time was 10 to 15 minutes but with friends you know how fast time passes :D

The chicken tikka was very juicy and spicy and also very well cooked, rice were also good and malai boti was thee best! Presentation of the dishes were also very well managed and made the food look very appealing. The prices were moderate, not so high but not so less either. Highly recommended spot for desi food lovers.

Ramadan

Ramadan - The month of blessings has arrived. We are all very lucky to have gotten yet another chance of enjoying the showers of Allah’s blessings upon us, have our bad deeds forgiven, praying and fasting to our best with a desire in our hearts of pleasing Allah SWT. May we gain the most out of this month (Ameen).

On a practical side however, as soon as the Ramadan starts everybody faces huge changes in their routines. Fasting all day for a month is not as easy specially in such hot weather thus we need to be careful of our eating habits so that we do not end up getting dehydrated, sick or gaining wait. Hence, this blog is about what and how should you eat to keep your body healthy during the month of Ramadan.

After fasting all day its natural to want to treat yourself but one must keep the intake of fatty and sugary foods and drinks low. When breaking the fast start with adequate fluids, low fat, fluid rich food with natural sugars avoiding sugar added food and fluids. Water, milk, juices, smoothies, etc. help your body rehydrate. Breaking fast with Dates is Sunnah as well as a healthy way as it provides you with natural sugar, potassium, copper, etc. Using other dry fruits like apricots, raisins is also a good idea. Eat seasonal fresh fruits as they provide us with natural sugars, vitamins, etc. Traditional in some Arab countries is to break fast with soups as it’s a light way and provides the body with fluids.

There’s a short time between Iftar and Suhoor thus one must consume enough fluids and foods to rehydrate one’s body and provides it with all the essential nutrients that it consumed all day.

In Sehri one must drink plenty of fluids, choose high fiber, wholegrain, starchy food. Eating oats, high fibre breakfast cereals, starchy food like rice and couscous, Yogurt, bread (especially wholegrain), etc. will keep you hydrated and provide you more energy for the long fast.

China Town

Craving for Chinese food? Want to get served with a good quality as well as quantity? Head over to china town near F8 markaz. They serve the best Chinese food if you’d ask me! There is no outdoor seating arrangement but only indoor seating arrangement that has been decorated very decently and elegantly and you feel like you are dining-in in a high-status hotel. Even the walls have Chinese craft i.e. dragons etc. made over them. The ambiance is quite calm and relaxing. So if you are a foodie like me and my friends and want to relax in a peaceful while enjoying quality food. China Town is a must visit place

I have tried their chicken chowmein, chicken fried rice and street treat sesame chicken and spicy oyster sauce beef.

The street treat sesame chicken is a dish that I liked the most; it consists of crumb chicken with sesame seeds served with rather sweet red sauce. It is a must try if you ever visit china town. The second dish that I liked the most is spicy oyster sauce beef. Thin and long beef slices served with some special sauce, the more you eat the more you crave.

LokaL Café

As I was searching for a pleasant way to spend a weekday night and break the dreariness of the working week, a supper with my family on a Wednesday night seemed like a somewhat welcoming prospect, particularly when venue In question was the LokaL Café. Situated in the core of F-11 Markaz, next to Cheese Factor, LokaL Café couldn’t be a more fitting environment for families and friends to while away an evening. LokaL café will help the state of mind for a wide range of commendable events with its casual feeling, superbly flavorsome food and astonishing refreshments.

Starting from the Menu of LokaL Café, the first thing I would like to talk about is the Starters which have large variety of snacks like different kind of fries, nachos, pizza slice and much more. The most delicious item from starters which I personally ordered and enjoyed is the nachos and pizza fries. The fries are loaded with some amazing infact different pizza sauces which add a unique taste. Secondly Nachos which are showered with Bbq sauce, mustard and some other sauces in addition of olives and some salad. Both these starters are very different and tasty.

The main menu of the café is very attractive. You can find every kind of burger, sandwiches, pastas, and some Chinese items. The burgers are tasty and of normal size which helps you feed your stomach in a moderate manner. I have tried their Jalapeno Burger which is a beef patty burger adding some jalapeno and different sauces on it which give it a unique and delicious taste. The other burger which I tired is Grilled chicken burger having a grilled chicken patty and different kind of sauces in it. Both burgers are moderately expensive. If you want to add some refreshment to your food, then you should order the mint margarita. They provide a large glass of mind margarita which is nice and refreshing in taste.

Apart from food, The LokaL Café have good ambience, pleasant environment and also, they provide Ludo (game) to the customers so that they don’t get bored while waiting for food. My overall experience with the Café was too good, and I recommend everyone to visit it.

Wild Wing

Ramadan is here! I’m too excited for all the new Ramadan deals this year. The best eye catching deal so far I got to know was by Wild Wings. There is no doubt that they serve the most amazing and scrumptious wings in Islamabad, but the only thing that keeps me from going there so often is their high prices and the fact that I’m broke most of the time. However, this issue is now resolved when I got to know this new Ramadan offer…. ALL YOU CAN EAT WINGS! For just Rs.799 per person. They are also offering iftar buffet platters but I read its menu and it turned out to be very ordinary. So no to that but HELL YEAH to all you can eat wings offer.

The reason I’m so excited for this deal is because I’ve tried their wings many times and each time I crave to have some more. They have three options for wings type (traditional, boneless and naked wings). I usually choose traditional wings. My top three favorite flavors of these wings are Parmesan garlic, honey mustard and wild wings original. Prices of these wings depends on serving size that you select.

By the way, these wings aren’t the only thing I'm crazy about. I went to wild wings few days ago with my family and we ordered the following dishes:

•       Nacho Libre (RS.925) was a beef patty burger with nacho chips blended with cheese and chipotle sauce. The size and taste of this burger justified the price.
•       Chicken Parmesan served with spaghettis. I don’t remember the exact price. Parmesan needed a little more salt or spices.

•   California chicken flat bread (Rs.899) was sort of pizza. Bread was too thin for me and wasn’t worth the price.
•        On a separate occasion I ordered Chili Cheetos burger (Rs.899). I would highly recommend this one guys. It had crispy chicken with layer of cheese and jalapeno sauce topped with crushed Cheetos.

Ambiance was pretty cool. They have mirror glass on their ceiling and Foosball table on one corner. Service was quick. I would rate this place 7/10.

All the snacks I shouldn’t eat

Ever since I was a child, I liked all the snacks which our ammi told us not to eat (jungle pops, churan, pateesa etc). I always used to spend all my money ( pehli baat toh miltay hi buhat kam thay) on these snacks, specially when I used to visit my dadi’s house. I can't even tell how excited I used to get everytime.

But you know what happened? I gained weight and during my weight loss journey I lost my love for snacks too Lakin ab bhi kabhi kabhi kha hi leti hon YOLO! :D

I decided this time I should write about the 2-3 snacks I still eat while living in the big city. So about 2.5 years ago me and my two friends discovered this cone ice cream in gol market f7. Bai is icecream ki toh baat hi alag thi. Ever since we prefer eating this ice cream over all other fancy desserts and trust me it’s worth it. (Won’t mention the word me have for it :D) 

Next up is, recently tried ‘gol gappas’ again from gol market f7 (shop: refreshment) I wasn’t a fan of gol gappas mostly because gand buhat machta hai yaar khatay huye but these were actually really good, couldn’t eat more than a plate but Mashaallah my friend usually eat not less than two dozen(nowadays she’s suffering from kidney pains, NOT BECAUSE SHE EAT TOO MUCH GOL GAPPAS but because she eats alot of other junk too) 

One other snack I would like to mention is the ‘bhel purri’, never knew what it is before going to chikachino. It’s a very healthy snack I think, with alot of yogurt :)

Go try these snacks you'll love them! 

Street Burger

Burger joints have been outstandingly prevalent all through Pakistan as of late and of course the impact has scoured off on Islamabad too. Beverly Center stowed one more café to its not insignificant rundown of value diners. Titled Street Burger of Street 1 Café. It started as a modest want to evacuate every one of the laces and chaos from the cheap food promoted burger and focal point of what is important the most: The Meat. That is the reason Street Burger guarantee that the meat is in every case Fresh. Street burger professes to utilize world class fixings in their burgers which incorporate imported cheddar from Best dairies around the globe. What's more, they prepare their own Buns as they have legitimate baking equipment. The open-air seating game plan having an energetic wall painting exhibiting direct unique craftsmanship, which quickly gives the spot an in vogue urban look.

I have tried many kinds of foods from street burger. Let’s start with its Beef burgers. They have large variety of burgers in beef category. The most delicious and juicy one is their Jalapeno Cheese Burger. It contains a Large size beef patty with a filled toping of jalapeno and cheese and their jalapeno juicy sauce which is too yummy. 

The other burger which I personally tried and recommend to other people is their Mushroom and Swiss Cheese burger which is double beef patty burger with layers of mushroom slices and mushroom sauce and with sesame seed coat on the patty. Its taste is amazing, and the burger is too cheesy.

The Honey BBQ Wings of street burger are too tasty and appetizing. They are sprinkled the wing with a sauce containing sweet honey which adds a sweet pleasurable taste in it. The hot buffalo Wings of their menu are also tasty and could be ordered if you are bored from typical burger stuff.  The overall ambience of the restaurant is too good, and I recommend everyone to visit it.

DIY Eatery

Too tired of visiting tacky old food places where waiter hands over the menu cards and notes down your desired order? Well then “DO IT YOURSELF!” Yes guys, a new innovative eatery has opened up few months ago in f-7, where you can order your meals via tablets. You can make a burger or so of your choice with whatever preferable ingredients you want. DIY Eatery has variety of menu with various price ranges.

I’m a huge fan of Asian food and DIY recently introduced individual bowls of Chinese and Thai food similar to Ginyaki. Guys…Hats off to this new addition. I went to DIY yesterday and ordered Chicken Chili dry (side option: chowmein) and Kung Pao chicken (side option: combo of rice and chowmein), both dishes had complimentary add on of prawns, chicken wings and some third option (I don’t remember which one exactly). Price of each bowl was for Rs.499 ONLY! We also ordered Chicken Parmesan Pasta for Rs.695. Yes guys! DIY is very affordable and it doesn’t compromise on the quantity.

My favorite dish was chicken chili dry served with chowmein. At first I was so shocked when I saw the price of this bowl. They served complimentary crackers and the dish had complimentary appetizer (we selected chicken wings). The quantity of each bowl was enough to fill two peoples appetite. The taste was superb!! It had perfect crisp and wasn’t too spicy either. Kung Pao Chicken had a rich savory taste, we ordered it with combo of rice and chowmein. Chowmein was too good but rice had some weird taste and texture. The Parmesan was ordinary but quantity was quite enough and justified the price.

Overall experience was great. I would definitely go there again try one of their burgers maybe. I’d rate this place 8.5/10.

BLT

Recently made a plan with a very close friend for dinner and as usual I had to decide the place Kyun k Jee zada sochna na parh jaye na sahab ko (: anyways I wanted to go someplace where I haven’t been recently and wanted to sit outside (if you have read my last 2 blogs you’ll know my love for eating outdoors) so I decide to go eat at BLT since I went there last September for my pre-birthday dinner with my girlfriends and I liked the food! 

This time I was with a person who Mashaallah Mashaallah eats alot and by alot I mean WAOOWW ALOT! So I was very nervous that what if he doesn’t like the food but he did infact loved it!

I ordered chicken lasagna and he ordered maxicon grilled chicken (I guess). The quantity and quality was very good. With our food we had mint margarita and yellowish peach drink (I forgot the name hehe), drinks were nice and refreshing. I would definitely recommend BLT you’ll love the food and the place! 

Zindagi buhat choti si hai life mai risks lenay chahiye beshak wo khanay ka mamla hi Kyun na ho, is fazool si baat ki yahan koi zarorat toh nae thi Lakin chalain khair hai khaye peeye our zindagi jeeyein!! 

Asian Wok

Not so long ago when this new restaurant opened its doors in Islamabad, people started talking about it a great deal. An Asian themed restaurant where the guests are treated with real Asian hospitality. A place with delicious cuisines, soaps and complimentary Margaritas (WHAATTT). Thus, I decided to go to ASIAN WOK on a cold day last winter.

The restaurant is situated in the heart of Islamabad and as I stepped into the restaurant it was obvious that it’s not just another casual opening instead it was more of a formal fine dining experience there. Well groomed management personal welcomed us warmly and helped us find a table. In the matter of minutes, a waiter out of nowhere served us with complimentary mint margaritas with crackers and sauces after which the menus were given to us. Even the staff there was exceptionally nice and groomed and would you believe the free margaritas tasted much better than those soled in most restaurants (WOW).

Anyhow, then we ordered the food what you basically go to a restaurant for. At first the prices seemed a bit too high but once the food was served (which is never late) we realised three things; firstly, the quantity was of a good amount, secondly the quality was admirable and finally it tasted delicious. Also, you can always ask them to keep the food spicier as I do as per your taste. The appetizers, the Yong Goong and Gai soup, the main courses, everything was wonderful. The waiters served us with fresh margaritas again as they noticed our glasses were getting empty and as we finished eating they also served us with complimentary tea on our table.

I’ve been to this place five times so far and I absolutely love the ambiance, decor, service, food, the neatness and hence the time I spend there with my friends becomes memorable.