KinkiBird. Sorry Jigar, you got offended. Khuda teri Parvaz Buland Karay, Amin.
Dear Friends. I am starting another thread for Lahore and Lahori food in particular.
I am obsessed with anything Lahori, especially food. I thought I should share some places that I know with my GuppShupp friends. The directions for restaurants are for people who don’t know Lahore very well (yes.. Its hard to believe that there are still those people around… O, Jinay Lahore nahe Daykhya, O Jamya e NahiN).
Here are some Lahori Food for thought:
KARAHI
Bhatti Karahi House. (far end of Jail Road, the Muzang Chungi side-Opposite Nirala Sweet House. It’s on the left side when you are going towards Muzang Chungi on Jail Road.)
TAKKA-TUK
Ohhhh! (It’s a culinary orgasm). Best place for Takka-Tuk is Nishat Champ Shop. It’s located on Abbot Road. This is perpendicular to McLoad Rd, just off of the Duty Free Shop.
KABABS
If you are a Standard Seekh Kabbab person you should go to Mochi. I particularly am not a big fan of Bhayia etc. I like my Seekh Kabbab a little crunchy so I can taste little pieces of Piyaz in it. (Bhayia Kabbabs are made without piyaz).
Mamma Kabbab Walla is really good for Alloo Cutless and Shami Kabbab. (Temple Road), towards Mall Road from Mozang Chungi. These Kabbabs go really well with Roah.
Khoiay Wallay Kabbab are really good. Yes! That’s Kabbabs with “Khoyaa” (Cream). They aren’t very popular because not a lot of people know about them probably because they are only available at one place: Sadar Bazar, Lahore cantt. The owner operates from a Khokha
HALEEM & CHOLAY
All the good Haleem places in Lahore are in the “Shaher” (City). There are two different kinds of Haleem places. The Chicken Haleem places,
and the regular Haleem places. The Chicken Haleem places (Montgomery Road and Abbot Road). They serve good stuff with lots of Chicken in it, usually a leg or breast piece. They also serve Chollay with Anday (eggs).
HAREESA
Hareesa is Haleem made from Gundum (wheat) rather than daal. The only place where you should have Hareesa is Gawal Mandi. There’s this guy opposite Tufail Machlee Walla in Gawal Mandi.
PATHORAY
Pathoray is like Puri, except it’s thicker because there is daal mixed in it. It is served with Chollay. There are tons of Phathoray shops at Fane Road right behind High Court.
PIZZA HUT
It stinks!!!, and all the other fancy restaurants in Lahore!!! Their food smells. They use low quality ingredients. Don’t eat at fancy restaurants. They charge you 400 rupees for a glass of water. For that price, you can feed a family of six for a whole week if you go to the places that I am recommending where prices are reasonable and food is really mazeedar.
NIHARI
The undisputed Nihari King in Lahore is Dehli Kay Al-Mashoor Nihari Wallay. You can’t get Nihari like that-anywhere! Finding it could be a problem. Enter old city through Lahori gate.
HALWA PURREE
The only thing that makes Halwaa Purree good is chollay. If you don’t have good chollay then it’s no fun. Royal Park (Montgomery Road, McLoad Road)
MACHLEE (MACHEE)
The most famous is Bashir Darulmahi, Muzang Chungi - and Omer Fish Corner in Ichhra. Then there’s Tufail Machlee in Gawal Mandi.
Finally, If you are a female, it is kinda hard to get in some of these places. You can ask a male member of your family to bring home the food. If you are a male, and if you live within 2 miles from any of these places, it is more fun to go with a friend or a relative on a cycle with a back carrier. Holding the stuff in both hands on the back seat is a lot of fun. Singing while riding (fanaticizing about a career in showbusiness) the bike can add fun to an already exciting experience of dodging Babas (old men), Ma-ees (old ladies) and Tangas. After riding for a few miles, you will be hungry like a pig. The food will taste really good. If you have a meal with the whole family on a spread chadar (sheet) or daree (cheap rug) on the floor and eat it with hands, food tastes out of this world. I hate sitting on a mom-jama (a plastic sheet), I prefer Daree. People who return from Abu-Dahbi use mom-jamas.
I have a few more places to share. I will do that soon. I also know some of the best bargain shops in Lahore to buy clothes (mainly Landa Bazzar), No, only kidding, I really know where to buy good quality stuff at very reasonable prices. I know Daree shops, inside the old city that charges 1/5th of the price you might pay in a shop on Laxmi Road. For Bhanday (utensils, cooking pots, etc.) Rang Mahal is the best. There are good bargains for cloth materials near BansaN Aalla Bazzar. Some AnarKali shops are rip offs. Never shop at Liberty or Fortress Stadium, they are the biggest rip off artists. Their stuff is low quality and they think they belong at Madison Ave in New York City. I hate those pretentious shoppers who will spend 1800 rupess on a Malaysia (black cloth) Shalwar Kamiz because it has a label on the pocket that reads Fila. You can buy a better Shalwar Kamiz for 225 rupees in Rang Mahal. If anyone wants to find out any information on anything about Lahore: food, shopping, sight seeing, best bhondee places, or anything, let me know. I will be delighted to share it with you.
Lahore Lahore Aay.
