Mouthful, Lahore's new kid on the block is on a mission to redefine soul food in the city ever since it opened its doors a couple of months ago.

The venture has been garnering rave reviews and was even rated one of the top 10 restaurants to visit in 2015. And then again, what better way to beat the winter blues here than with some warm, comfort food?

What the owners of the establishment — a couple of friends who share a love of cuisine from around the globe, enjoy experimentation and love to incorporate locally sourced organic ingredients — have set out to achieve conceptually is new, homely and healthy.

Countering the fast food fad that has really lasted way too long, Mouthful is gunning for slow food. Every offering is to be first mastered in their “food lab”, with only their top 10 food items making it to a perpetually limited-edition menu.

Mouthful's delightful “food principles” are plastered all over the joint: from the writing on the walls down to that on the very napkins.

There is some fairly tongue-in-cheek stuff: “It’s not just fine dining, it’s fun dining!” their menu proclaims and as you enter, you see a big poster of Einstein himself sticking his tongue out at you.

Located in double D Defence, Lahore, near Masoom’s/Pancake Lounge, you simply cannot miss the loud, squiggly red neon Mouthful sign.

Mouthful has a fairly unique look for a restaurant in this city.

With two floors packed with sleek chrome and tasteful touches of wood and marble and the ground floor all but a beautiful open kitchen – all of this visible, inside out, through giant panes of thick glass – the restaurant looks snazzy, warm and yet jazzy, modern.

Arriving on a special date with family, we were warmly greeted and genuinely felt like valued guests throughout.

Settled in cosily, the first dish we tasted was the 'Mouthful Signature Omelette' which the establishment serves throughout the day.

Neither undercooked nor overdone, the aroma and taste of the organic farm-fresh eggs was altogether distinct from the staple, with just the right blend of spices. Stuffed with fresh, not canned, mushrooms and crispy pepperoni, it was quickly gobbled up.

Next on the list was the 'Haryali Paneer', an old Kashmiri grandmother’s recipe that has been revived. This was another absolute hit — rendering the concept of slow cooked food easy to understand, but slow eating difficult to accomplish. It was a harmonious medley of herbs and spices, slowly infused into the creamy cottage cheese, which just melts in your mouth.

Next on the global spin adventure was Iran’s national dish, 'Chicken Chillo Kebabs'. It was made from free-range chicken, cooked in Mouthful’s clay tandoor, served with a traditional side of saffron rice and assorted grilled vegetables and accompanied by their signature chimichurri sauce.

Injecting a lovely dash of fusion, the sauce, a surprise element hailing originally from Argentina, is a delicious blend of garlic, parsley, oregano, vinegar and olive oil. The fine assortment of fresh vegetables was beautifully grilled and the kebabs were juicy. Only the saffron rice was somewhat lacking, slightly bland, and could do with a touch of zest.

The culinary journey then took us to new terrain, an east-meets-west type of dish: an 'Ostrich Nehari'!

Served only on Sundays, the big bird’s meat has a similar taste to beef undercut but is a great, healthy alternative to munching down cow – 40 per cent less fat! A worthy experiment emerging from these young men’s “food lab”, the gravy was rich, thick and spicy and the fairly tough meat was tender and flaking off genuine, nihari style.

The 'Beer Can Chicken', a full free range chicken slow baked in their clay oven with half a can of beer (non-alcoholic, worry not), was stuffed up its cavity. This is one of the most popular items on Mouthful’s menu, and it is highly recommended that you place the order ahead of time, as the dish takes an hour and a half to prepare. Pre-order the chicken when making a reservation, which is almost necessary as there are a limited number of tables, all of which were perpetually packed.

Served with delightfully seasoned little baby potatoes, the chicken lived up to the accolades: malt-moist and juicy down to the morsel on the inside and beautifully crisp on the outside. The kids particularly loved this item, wolfing it down with glee, which was comforting to see, knowing it is good for them as opposed to the usual demolishing of the fast food fare.

The final dish of the night was the 'Philly Steak Sub', another signature Mouthful offering most raved about by many satisfied customers. Rightly so, the entire feast had been delightful, nothing really disappointing and the serving portions were neither overwhelming nor small.

However, as the saying goes, we fortunately ended up saving the best for last.

This sandwich truly was Mouthful’s pièce de résistance. From the fresh, crispy toasted long bun to the thin slices of grass-fed beef cooked to perfection, topped with caramelised onions, a few jalapenos and lovely cheese, it was an outstanding sandwich. The spice level was just right, however the sandwich could have used a little bit more cheese.

We skipped dessert, saving the 'OMG Gulab Jaman' along with the rest of the menu, especially the gourmet burgers, for some other time.

With prices between Rs1000 to Rs1500 per head, which is reasonable for fine dining, Mouthful really lived up to its hype. The restaurant adds a wonderful and warm experience to the plethora of Lahore’s dining options – a perfect place to feast away your winter blues.

---

Mouthful Rating: (4.25 out of 5)

Food: 4.5 | Ambiance: 4 | Service: 4.25 | Value for money: 4.75

---

All photographs taken by the author.

Khuram Haroon was the top sixth contestant in MasterChef Pakistan. He is developing a food-related website which is to be launched in the first half of 2015