KARACHI: Here we go again! It’s that time of year when the faithful try and keep away from culinary temptation from dawn till dusk. But a visit, even a fleeting one, to Karachi’s restaurants, including upmarket hotels, will paint a picture that is nothing less than incredible. These days, there are not many eateries which at the time of Iftar have empty spaces. Tables are booked beforehand, and if you can’t book your table, and if you are not wise enough to reach the venue at least an hour before breaking of fast, you are invariably consigned to a long wait list.

There’s a reason for it. This Ramazan the Iftar time in Karachi is nearly quarter past seven in the evening, which is almost dinner time for a considerable number of families. So once you break your fast, you are more likely to have dinner with it too, because if you eat food a few hours later, it is likely to spoil your elaborate Sahri plans.

This works in favour of the food industry. As a result, they have the Iftar-cum-dinner settings at restaurants and hotels, serving both Iftar snacks and dinner meals in tandem. Naturally, for that they charge a per-person amount, which has redefined the word exorbitant.

And yet, people flock to these eating spots like moths to flame. Why?

Abid Merchant, who runs a restaurant in Clifton, says: “People like to dine out. They like variety, and in Ramazan they get plenty of variety. In Ramazan almost 90 per cent of restaurants have a buffet spread, which means there’s a lot to choose from."

"And I don’t think they are charging exorbitant amounts. As far as I’m concerned, I have kept things simple. My restaurant has a 40-seat capacity and every day it’s full. I charge Rs845 which includes 10 items for a start, complimentary drinks, followed by a main course and tea or green tea of your own choice.”

While Iftar is the time when most foodies rush to have a taste of flavourful food, there are some restaurants which do a roaring business even at midnight, that is, till a few hours before Sahri. Mehvish does reservations for a Chinese food chain.

She says: “We have at least 50 per cent reservations for Iftar. The rest come without reservation and we try to accommodate everyone. We stick to the a la carte system, no buffets. Yes, we do receive extra clients in Ramazan. However, the number usually increases between 11pm and 1am when we charge 50 per cent less.”

But a restaurant owner, Najam Quddusi, has a different take on the subject: “It is segmented. By that I mean there are segments in society who go to these restaurants. I’m talking about high-end restaurants in Clifton and Defence. I’m not sure about other areas. In fact, there was a time when street food was in demand. People would make queues to fetch samosas and pakoras."

"Not these days. The administration has even arranged for police constables to handle traffic jams caused by long queues. But there is no traffic jam. So what I’m saying is that it’s the upper-middle class or well-to-do people who are spending money on food. I don’t think low or middle-income groups have money to indulge in this.

“As for the exorbitant prices, it is a subjective thing. You can’t draw a line. People have the power and resources to pay, and restaurants are charging them accordingly.”

On the other hand, Sohail, a 40-something man who likes to eat out, is unhappy with the price hike. “It is unreal and inhuman. Six people go out to eat and are asked to cough up 12,000 rupees! Everywhere else in the world, on occasions such as these, prices are brought down to help people. Not here.”

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2015

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