For Pakistanis who roam the world, there is one food tradition that they miss immensely, and that is the Pakistani version of Chinese food. The original version is a tradition that a lot of us would find “not really all there”, but the Pakistani version is simply amazing.

Last week my host Col. Khalid Masood and his gracious wife invited us to Yum in Defence. He cautioned that we go early and booked a table. I had no idea that by the time we finished there was virtually a mob waiting downstairs and along the staircase to tuck into what has become a second favourite food tradition of Pakistan. It reminded me of the days of our youth when we would secretly date at an eatery named Shanghai on Gulberg Main Boulevard. Oh, their food was amazing, as naturally was the company. In those days all the chefs were family members of the Chinese owner. Today we have hundreds of Pakistani chefs of Chinese food, and most excellent ones at that. No matter which country you go to, you will find Pakistani chefs at work, for it is a most paying profession not to forget the long hours put in.

The host insisted that I order, so I kept it simple. A ‘Hot and Sour’ soup, a ‘Chicken Manchurian’, a ‘Chicken with Chillies’ and an ‘Egg Fried Rice’. This is as Spartan as one could be, and just enough to enjoy the meal, and also to judge the quality of their food. The basics are the most cooked and they provide an insight into an eatery. The waiter looked surprised and asked if we needed Chinese poppadums’ and that was ordered. For drinks it was a simple lime drink. My hosts insisted that we order more, but gone are the college days when we would have willingly obliged.

The soup was served with considerable grace and it was excellent. The remaining order followed, all served with a rare touch of grace. It is so nice to see Pakistani restaurants meeting the highest standards of service. The Manchurian was very nice and the fried chicken with chillies was excellent. The entire meal turned out to be an excellent experience. Throughout our stay there we were approached five times to inquire if everything was fine, and they were taking care of any need mentioned.

We decided to restrict ourselves to food only and not have sweets, for that can be tackled at home. The conversation revolved around the topics of the day and the food. Now let us judge this ‘Eating Out’ experience on the Michelin Scale of one to nine, and to average out the experience.

For food quality a 7 out of 9 is appropriate, and I am not being strict, for service an 8 is deserved, for choice available on the menu a 6 is fine, but then specialist eateries are restricted by their nature, for quality of crockery and cutlery an 8 is just correct, for ambience a 6 is fine for it seems a very utilitarian environment, for ease of parking the car a 7 appreciates the service available, for cleanliness a 7 is fine, and for initial welcome a 6 is more than enough. That is a sector they need to improve. I will not comment on the prices as I was not paying.

So these eight variables average out to 6.9 out of 9, which is a fair reflection of what we experienced. The eatery is a small place and does not give the impression of being cramped. This, if anything, provides an understanding of space being used to service clients appropriately. Will certainly return to this place, most probably to their Gulberg branch. Recommended if you enjoy quality food.

TO HELL WITH TRADITION: My dear friend Saifullah Khalid insisted that he take me to Phajja the ‘Payyay-wala’ inside Taxali at the famous Chowk. The order, naturally, is just ‘payyay and naans’ for this place is known for this delicacy. In normal days their delicious serving was finished before breakfast time, but now they go on and on.

We all ate in silence. On the way out I said to the owner: “Bloody well never serve me pressure cooker ‘payyay’ made within ten minutes. The bones were hard as rock”. He looked shocked. This is one place that is earning its keep on a name long exhausted. To Hell with Tradition.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2019