What we tried (and loved) at Karachi Eat 2022

What started off with a few stalls at Frere Hall back in 2014 has now become one of the biggest and most anticipated food festivals in our beloved metropolis. Offering bigger venues and an even greater number of food stalls throughout the years, the Karachi Eat Festival has become a delectable staple for the masses.

And being an avid attendee of the festival ever since it began, from Frere Hall to Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Park to Beach View Park, I decided to pay it a visit and here’s what I tried and loved!

To start the day off, I had this amazing pani puri from the stall National Foods had put up which was quite literally the star of the show for me. The gol gappas were fresh, crispy, and crunchy – the filling had a mix of chickpeas, sweet and savoury chutneys, sev and even different chips for the added crunch – chef’s kiss! Having had such a tasty beginning for my Karachi Eat venture, I was already looking forward to the rest of the show! Here’s what went down the hatch next!

1. Cheese Steak Burger & Mandarin Tenderdog – Builder Burger
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I’d often seen bloggers rave about this new burger joint in town, but I never had the courage to place an order because I tend to be wary of such new places. I’m a beef burger person and if you’re one too, you can relate to the disappointment of a bad beef burger. So I finally took the plunge and ordered the cheesesteak burger and ever since the first bite, I’ve been cursing myself for not trying it earlier. The cheese sauce was rich, decadent and well-seasoned, whilst the beef patty and shredded tenderloin steak were a match made in heaven. I also tried their mandarin tenderdog which featured tender mandarin chicken and was well-balanced with a pairing of their tangy sauce and fresh cabbage slaw, yum!

2. Chicken Dumplings – Umami

I’m going to be very honest, I take my chicken dumplings very seriously and the ones from Umami ticked all the right boxes for me. Served as a trio, the dumplings on my plate vanished in no time, my friends and I loved them so much that we actually ordered two more servings and they were devoured just as fast as the first plate. The filling was well balanced, the addition of the chilli oil really amped up the flavour and was a pleasant discovery that my tummy is certainly thankful for.

3. Drunken Noodles – Sweet Greens

As much as I’d planned not to try noodles, given their filling nature, I couldn’t resist the drunken noodles at Sweet Greens. Salivating at the plate they’d just handed out to an attendee, I went ahead and ordered one for myself! What I received were the sauciest, spiciest (in a good way) and flavourful noodles I’ve ever encountered on a first try. The noodles too were perfectly done, hearty and kinda healthy. Ten points for the House of Sweet Greens!

4. Halloumi Fries – Nefis Foods

I was particularly excited to try out the Halloumi fries, with Pakistanis only recently jumping onto the Halloumi cheese bandwagon. I really wanted to see what the hype was about, and well, let’s say I’ve said goodbye to the mozzarella sticks I used to love and am now a Halloumi fries convert through and through. The fries were thick and crispy on the outside with an Instagram-worthy cheese pull on the inside, served piping hot for the ultimate taste experience, especially when it started getting a little chilly.

5. Pulled Bob’s – Fiz & Bob’s

Apart from a very cute name, the long queue outside their stand was what intrigued me to try their pulled beef slider and let me tell you, it was hands down the best-pulled beef I’ve ever had in Pakistan. The beef is slow-roasted for 10 hours and the enticing flavours paired with the tenderness of the meat were proof of that. Served in a brioche bun, it was a rather comforting slider, one that I’ve been craving forever since I got home that day.

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6. Lotus Tres Leches – Dough Factory

With a happy stomach and the button of my jeans holding on for dear life, I opted to conclude the night with a dessert, because hey, dessert goes straight to the heart and my button made it home safely, so why not! With so many options to choose from, the Lotus Tres Leches caught my eye and it was heavenly. Despite the Lotus being a little too sweet for my liking, the dessert was very well balanced in terms of sugar. The tres leches sponge was soft and fluffy, accounting for the perfect end to an already amazing night.

With that being said, the lack of variety at the festival was evident. With the exception of a few creative options that stood out, others were rather boring, and seafood was almost nowhere to be found considering how big of a hit it would have been amidst the winter weather. Not much was done to bring out desi food in terms of creativity but all in all, the festival was pretty well managed with bouncers reminding people to wear their masks when not eating and eateries refusing to take orders from attendees who weren’t taking adequate precautions. Despite the criticism Karachi Eat received online, the show did go on and it did that quite successfully.