A new addition to the ever-increasing Karachi’s eatery business is Plan B that is recently opened at bara Bukhari commercial area. The restaurant caught my eye for what it has to offer.

The menu comprises of freshly baked buns either topped or filled with different fillings. Enticed by the pictures I came across on Facebook, I tried from their bao bun selection, Smoked Mince, and from the street buns, Malai Madness, Istanboly Adana, B Steak and Mac N Stuff. I’ll discuss the negative points first.

Considering that the bun is huge part of their menu, in fact it is what the concept of the place is based on, they need to make sure that it is nothing less than perfect. The bun that I was served was crumbly in texture from the inside and had a slightly hard, almost biscuit-like outside. The only bun that is filled with meat instead of topped with it, the Smoked Mince had a slightly dry filling, too. The menu mentions that almost all buns are topped with a special sauce, which basically is a mayo-like topping but tasteless. It should be a no-brainer for any eatery these days that they shouldn’t be serving something as basic as French fries from ready-made packages. Their fries were crunchy and oil-free which are big plus point, but weren’t seasoned! Served with the tomato and chilli-garlic ketchup available in stores, the handful of fries made me wonder why I should pay PKR 200. The restaurant doesn’t serve any real cutlery, meaning no plates and plastic fork and knife that make it a bit of a struggle to dig into the buns.

The bao dough finds its origins in Fuzhou, the capital of China’s Fujian province and is popularly cooked through wet steam method. The chef revealed that they use a special flour to bake the buns, but perhaps they need to polish their method more. The Malai Madness had the most amazing, creamy chicken topping with the distinct flavour of crunchy onions. Inspired by the Turkish kebab, the Instanboly Adana had the softest and perfectly seasoned kebab and was presented most differently than others. B Steak had a lip-smacking Thai chilli dressing, the only thing is that I found the beef to be a bit chewy. Mac N Stuff was perhaps my favourite! Although the cheese had solidified as it was placed on the serving table, the saucy, slightly spicy macaronis were still finger-licking!

Location: Plot no 20C, lane 5, Bukhari comm. area, Phase VI, DHA, Karachi
Average cost for 2: PKR 1,200 approx.

TASTE

Plan B is on the right track when it comes to certain flavours like the Thai chilli beef, the Turkish kebab and the creamy malai chicken variant. But it needs to work on some, as well, like dryness of the bun and the smokey mince.

AMBIENCE

For now, the space is small but comfortable. The interiors have a bright yellow theme that brightens up the space and the walls are painted with relevant messages. The place has been utilised as much as it could have been.

SERVICE

My order, consisting of five buns, arrived fairly quickly. The staff is courteous, and greets you with the biggest smile. If you can be sure of one thing, it is that your day might just turn around if only for the service there.

PRESENTATION

In all fairness, when you have a bun to present with a heap of stuff on top, how picture-perfect could you make it look? But the point is to make the food look appetising at the end of the day and that’s where the eatery succeeds.

VALUE FOR MONEY

Even though you have a limited menu for now, the items on the list are fairly light on the pocket considering the taste and serving size, making this a good option for the weekend outing or even a late-night binge.