Wooden seating arrangements, mercury bulbs hanging from the wooden structure just below the ceiling and stoned walls thanks to 3D wallpaper installations will make you feel like you have entered a rustic restaurant in the country side. Inside, the air-conditioned sitting area provides a perfect calm ambience for an evening meal. I started off with the specially recommended Chelow Kebab, Chicken Kastori Boti and Chicken Reshmi Handi. The kebab was nicely seasoned and was served with boiled rice topped with a spoonful of ghee. To be honest, I found that off-putting but many may not mind it. The boti was super soft and had a slightly crunchy egg coating that was a delicious surprise. Both the grilled items tasted good with the in-house tamarind sauce. The best part of the meal was definitely diving into the handi; the piping hot creamy boneless dish also had julienned onion and capsicum which gave it an oriental twist. A must-try!

From the tawa special selection, I went for my personal favourite – Katakat. The serving size wasn’t too bad not was the taste; it was rather hot and tasty. I found it to be a tad bit oily but then again it’s a common problem with desi foods everywhere. The Katakat was also finely minced, though I like mine to be a bit chunkier. None of the dishes overly impressed me, except may be the handi, but the food is tasty here nonetheless and the place deserves a visit if you are on a budget.•

TASTE

Even though the restaurant boasts of a few Chinese delicacies on its menu, I believe its specialties are the Pakistani food. Stick to that and you won’t be disappointed.

AMBIENCE

The eatery is located amidst the hustle bustle of a food street and as such, it gets crowded especially on the weekends. So you might want to plan ahead, other than that, it has a nice family environment.

SERVICE

The waiting staff there is on their toes, vigilant, quick and courteous, especially during the rush hours. It is a testament to how well-trained they are.

PRESENTATION

As far as desi grilled dishes and handis go, the team does a good job at presenting the food. The aroma from the live BBQ section is enough to lure one in.

VALUE FOR MONEY

The affordability factor and healthy serving size makes Kebabistan a good choice to dine out with your friends and family on the weekend.

Location: Opp. Disco Bakery, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi.
Average cost for 2: PKR 1,200 approx.