#InternationalIftar2019 at Avari Towers: Taste in Variety; Variety in Taste

Good food brings people together and a good buffet in Ramadan brings them even closer. United by fast and feast in the holy month of Ramadan, a bunch of bloggers was invited to try out a variety of lavishly served dishes and delicacies at #InternationalIftar2019 buffet being held at Asia Live - AvariTowers, Karachi.  

Serving desi delights and international favorites in a traditional setup, the Iftar/Dinner buffet at Avari Towers should certainly be on your checklist if you are looking for a sumptuous selection of food items, which are equally flavorsome.

My food itinerary began with a bowl of Chana Chaat and Dahi Baray without which an Iftaar platter would look incomplete to me. Next, I immediately headed over to the section where freshly-prepared Chinese/Japanese food was served. Since I had tried BBQ specialties at another buffet earlier, I decided to relish my taste-buds with some authentic Japanese/Thai cuisines this time around.

Starting off with some crisp Tempura prawns that were cooked to perfection, I also had portions of Thai Green Curry and Chicken Teppanyaki poured over a bowl of rice. The curry was creamy and delicious with the right mix of flavors while the perfectly spiced Chicken Teppanyaki also added to the savory experience. Other than what I tried, the huge variety at Asia Live buffet also included dishes like Beef in Oyster Sauce, Chicken in Black Bean Sauce, Wok Fried Noodles, etc.

A wide variety of Pakistani dishes were also included in the menu offering Halwa Puri, Mutton Karahi, Biryaani, etc, making it a challenge for us not to go for a second or third round. However, I kept some space for the desserts for I could see an attractively-presented assortment on the table serving colorful pastries, cakes, mousse, fruit tart, etc.

The food itinerary concluded with soft drinks and conversation over a cup of tea. How I wish I could have tried some fresh lemonade though!

The well-dressed staff was friendly and welcoming. One of their managers asked me if the buffet is worth the amount and I said YES! for this buffet doesn’t only have variety in taste but also has taste in variety that we all seek!

The #InternationalIftar dinner buffet also featured a mini exhibition where beautifully crafted products were displayed portraying our national beauty and diversity.

Priced at Rs. 3195 (+tax), it’s a food haven for those who are an ardent lover of Asian cuisines specifically the flavorsome Japanese delights. There’s no wonder that the space is usually fully-packed.

Here’s a quick rating of its taste, service and ambiance:

Taste: ✮✮✮✮✮

Service: ✮✮✮✮✮

Ambiance: ✮✮✮✮

For reservation and updates, Avari Towers can be digitally perused on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Iftaar-Dinner Buffet at Pearl Continental Hotel – Dishing Food with Style and Taste

Celebrating the spirit of hospitality and sharing in Ramadan, the good people at Pearl Continental Hotel invited me for an Iftaar-Dinner buffet on May 13, 2019 - the very first Iftaar invitation of the season. Organized at the grand, spacious PC Marquee with all the necessary arrangements being done flawlessly, the buffet was a visual treat to the eyes displaying a huge variety of main course meals and desserts being artfully arranged on the round table.

Of all the buffets that I have tried during this season so far, I believe that Pearl Continental Hotel has an edge over them when it comes to food plating or presentation (and I'll let you be the judge here after browsing through the pictures). Speaking about the taste, what had appealed to my palate were Tempura Prawns, Fried Rice, Sweet & Sour Fish and Chicken Wraps. Their live barbecue section delivering piping hot food items including Pasta, Chapli Kebabs, Sajji, Tempura Prawns, etc is worth giving a try!

The buffet also featured a decent selection of our regular Iftaar items including Pakoras, Samosas, Dahi Baray, etc. that I skipped for the dinner and desserts part looked more enticing to my taste buds. Moreover, there was a separate corner for tea enthusiasts where a good steaming cuppa was served to the guests.

The service was remarkable throughout the meal with their staff and chefs on a constant round, making sure that we enjoy the food (and know about what we are eating :p).

The event concluded with a lucky draw activity where prizes were distributed amongst the selected winners.  I was fortunate enough to win a whole bag of goodies by Mehran Foods, which has made my kitchen Eid-ready with its savory delights.

Priced at 2600 PKR (excluding GST), the Iftaar-Dinner Buffet at Pearl Continental Hotel could be your next choice of visit if you enjoy eating BBQ at a comfortable dining spot. Also, there’s some good news for Faysal Bank card holders who can avail 40% off on their reservations. Hurry up before the offer lasts, as they say! ;)

Here's a quick rating for its taste, service and ambiance:

Taste: ✮✮✮

Service: ✮✮✮✮✮

Ambiance: ✮✮✮✮✮

Pearl Continental Hotel can be digitally perused on Facebook and Instagram. 

Marhaba at Maraheb: Bringing Flavorsome Arabic Cuisine to Karachi

  

In the pursuit of adding new flavors to my life with good food,good people and good times,I decided to head over to a newly-opened eatery in K-town called, "Maraheb Pakistan." Located in Bahadurabad, the restaurant features a well-lit, elegantly-decorated setup with a friendly staff waiting to greet you at the entrance! The spacious seating area gives you another reason to visit this place along with your family and friends. 

Speaking about the food, the menu for the day included Rainbow Hummus and Loaded Batata as Starters, Saltah Fasah with Muluawa Bread and Zorbiyan as the Main Course Meals, and Red Velvet Milk Cake and Kunafa with Ice-cream for Desserts.

The all-so-colorful "Rainbow Hummus" was served as the house special in four different flavors including original, beetroot, roasted capsicum,and a spicy blend.

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A post shared by Urooj & Qirat Parekh (@littlesheknow) on Mar 22, 2019 at 9:27am PDT

While I got a bit late to try out the Rainbow Hummus, I started off with a bowl full of "Loaded Batata" that not only looked pleasing to the eye but also turned out to be pleasing for the palate. with spicy potatoes topped with mozarella cheese and dynamite sauce, the flavorful explosion had such a delicious impact that I didn't feel like settling for one bowl only!
Next came Saltah Fahsa being served with Muluawa Bread where the bread looked more like a huge garlic naan, enough to fill the tummy of a group of 2-3 people. A sizzling pot of curry containing shredded beef being prepared with a 7-spice mix, the Yemeni dish tasted more or less similar like the spicy Pakistani Beef Stew - a comfort food for the meat lovers.

Being one of the recently introduced items on their menu, "Zorbiyan" was served the next, drawing our complete attention to it because of the way it is being brought on the table. Given a choice to choose between Madhbi and Zorbiyan, I decided to opt for a small portion of the well-cooked traditional Arabian rice, "Madhbi" that I enjoyed eating along with some tomato sauce.

 

What came as a delightful accompaniment to the entire good food menu were the desserts! While some of us took delight in feasting on "Kunafa" with Pistachio ice-cream, I stuffed myself with a heavenly slice of "Red Velvet Milk Cake," making it the second best item of the entire dining experience at Maraheb Pakistan.

Here's a quick rating for its taste, service and ambiance:

Taste:✭✭✭✭

Service:✭✭✭✭✭

Ambiance:✭✭✭✭✭

Maraheb Pakistan can be digitally perused on Facebook and Instagram.

Until next, Happy Munching Folks! 

5 Reasons Why Gymboree Could Be the Next Best Gift for Your Toddler

“Gymboree is a wonderful interactive program. Parents and children will be delighted to spend time together building strong bonds that will last a lifetime.”

___Dr. Harvey Karp

It’s that time of the year again when I am eagerly anticipating the celebration of one of my favorite toddler’s birthday. My little nephew is turning a year old soon and we cannot just contain our excitement for planning his very first birthday party! A perfect birthday bash, however, remains incomplete without a special birthday gift for the little munchkin. Although, it’s pretty easy to find a super-duper cute birthday gift from any toy store, I had been on a hunt to find something exclusive and entertaining at the same time and that would benefit the baby in the long run. It was when I stumbled upon Gymboree Play & Music Pre-school after being suggested by a close acquaintance.

                                              

 Getting to Know Gymboree Play & Music

Before I could finally enroll my little nephew into any of Gymboree Pre-school programs, I decided to explore more about this unique learning space, which eventually led to my very first visit at Gymboree Play & Music Clifton Center in Karachi. And I am so glad I made the right decision!

Greeted by such an amicable staff at the reception, I could clearly tell that I was in for a delightful experience. Ms. Javeria, a professionally-trained instructor at the center, introduced me to various facilities including state-of-the-art Play Gym, Art Studio and Skill Room. She further elaborated about how the colorful and unique class equipment and various play & learn activities being conducted at the center contributes towards early childhood development while producing a breed of talented toddlers. The best part about Gymboree is its curriculum that has been designed by its program directors in collaboration with the international child development experts, Zero to Three.  

By the time she had ended her presentation, I was truly convinced about signing up my nephew for the Pre-school program and following are the five reasons why it turned out to be the best birthday gift for him;

                                                

-      Learning Through Play & Fun

One cannot just deny the significance of playful learning in early childhood development process. Be it physical play, construction play, symbolic play or language play, the age-appropriate and goal-directed playful activities serve as an effective vehicle in ensuring the best enrichment education to children. Gymboree provides such opportunities for learning through age-appropriate play & learning activities that build confidence, creativity and imaginative skills in a child aged between 0-5 years. 

“Through Play & Learn, art, movement to music, and tactile exploration, children start to figure out how the world works around them.” And that’s exactly what I wanted for my little Columbus.


                                               

-      Where Safety Comes First

From padded floors to various super fun and colorful playing objects, every equipment is being specifically designed by keeping the needs of children in mind. The play floor at Gymboree provides a safe and secure environment for the kids to have fun, learn and explore under individual attention by professionally-trained teachers.


                                               

-     Treasured Time with Your Munchkin

The best part about Gymboree classes is the flexibility being given to parents to take part in various fun activities along with their kids. Play dates and parties are being hosted each month for the members to experience a specialized Gymboree party. At Gymboree, it’s not just about kids but it also focuses on fostering a strong parent-child bond. Even the aunts like us could play!                                      

-      Fostering Friendship 

Gymboree Play & Music classes not only let your tiny tots socialize and communicate in a friendly environment but it also lets you network with mothers in the house making it a perfect hang-out for new moms over cups and cradles.


                                              

-     The Next Best Kid

Gymboree Play & Music is a center of holistic development that supports social, physical, emotional, and intellectual growth of kids and preschoolers. It is a place where children can find a plethora of learning opportunities and activities that are best suited to their needs. Through these activities, they are not only able to develop academic and cognitive skills but these also play an empirical role in cultivating confidence, communication, perseverance, and cooperation that eventually builds foundation for a healthy and happy future generation.

“Thank you Gymboree for giving my daughter the most amazing memories! She learned to speak when she came here. You’ve taught her such wonderful things,” says Mehreen Ahmed whose daughter had been taking classes at Gymboree while Aima’s mother adds to it;

In case you would like to learn more about Gymboree classes, do sign up for a free demo at Gymboree Play & Music Clifton Center in Karachi by calling them at (021) 35865301-02 or you may also consider attending one of their upcoming storytelling sessions titled, “Telling Tales by Unaizah Ali” scheduled to be held on February 10, 2018. Here’s where you can register for the event:  https://www.facebook.com/events/165751084048535

Remember that it’s the Happy Kids Who Learn Best!         

Me-O Wonder Cat Show: A Purr-fect Rendezvous with Fabulous Felines

“I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat!” . . . . . . . that left me in awe and wonder.

Cats are the most beautiful pets one can have and while I remember keeping them as a pet long time ago, I do not recall if I ever thought much about the different breeds and colors of a cat until I headed over to a cat-walk being held in the neighborhood. Celebrating the fur-ever love for the furry balls, the 6^th Me-O Annual Wonder Cat Show was a total delight to watch!

Held on December 10, 2017 at Maritime Museum in Karachi, the event gathered more than 50 cat breeders and cat owners at one place. The event kicked off with a catwalk where owners took a stroll down the runway displaying their dapper, bowtie-clad cats to the audience after which they were carried to the judges’ table for further evaluation on how well they suited the standard for their own breed.

There was never a dull moment at the cat show where a range of pedigree and pure-bred cats kept the audience captivated and entertained with their feline beauty and grace. 

   

Apart from the exciting catwalk, different kinds of fun activities such as Magic Show, Fire Dance, Hip Hop Dances, and Comedy Sessions were also arranged for the audience’ recreation. What the crowd enjoyed the most was the photo session where cat lovers took pictures with the adorable kitties.

The Me-O Annual Wonder Cat Show has been a regular feature for the last six years being organized by Qureshi Enterprises - the sole distributors of Me-O cat food in Pakistan. These one-of-its-kind cat shows have not only brought the cat enthusiasts together but they have also helped cat breeders in finding customers for their p-awesome beauties. Who wouldn’t want to own a fluffy kitten after all!

The Team Behind Me-O Wonder Cat Show

The event concluded with the distribution of shields and gift hampers to the winning participants, making us believe in what a famous musician, Ray Charles once said,

“Whether they be the musician cats in my band or the real cats of the world, they all got style.”
 

Can’t Cook? #DontCook! – Feasting Made Easy with #Foodpanda’s Scrumptious Deals

‘Tis the season of festivities, family get-togethers, and parties with your favorite people and you know what that means? That entails a celebration of good times and cheer which can never be deemed complete without a gift of delicious food!

Be it a Christmas celebration with your best chums, a soiree during the winter semester break, a coffee klatch on a cozy night or a visit by your distant family relative during vacations, these are the times when you’d want good food being quickly made and readily available on the table! But then, there will be times when the laziness would reign and you wouldn’t want to cook!

For people like myself who often #DontCook food (unless they are being bribed by love), they eventually find themselves relying upon ordering food from an eatery while planning for a party. And that is how I discovered these amazing deals being available for ordering through the foodpanda app.
  

Celebrating the #BestOf2016 this year, foodpanda Pakistan has been offering up to 80% discount on more than 200 restaurants nationwide from Dec 23^rd – Dec 25^th, thus bringing one of the biggest-ever discounts of the year on our culinary favorites.  The entire list of discounts being offered on food outlets in Karachi can be found here.

With the amazing discounts available at hand, treating friends to a luncheon or a dinner just got better, easier and so affordable! Guess it’ll be a right thing to say that foodpanda Pakistan has featured deals for almost every budget.

Following are the few more reasons behind opting for ordering food through foodpanda app:

Variety is the spice of life, they say!

One could find a long list of fast-food outlets and restaurants being located in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad that were offering up to 80% discount on their food items. From the cheesy and saucy burgers and pizzas to delectable desserts, foodpanda Pakistan had deals for all giving you the reason to not to cook, sit back, relax and enjoy this weekend!

Hello! Is it You I am Looking for?

My way or Subway ;) - Ordered through Foodpanda

The foodpanda app helps you answer this question by letting you discover the best dining outlet that serves in your area. Just a few clicks here and there, and you are good to go ordering!

Rock Around the Clock!

Being an online customer, the very first thing that you would take into consideration would be their time of delivery. Speaking of my maiden experience at foodpanda Pakistan, I’d say that I had my order delivered at home within the time limit that had been indicated on the app. Yes! You can keep a track of your order’s delivery while using the foodpanda’s app. Just keep a check on the clickety clock!

Ordering food through the foodpanda app turned out to be a seamless experience even during the time when they must have been occupied with a long list of orders and clientele owing to the festive season. On time delivery coupled with courteous and effective customer services is worth an appreciation, making you want to order through foodpanda again.

Don’t have the foodpanda app on your phone yet? Download it here now!

#ServisShoes: New Summer Collection for All Walks of Life

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a pair of fabulous shoes.”

Setting out in search of your perfect sole, you come across several creations – each one depicting its own style and story. The quest is no less than a fairy-tale where you get to pick and choose the right one according to your choice and taste so that you could live in those shoes happily ever after.

With summers around the corner and shoe fetish blooming in heart, I have also been on a challenging quest of finding the right fit until I found Liza, which is one of the signature lines of Servis Shoes.

One of the Pakistan’s leading footwear brands, Servis, has recently launched its new summer collection including their signature lines Ndure, Liza and ToZ – and which are now available at their stores across Pakistan. This newly-launched collection can be one of the most suitable options for those seeking a blend of trend and comfort in their perfect sole-mate during summers.

The new collection has been launched by the brand, with a TVC campaign titled “Servis Shoes: Utaarney Ka Scene Hi Nahi”. The TVC shows various hip and youthful individuals in situations where one would take their shoes off, but in this case, they are so madly in love with their Servis shoes that shoe owners don’t take the shoes off – and are seen wearing the shoes to bed, while swimming and even while taking a bath!  

Ever witnessed such true love, eh? Have a look!

Servis Summer Collection 2016

Servis ki New Summer Collection... Itni DILTASTIC prices mein ke Utaarnay Ka Scene Hee Nahi!#diltastic#sceneheenahi

Posted by Servis on Wednesday, February 17, 2016

This new TVC campaign by Servis reinforces the brand’s identity and its promise of catering to the daily footwear needs of people belonging to various age groups while the surprising variety of the shoe collection speaks for itself. 

You can have a look at the new summer collection on their website at http://www.servis.com/ or visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ServisPakistan

With its multi-brand approach and aesthetic designs, Servis Shoes has always remained one of the favorite choices for shoe aficionados and it also helped me in finding the perfect match!