Karachi Eats – and eats and eats at a glorious Food Festival

Karachi Eat Food Festival at Frere Hall

The Karachi Eat Food Festival at Frere Hall is one of those rare not-to-be-missed events in Karachi. The first day was a wonderful celebration of food.  Participants included corporate brands, top restaurants, celebrity chefs and home bakers.

The fresh Chapli Kabab was very popular

I went with my family at around 6pm on the first day after reports on Twitter than a fair number of the stalls were not up earlier in the day. By evening the event was in full swing, with plenty of visitors and a minor parking problem.

Plenty of seating and excellent arrangements

Tickets were cheap at Rs200 each and well worth the price. Many of my favourite restaurants had stalls including Okra, Espresso, The Deli, Pantry, Village and Meeruth from Tipu Sultan Road. Most were offering a limited but delicious menu, with most items under Rs200. There were many other stalls that I was itching to try, offering everything from chapli kebab to Asian salads.

Merath or Meruth is a Karachi institution as far as foodies are concerned

There was plenty of street food, including bun kebabs and dahi baray. Lovers of desi food could indulge in dahi baray, barbeque meats or even daal chawwal.

By Nano’s Hyderabadi – What could be better?

Bun Kebab anyone?

Those preferring international cuisine could indulge in everything from khowsay to beef hoagies to chinese food.

Asian Salad at Karachi Eat Food Festival

On the sweeter side, visitors could indulge in cakes, cupcakes, brownies, freshly fried donuts and a host of desi sweets – including halwa puri.

Meringue kisses and cupcakes from The Mad Hatter’s Tea Room

There was plenty of choice for even picky kids. My two youngest enjoyed penne pasta from Okra while the oldest, much to my disgust, opted for a hot dog and Knorr noodles.

Knorr drumming up business at Karachi Eat Food Festival

There was a great entertainment area for younger kids including jumping castles, a trampoline, face painting and craft activities.

Candy Floss and Jumping castles

Kiddie rides

Celebrity chefs from HUM TV were doing live demonstrations while the immensely popular SWOT Facebook foodie group held a cake-off. These are a few of the entries to the cake-off.

Studio Cupcakes won 2nd place

This cake by Saira Farooqui was the eventual winner

Emaan’s Cakes earned joint third place

Smackin Treats was responsible for this beauty

Most of the home bakers and bakeries had brought freshly made goodies but the restaurant stalls featured live cooking on little gas burners. It was a little like being at those outdoor challenges from Masterchef Australia except that the stallholders were self-possessed professionals. Every freshly cooked dish we tried was hot, well-seasoned and yummy.

Deli’s Khowsay was a major hit

Okra offered pulled chicken sandwiches and awesome beef hoagies

From fresh ravioli to delicious dhagga kebabs, the range of freshly cooked food was amazing. There were also plenty of mini treats like snow tubes, bubble tea, and ice-cream cones.

Bubble Tea

Fresh Juice by Juicylicious

The festival was well organized, with plentiful seating and umbrellas for shade. A stall by Habit displayed pretty crockery and home accessories but most participants were hawking delicious food.

Habitt homewares

Crockery by Habitt

The venue looks even better at night

With so much to choose from, the only problem was pacing ourselves so we could sample everything that we wanted to. In any case, all diet plans quickly went out the window and we left with uncomfortably tight waistbands.

Street food, desi-style

Between us we managed to sample fresh sugarcane juice, beef hoagies, dhagga kebab from Meeruth, cupcakes, freshly fried donuts, malai boti, penne pasta, fresh ravioli, sweet potato fries, paratha roll, bubble tea and of course noodles and hotdogs. And there were so many things we missed or didn’t have space for. The event continues today so do go, and make sure you take an appetite!