bbq tonight in karachi

bbq tonight and every night actually in karachi.
its a famous restaurant that serves mainly grilled and roasted meats that is immensely popular in pakistan.
must be the cold cold nights particularly in winter and much to my surprise, the roasts and broasts as its called is as popular as biryani in this south asian nation.
this was my second trip to karachi in as many months, the first being the cusp of 2007/2008 - yeah i spent new year's eve in karachi! not too bad a way to welcome a new year.
back to the food at hand.
a colleague took me to bbq tonight which today is a three-storey building complete with a rooftop dining area to see the surrounding sights in the upscale clifton area in karachi. let's just say its a bit like how trendy bangsar baru used to be a few years ago.
and the area counts among its residents the slain pakistani leader benazir bhutto, just murdered artist ismail gulgee and still-serving president pervez musharraf.
bbq tonight used to be just a stall - like devi's corner in bangsar baru - but a decade on, its a huge enterprise with meats sizzling and food tempting the good folks that make their way to karachi.
we made our way past the long line of grills in front of the restaurant and headed to the rooftop which was bounded by thick carpets to keep away the chilly breeze and promptly ordered a selection of kebabs.
the kebab du jour was the behari kebab - a sensational spicy smoky barbecued hunk of minced meat done just right with huge dollops of yoghurt and chilli at the side to make it a memorable repast.
didn't even miss my dram of whisky for the top quality beef that was the basis of most dishes there.
great! just great! and definitely a place to go if you are ever in karachi.

biryani and shandy

made my second trip to pakistan this year and it coincided with the start of ramadan, called ramazan in pakistan but it means the same.
except ramazan started on friday september 14 while most of the rest of the muslim world began fasting a day earlier.
even without visiting during ramazan, there is a plethora of good food in pakistan and it ranges from samosas and naans to of course, biryanis. and a lot in between.
my favourite is of course the biryani, be it chicken or mutton, and almost every shop makes a wonderful version of the biryani.
anyway, had the most excellent chicken biryani with tender pieces of chicken marinated in a variety of spices together with dollops of yoghurt to accentuate the taste.
and had it with some ben shaws bitter shandy - which to my knowledge is not available anywhere in malaysia.
and it is quite funny considering that there is almost no alcohol sold in pakistan without a permit - for non-muslims and expatriates - hence why i have yet to get my hands on some murree single malt whisky.
but it wasn't that bitter a shandy and with just a tot of beer in it, it tasted heavenly with the biryani. something sweet and fizzy to counteract the moist ghee in the biryani.
maybe i was just too thirsty. maybe i was just too hungry. but both went together so well that i am looking forward to more of both in pakistan.

this and that

been a while due to travels across the country and region.
was in east timor in late june and then later to pakistan where i went to look for the murree single malt but alas, nowhere to be found.
pretty frustrating considering i was just a few stone throws from murree itself.
so decided to go up to penang to meet up with friends for makan and music.
will update on that soon.
meanwhile, if you have nothing much to do these next few days - go to the cotton club in maju junction - plonk thirty ringgit for a drink and listen to arguably the best guitarist in town, paul ponnudorai, perform.
its on for july 24 and 25, 2007, 8.3ppm onwards.
cheers!

the murree single malt

for some in pakistan, january 2007 is something to look forward to.
according to a news report, the murree brewery in rawalpindi - the only whisky maker in the muslim world - is entering into the rarefied league of scotch makers by launching a 21-year-old single malt.
the brewery - one of three licensed in pakistan and legacy of the british raj - currently makes 8 and 12-year-old whiskies. none of the whiskies are for export.
i have been to islamabad twice but never made it to rawalpindi though it was just a few kilometres from the islamabad airport. damn, would have been worth a visit and some snaps.
this is a photo of the old brewery ruins in ghora galli built a year after 1860 when the brewery was incorporated.

in his monograph "the complete book of whiskey," author jim murray says that murree's 12-year malt classic not only compares favourably with scottish versions, but "is much better than a number of lesser scotch malts which come nowhere near in matching this whiskey's crisp and delicate maltiness."
the enthusiastic review says it "would not be out of place in speyside," referring to the region of scotland where most malt whiskey distilleries are located.

looks like i've to score a bottle from an old friend if i ever want to imbibe this. will wait for the review somewhere out there first. cheers!