This iteration is housed on the second floor of a building in Islamabad’s F6 sector, near other eateries such as Dahlia, Fuoco, Roasters and Sumo, but AmberRoom carries a different vibe altogether. It may be overhyped, overpriced, and a little overrated, but the eatery deserves at least one shot.

As one enters the cafe, the Japandi-influenced interior catches the eye instantly. Soft neutral grey-beige blends well with omnipresent beige, creating a balancing act on the walls and furniture. The soft, reflecting light gives the room depth. Comfortable light wood oak and beech chairs in walnut tones complement the low-slung seating environment, grounding the room and giving it a spacious look with its single, glassed indoor tree.

When we arrived at 10am for breakfast, the server laid out three different menu pages: one for coffee, one for breakfast and a third one, a selection from the viennoiserie, with a lead pencil to tick the boxes for food we’d like and left us to decide after giving us a tutorial.

A tip for food lovers: when trying a new place for the first time, you should always capitalise on your experience by adventuring with all the flavours and textures your appetite can afford in order to get a holistic experience. This will save time on follow-up visits.

The breakfast options gave us an opportunity to assemble our platter from a wide assortment of selections. The “Drinks” menu offers anything and everything under the sun. Playing it safe, we ordered an Earl Grey Matcha Latte priced at Rs1,650 and a Spanish Latte at Rs790 from the coffee section.

The ceremonial-grade matcha was paired with a delicate Earl Grey cold foam, a rarity in town. It added a subtle touch of sweetness, perfectly cutting the earthy and nutty essence of the matcha, but at the same time securing the flavour of the green tea.

The breakfast page was thankfully less complicated and the server’s tutorial helped. Going for the five-piece option, which was priced at Rs2,600, we ordered croissants from the bakery section; whipped ricotta, tomato, and basil from the dairy area; avocado smash from the greens; cold cuts of turkey and salami from the proteins section, all with a choice of scrambled eggs.

My partner opted for a full breakfast with a corn fritter, which included poached eggs, basil hollandaise and salad, priced at Rs2,050. Tiramisu French Toast won the vote, leaving behind the cinnamon roll and diner-style pancakes in the dessert race.

The food arrived in about 15 to 20 minutes. The portions were small for the price, but the assortments served to appease our appetites. The scrambled eggs were anything but ordinary, with a custardy texture and balanced seasoning; who knew something as basic as eggs could be amplified so much?

The fresh and earthy avocado smash perfectly complemented the whipped ricotta, with charred cherry tomatoes sitting pretty. It was a treat for the tastebuds!

The croissant was buttery and flaky, almost perfected to a science. Pairing it with the tangy and sharp raspberry jam left our palates tingling.

For cold cuts, an extra order of sourdough bread was placed. Perfectly toasted, butter layered on its bed, and shavings of salami and turkey on top of each other, it was a pretty sight to admire.

The corn fritter was a sight to behold. Corn kernels moulded into a disc-like shape, dipped in tempura batter and fried to perfection. Pico de gallo, an amalgamation of crunchy chopped onions, tomatoes, and cilantro, soaked in lime juice and garnished over the fritters but hidden beneath the greens, created an acidic vibe and was indeed innovative, giving the palate a sharp kick.

The guacamole acted as a silky buffer, whereas the poached eggs, with their yolk oozing out like orange lava navigating through the greens, closed the deal on the light and airy corn fritter. It was simply picture perfect.

The Tiramisu French Toast was much more than meets the eye. As a foodie, I have tried quite a few joints offering tiramisu, which are usually either dull, saccharine, or simply not airy enough. AmberRoom’s Tiramisu French Toast was close but not perfect.

With a golden, crispy outer layer and a pillowy middle, the French toast was a bit dry, but the mascarpone cream with a hint of tiramisu came in as a relief. However, the stars of the dish were the macerated mixed berries. The combination of the airy French toast with the punchy fruit kept our tastebuds tingling till the end.

It would not be incorrect to say that the AmberRoom indeed has much more to offer, as I took a peek at the fourth page, which simply said “menu”. Split into four different sections: small bites, salads, sandwiches and pastas, the lunch-dinner menu was all over the place.

The French viennoiserie, Italian spaghetti puttanesca, spinach and ricotta, a smashed burger from the US of A and of course, Japanese matcha and Spanish Lattes, AmberRoom has something for everyone.

The eatery serves breakfast from 9am till noon on weekdays, lunch from 1:30pm onwards and the last order of the day is at 10:15pm, before they call it a night.

He was speaking to journalists on Wednesday evening at the council after visiting Burns Garden and Baradari (Polo Ground) where some of the bigger programmes of the festival will take place.

Mr Wahab said culture and art play an important role in any healthy and dignified society. “I think the part that the Arts Council has played in putting the city of Karachi on the [world] cultural map must be praised and appreciated. Karachi last year hosted the event. Artists from all over the world came here to perform. It’s a matter of honour for any city if people from all across the globe come to it. It provides an opportunity to that particular city to showcase itself and to portray its positive image.”

He said from Oct 29, the festivities will begin. “It’ll be a moment to celebrate our city. It’ll be a moment to welcome international artists to the city and let them know that Karachi is the city of peace, this province is the province of peace, this country is the country of peace. We will provide all support to the council. I myself will be here with my team alongside the council’s President Ahmed Shah.”

The mayor said, “Let us focus on celebrating our city. Let us celebrate the art that will be happening. I congratulate in advance the council and all the artists who are coming to Karachi.”

Replying to a question, Mr Wahab said he believes in public spaces which were closed in the past. “With the help of the council, recently we held a big qawwali event at Burns Garden. This time around, we are arranging programmes at Burns Garden and Baradari. I want the visitors to the festival to see all the big public spaces and heritage properties in Karachi.”

Earlier, Arts Council President Ahmed Shah said his team was engaged with the KMC for the past one month.

“He [Wahab] is a very dynamic mayor. The festival is the biggest in the world. The province of Sindh has taken ownership of the event. The chief minister of Sindh takes personal interest in it. I wanted to thank the mayor for visiting the venues and extending his support. The opening event will take place at Burns Garden,” he said.

Originally published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2026

Dedicated to supporting the next generation of documentary storytellers in Pakistan, Patakha Pictures so far has supported 76 emerging filmmakers, whose work has collectively received more than 22 awards and screened at over 100 film festivals worldwide.

This year, eight women filmmakers from Punjab, Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan made four creative pairs, whose documentaries explore women breaking barriers in traditionally male spaces, climate change and child marriage, survival and artistic tradition in Cholistan and generations of women providing healthcare in one of Pakistan’s most remote valleys.

The five-month training and mentorship programme saw the fellows receiving production funding, weekly online mentorship, an intensive in-person edit week in Karachi along with specialised workshops spanning storytelling, camera techniques, editing and other practical aspects of documentary filmmaking.

Returning for the fifth time as an international mentor was acclaimed documentary filmmaker and Scottish Documentary Institute founder Noe Mendelle, joined by filmmaker and cinematographer Nadir Siddiqui, nonfiction and animation producer Huma Murad Shah, award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker Maryam Ishani Thompson, Edit Mentor Husain Qaizar and sound engineer and producer Sameer Khan, bringing expertise across cinematography, documentary production and ethics, journalism and sound design.

While speaking on the occasion, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy said that five years of Patakha Pictures have reaffirmed a fundamental belief that talent is universal, but opportunity is not. “Together with the British Council Pakistan and the Scottish Documentary Institute, we have seen how access to funding, mentorship and creative freedom can transform the journeys of women filmmakers,” she said.

“Through successive cycles, Patakha Pictures fellows have received funding, international mentorship, practical filmmaking support and opportunities to develop stories rooted in their own communities,” she said.

“You are not the beneficiaries of this programme. You are for whom this programme exists. At the beginning of my career, there were many people who have held my hand to help me find my way. Now we are here to hold the hands of the next generation,” she smiled before calling to the stage to introduce this year’s filmmakers and their documentaries.

The first pair, Shagufta Rasool and Munira Shah, from Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, respectively, have made the documentary titled Koh-i-Firishtayesht, which traces the legacy of Lal Pari, a retired healthcare worker and midwife who spent decades reaching women across the remote Shimshal Valley.

The second pair, Kinza Waqar and Jazaba Raheel, from Bahawalpur and Lahore, respectively, have made the documentary D’aat, which follows the story of a camel barber, Bakht Ali, who makes beautiful designs with his scissors and razor on the camels’ coats in the Cholistan desert.

Next, there was a documentary Monsoon Brides, which tackles a very sensitive subject of the relationship between climate change, poverty and child marriage in rural Sindh by filmmakers and journalists Aleezeh Fatima and Aisha Manzoor of Karachi.

“It was an eye-opening and humbling experience to approach the story with sensitivity,” said Aleezeh about the film.

The fourth pair of Ishma Areeb and Javaria Waseem from Lahore have made the documentary titled The Horses Know Her Name, which explores the story of Anum Shakoor, a woman who found strength and healing through horses before entering the overwhelmingly male world of tent pegging.

Earlier, British Council Pakistan’s Arts Director, Laila Jamil, said that Sharmeen’s tenacity and vision bring the British Council and SOC Films to work together again and again across multiple art forms. “That’s how emerging filmmakers are supported, mentored and funded to ignite the firecracker that we know as Patakha Pictures,” she concluded.

Originally published in Dawn, October 20th, 2026

In an Instagram post, the trust said the decision was taken “on account of the war conditions prevailing in the region and the resultant logistical constraints and incertitude”.

The organisers expressed their gratitude to “artists, sponsors, partners, collaborators and well wishers for their unstinting support” and said they looked forward to working together to promote visual arts in the future.

They did not, however, say when that future might be as no details have been shared about future exhibitions.

The 2027 Biennale was set to be a milestone for the trust, marking ten years since their first such event in 2017.

The theme for the exhibition was Kal (Yesterday/Tomorrow), focusing on the evolving nature of Karachi as a city and was curated by former Citizens Archive of Pakistan general manager Noor Ahmed.

In a statement given to Images, Ahmed said the trust’s announcement was “devastating for the artists, curators and partners who have devoted so much time and effort in preparing for the Biennale”.

She said she remained committed to supporting the people she had been working with over the last 13 months — including over 100 artists, two international co-curators and one Pakistani co-curator — who had been reaching out to her with “confusion and concern”.

Ahmed said the decision was “unilateral” and was made by the trust without consulting her. She said artists and partners “are all quite disappointed about how communications and commitments with them are being handled by [the trust]”.

“I am very concerned that this decision by the Karachi Biennale Trust is detrimental for Pakistan’s international art ecosystem.”

A curtain raiser for the event was held in February comprising a 77-minute preview featuring works by 72 artists from 18 countries. The event, hosted by artist Amin Gulgee, provided a preview into the international nature and wide scope of the now-cancelled event.

At the curtain raiser, Ahmed had said the Biennale would consist of exhibitions planned across public spaces, ports and parks, celebrating diasporic exchanges, indigenous knowledge and the languages and skills of the sea.

The Karachi Biennale is the latest cultural event to be impacted by the turbulent situation in the region, with May’s ARY Entertainment Awards postponed indefinitely due to the security situation at their Dubai venue.

The grand finale of Pakistan Idol was also postponed in April in light of austerity measures, but ended up taking place in August.

Speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday afternoon, Arts Council’s President Ahmed Shah extended his gratitude to the Sindh government and Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah for giving their full support to the event.

He said the real problem faced by the world today is that there are wars taking place. “I want to make a claim here: our festival brings together more countries compared to the UN where not many countries sit together, and often stage a walkout. For example, we have a group coming from Ukraine to the festival as well as artists from Russia. Similarly, there is US participation in the event and we also have Iran’s participation. Then two theatre groups from Palestine will perform. Artists from Latin American countries will also be seen in action.”

He said that there will be no tickets for 85 per cent of the programmes, but registration will be required.

Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Asif Haider Shah said, “Two years back, when I became chief secretary, one fine evening Ahmed Shah came to me. In those days, there were security challenges. He talked about the [first] festival. I asked him whether we’d be able to do it. Afterward, we decided to gather courage and do it. This is how it all started. And now beginning from 40 countries, we have crossed the 150 mark. It goes to show that art knows no boundaries.”

Sindh Culture Minister Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah said the festival had projected the soft image of Pakistan to the rest of the world.

Originally published in Dawn, October 8th, 2026

The programme was attended by a large number of jazz enthusiasts and formed part of the World Culture Festival Karachi 2026 series, said a press release issued on Thursday.

Renowned Austrian musicians Robert Pawlik and Michaela Rabitsch delivered an engaging performance, showcasing their musical artistry and bringing a distinctive Austrian jazz experience to Karachi.

The ensemble was also joined by Waqas Gulab and Zeeshan Pervaiz, who performed alongside the Austrian musicians.

Among the distinguished guests were Dr Jörg Martin Schumacher, Director, Goethe-Institut Pakistan Karachi; the consuls general of Japan, Korea and Italy.

During the performance, guitarist Robert Pawlik and trumpeter Michaela Rabitsch demonstrated their exceptional command of jazz, captivating the audience with a selection of evocative melodies.

The performance was warmly received, with music lovers responding with enthusiastic applause throughout the evening.

Speaking on the occasion, Arts Council President Ahmed Shah said, “Today, we had the opportunity to listen to Austrian jazz musicians. I warmly welcome the Austrian artists, the diplomats present here and all the participants.”

He announced that the third edition of the World Culture Festival would commence at the Arts Council from Oct 29, bringing together musicians, actors, dancers and visual artists from around the world.

He said the month-long festival would offer the people of Karachi an opportunity to experience a diverse range of international cultures and artistic traditions under one roof.

Originally published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2026

My brother went to the Karachi American School. Sausages and hot dogs — also known as frankfurters (from Frankfurt, Germany) in some instance — are nothing new to Americans. They are a rather cheap roadside snack.

However, when I asked to have it again around that time, my mother could not find it at any snack bar or restaurant in Karachi. She offered me seekh kebabs (skewered minced meat) instead, telling me that they were pretty much the same thing. Of course they were not. But my objections fell on deaf ears. Then my father put an end to my cravings by telling me that sausage casings were made of animal intestines. End of discussion.

Well, not really. Several years later, I did get to enjoy hot dogs to my heart’s content at the Halal Guys carts in Manhattan. By that time, I was also more knowledgeable about how sausages are made. Not all sausages are wrapped in intestinal skin. Some are skinless.

Forget the frozen-food aisle: these homemade sausages come in chicken and vegan versions and can be made with everyday ingredients

By then, halal beef and chicken sausages had also become available in Pakistan. The frozen-food section of almost every supermarket stocked them. I even sold hot dogs from my stall at the Karachi Eat Food Festival in 2015 and 2016. But the sausages in my hot dogs were store-bought. Of late, though, I have learned how to make them on my own — not just meat sausages, but vegetarian and vegan ones as well.

Here are a couple of recipes you can try at home.

Chicken sausages

Take one kilogramme of minced chicken in a bowl. Add to it one medium-sized boiled and grated beetroot, half a grated carrot, three grated garlic cloves, one grated chicken stock cube, one teaspoon red chilli powder, one teaspoon onion powder, half a teaspoon black pepper powder, salt to taste, two teaspoons tomato paste and three slices of ground bread.

Mix well, before transferring the mixture to a food processor and blend until it becomes a smooth, fine paste. Transfer the paste to a piping bag and pipe it on to sheets of butter paper, forming sausage-shaped portions. Roll the butter paper around each portion and twist both ends to seal, like a candy wrapper. Alternatively, use cling wrap or aluminum foil. Refrigerate the wrapped sausages for four to five hours.

Boil water in a pan. Take the sausages out of the refrigerator and remove the butter paper (or cling wrap or aluminum foil) from as many sausages as you want to eat, while freezing the uncooked sausages for later. Boil the sausages for four to five minutes.

Now, heat one or two tablespoons of oil in a pan. Sauté the sausages in the pan until they turn golden. Serve in long hot dog buns, topped with tomato ketchup and mustard sauce.

Vegan Sausages

Take one cup of white lobia or beans and soak them overnight. Boil them in a saucepan with four cups of water until the water evaporates. Set the beans aside to cool before transferring them into a blender. Chop a small onion and four to five garlic cloves, and add them to the blender. Grind one cup of rolled oats into a powder. Add the powder to the blender along with one teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of garlic powder, a quarter teaspoon of chilli flakes and a quarter teaspoon of ground pepper.

Also, add half a teaspoon of fennel seeds and a quarter teaspoon of cumin seeds, half a cup of peeled walnuts and one tablespoon each of tomato paste and soy sauce. Finally, soak three tablespoons of chia seeds in a quarter cup of water until they absorb all the water and add to the rest of the ingredients in the blender. Blend until well combined. Add a quarter cup of water until the mixture is soft and smooth.

Rub some olive oil on your palms and shape the mixture into sausages, then roll and wrap each one in aluminium foil to seal at both ends like a candy wrapper.

Steam the sausages for 20 minutes and then take out and unwrap. Serve as many vegan sausages as you like, while freezing the rest for later.

Originally published in Dawn, EOS, September 27th, 2026

The event will be held from December 10 to 13 at the Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi, which made the announcement on social media on Saturday.

“Renowned scholars, poets, writers, and artists will gather to share powerful conversations, performances, and cultural exchanges,” said the Arts Council’s Instagram post.

Founded in 2007 as the Arts Council’s flagship event, the conference has evolved into a major platform that aims to preserve the Urdu language’s history and traditions and helps connect the country’s literary heritage with a global audience.

“The four-day conference features grand aalmi mushairas, thought-provoking literary sessions, and special musical evenings dedicated to ghazal and qawwali, celebrating the soul of Urdu expression,” according to the cultural centre’s official website.

The conference is usually centred around a particular message or cause. While this year’s theme is yet to be revealed, last year, the event celebrated Karachi’s “enduring role as a centre of literary innovation and artistic excellence” and stressed on the importance of world peace. Arts Council President Ahmed Shah condemned the killing of Palestinians in Gaza and denounced India’s occupation of Kashmir.

In 2024, the event’s theme highlighted Karachi’s vibrant past. Actor Mahira Khan, who took the stage as a guest, admired the city’s inclusive spirit.

While the details of this year’s conference have yet to be disclosed, it has proven to be a success with Urdu language aficionados for about 19 years. Judging by this impressive record, we are certain that this year’s programme will also turn out to be a triumph.

Cover: Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi

A few years ago, restaurants called “Pesto” and “Garden Bistro” offered “clean” meals, vegetarian options and calorie-counted food. Neither lasted. Recently, a shop called SaladTox opened with “mixed bean salad”, “lentil crackers” and sugar-free desserts on its menu. It is no longer there.

For many years, the only restaurant in Karachi that seemed to offer a “healthy-leaning” menu was Evergreen. This changed recently.

‘Sweet Greens’ is a new restaurant that quietly opened last month in Defence Phase 8. While their physical location is new, Sweet Greens is no stranger to Karachi’s food scene.

Sweet Greens has survived where several health-focused eateries have not. Its new restaurant offers calorie-counted meals alongside pizzas, pasta, coffee and desserts

It debuted as a stall at the Karachi Eat food festival in 2019 and became famous for its red chilli tacos, named for their bright-red, crispy shells made from a corn tortilla and fried chicken. The stall drew long queues, with people eager to try a really spicy taco.

But instead of opening a restaurant right after its success at Karachi Eat — as many others, including Basic, 2Guys1Grll and, more recently, Fuse have done — Sweet Greens settled into being a takeaway and delivery spot, providing weekly meals to people with dietary restrictions.

It remained under the radar for almost seven years but even a quick glance at the restaurant’s social media pages showed that there was always something compelling in the menu — whether you were watching what you ate or not. There was the occasional post about mocha cheesecake, made from dark chocolate and kept sugar-free, and their drunken noodles, a Thai stir-fry noodle dish that became one of their best-sellers. During Karachi winters, you could also find hot chocolate.

Now that they have a physical location, with a well-lit interior, spacious seating and the signature green as their branding, I went there expecting menu items that, of course, would include caesar wrap and a burrito bowl (consisting of beans, grilled chicken, corn, dips and tortilla chips) but also have a few stir-fry and noodle dishes. It turns out, Sweet Greens has that and more.

Currently, Sweet Greens’ menu has a breakfast section. In addition to healthy bowls and wraps, there are also pizzas (albeit, wholewheat) and a dedicated menu for pasta. It also has the popular dessert latte — served with a slice of tiramisu over a glass of iced latte. The restaurant version comes topped with its own desserts: the mocha cheesecake, the molten lava made of dark chocolate or blondies.

As someone who enjoys exploring the menu of a new place in its entirety before deciding whether I like it or not, I ended up visiting Sweet Greens four to five times because of the vastness of the menu.

Our table opted for the roasted garlic soup, which had a creamy, brothy warmth and, thankfully, no aftertaste of corn flour. I went for pasta with turkey bacon and garlic, which I can say is going to become one of their best-sellers. It takes the usual “creamy white sauce” pasta and elevates it with its choice of toppings, while holding back on the sauce, so you can enjoy the slight chewiness of the penne.

On my second visit, I limited myself to their coffees. They were strong but left no lingering burnt taste — something many people have experienced at other cafes when ordering their coffee “strong”.

Not everything works equally well, though. The grazing platter, for instance, comes with three dips and chips, but it can offer more in terms of condiments to build flavour. Currently, the tzatziki dip outshines the other two — French onion dip and hummus.

Their pizzas take some getting used to because the base is made out of wholewheat, but the adjustment doesn’t take long.

The experience suggests that Sweet Greens has identified what would appeal to a broader audience while also keeping its concept focused on healthy, calorie-counted meals. It is willing to jump on a viral trend but, at the same time, if you are looking for a trusted place for a nutritious meal, it is right there.

Healthy menus don’t last in Karachi but this one just might.

Originally published in Dawn, EOS, September 13th, 2026

From the expansive official selection of short and documentary films in the competition this year, nine Pakistani short films have been chosen to screen at the actual event as part of a “special recognition” line up.

Permanent Guest by Sana Zahra Jafri

Set in Lahore, Permanent Guest revolves around 26-year-old Fatin as she and her family prepare for a neighbourhood wedding. Their plans are disrupted by the unexpected arrival of Shabeer, Fatin’s 70-year-old uncle. This creates the film’s primary tension as old traumas resurface.

We Really Are Pakistan (WRAP) by Saba Karim Khan

The story of three restaurant workers in Karachi’s Gizri, WRAP is a dive into the city’s underground rap scene and how three young men are battling adversity to pursue their passion for music.

Khazana by Basir Ahmed

​A short film set in Karachi, Khazana follows a deaf waste collector picking up trash in the city’s streets. A shocking discovery in a landfill leads gets him into hot water with a ruthless gangster and a khazana (treasure) that will change his life forever.

The After: A Chef’s Wish by Umar Riaz​​

The After is the first film about the late Fatima Ali — a Pakistani-American chef who gained a following after her appearance on Top Chef — made with the support and approval of her family. It follows her brother, picking up her mission to bring people together through food and take its joy to underprivileged people.

Raat Jaagay by Mahnoor Nawab​

The story of a long night and a lonely young mother, Raat Jaagay follows a girl as her sleeplessness brings her face to face with the fragile space between hope and despair, and the future that awaits beyond it.

Attock by Awais Gohar

​Set in Attock, the short is the story of a young boy and his beloved pet pigeon. When his father eats the bird in an attempt to cure his Bell’s palsy, the boy is heartbroken and in his misery falls asleep on the roof. When he wakes up, he finds an unexpected gift that turns his sorrow into joy.

Blender by Syed Nabil Hasan Rizvi

Blender follows an old man living an isolated life in a bustling Karachi household and his blender, which he keeps non-functional to find an excuse to keep going into town to get it ‘fixed’. These runs to repair the broken appliance become a way for him to have human connection and a sense of purpose.

How to Kill Your Hunger? by Mehroz Amin

This short film is the story of a struggling middle-aged man, living off leftover food and despair. He revisits a fancy restaurant from his childhood, hoping to relive happier times, but the night spirals into a haunting ordeal that mirrors his inescapable descent into poverty.​

The Send Off by Amina Imran

The Send Off follows Raheela, a girl exiled from her parents’ home for marrying against their wishes. She returns years later to visit her ailing father. Having marital troubles, she needs her parents, but the divide between them is difficult to surmount. Tensions ride high between her and her mother, yet Rahila finds vestiges of her presence in her old home despite estrangement.

Also screening at NAPA are 19 films from around the world that are also be competing for the short film and documentary prize.

Foreign short films playing at the Gandhara Independent Film Festival

• What We Leave Behind by Jean-Sébastien Hamel, Alexandra Myotte
• Paradise Heights by Karl Kai, Robert Mentov
• Legacy of the Sun and Moon by Kiyun Gabriel Sung
• Candy Bar by Nash Edgerton
• Nobody Barks by Júlia Coldwell Serra
• When The Tiger Roars by Lam Can-Zhao
• Brute by Jérémy Comte
• The Monster by Diego de Gracia
• ​The Veil by Gabriel Motta
• ​Buffalo by Cristian Fidel
• ​The Mould Mohammad Reza Nourmandipour
• ​Octopus by George Dogaru
• The Man Who Stumbled By His Words by Mubarak Ali Al-Zawba
• My Plastic Mother by Amar Haikal
• ​Petticoats by Gaëlle Graton
• ​Jazz Infernal by Will Niava
• ​Under The Whether by Putri Sarah Amelia
• ​Who Love The Sun by Arshia Shakiba
• ​Finir au Soleil by Ephrem Koering

Like last year, the festival is running on a hybrid model and there are 60 more title being streamed online on the ARY Plus app. These will be available to audiences from September 18 to 30.

The online line-up includes seven indie feature films, 25 foreign language indie short films and 28 indie fiction and documentary short films from Pakistan.

Results of the festival’s competition will be announced at the event’s closing ceremony on Oct 4 at NAPA.

The tree is packed with nutrients. Nearly every part of the moringa tree is edible. Its leaves and pods are known sources of vitamins A and C, along with calcium, iron and protein. They are also known to lower inflammation and boost immunity.

These days it is common to find one or half-kilogramme packets of moringa powder, which is only dried and crushed moringa leaves, on supermarket shelves. The powder can be mixed in water, juice or milk, or added to your breakfast cereal and smoothies. Moringa capsules filled with the same powder are also available over the counter at chemists and pharmacies for those who may not like the taste of the raw powder.

Surprisingly, the taste changes when you use moringa in recipes.

Power-packed paratha

Who says ‘PPP’ stands only for the Pakistan Peoples Party or Purchasing Power Parity? It also stands for our ‘Power-Packed Paratha’, full of antioxidants, calcium and iron, which is made using moringa leaves.

Forget the smoothie. Moringa’s fresh leaves and drumsticks make for a power-packed paratha and a rich, nutty curry

This paratha recently found much popularity in neighbouring India, when India’s prime minister shared his fondness for it. Moringa tree leaves and drumsticks are easily available from greengrocers in India. Out here, though, you can simply go to the nearest moringa tree, as there are several in every neighbourhood. During the monsoon season, it sprouts soft, fresh leaves that are ideal for the paratha.

Separate the small leaves from the petioles and leaflets, before rinsing and straining. You’ll need around a cup of the leaves.

In a large bowl, mix one cup of wheat flour and one-fourth cup of besan [gram flour]. Add salt to taste, followed by half teaspoon of turmeric powder, half teaspoon of red chilli powder, half teaspoon of crushed ajwain [carom seeds], half teaspoon of crushed ginger and garlic paste, half teaspoon of crushed green chillies (optional) and one cup of moringa leaves, along with a tablespoon of ghee or cooking oil and enough water to knead the mix into a soft dough.

Divide the dough into four parts and shape into round balls. Roll each ball out into a paratha and cook on a moderately hot griddle, while drizzling some ghee or oil on each side.

Drumstick curry

While plucking the leaves from that moringa tree, you may also break a few drumsticks to cook in a curry.

Peeling the drumsticks means making cuts into them and pulling out the outer thread-like fibres. Ideally, cut the drumsticks into three-inch pieces, rinse them and keep them aside.

Take half a cup each of peanuts, coconut flakes and white sesame seeds, and roast them in a pan or wok with a teaspoon of oil on low heat for two minutes. Then, let it cool before crushing in a mixer to make a fine powder.

Use the same pan or wok to cook the drumsticks. Pour in half a cup of ghee or cooking oil, add half a teaspoon of white cumin seeds, then add two medium-sized chopped onions and fry until golden. Add a teaspoon of ginger and garlic paste and stir for 30 seconds to a minute. Add the drumsticks with a teaspoon of turmeric powder and salt to taste. Mix well, cover and leave on low heat for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid and add three or four medium-sized chopped tomatoes with one teaspoon of red chilli powder and one-fourth teaspoon of garam masala powder. Cover again and leave on low heat for an additional five minutes until the tomatoes soften.

To this, add the peanut, coconut and sesame seed powder before pouring in two cups of water. Leave it to cook until the curry reaches the consistency you like. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Originally published in Dawn, EOS, August 30th, 2026

The European Union’s delegation to Pakistan, which is organising the festival, announced it will be running in Islamabad, Sialkot and Jamshoro between September 12 and 30.

The first stop, which has been a regular feature ever since EUFF debuted in Pakistan in 2021, is the Pakistan National Council of the Arts — better known as the PNCA — in Islamabad. The festival will be in town for two days on Sept 12 and 13.

The second stop, which is hosting the EUFF for the first time, is in Sialkot. Films will be screened at the Government College Women University and the Grid, a restaurant and event space. The festival will be held in Sialkot on Sept 16 and 17.

The third stop will bring the event to Sindh, where Jamshoro’s Shaheed Allah Buksh Soomro University of Art, Design and Heritages will be showcasing the festival’s offerings on Sept 29 and 30.

While the programmes for the stops this year have yet to be shared, last year’s event had a variety of films from across the European Union, including full length features and short films. Each of the three stops last year — Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore — had separate film offerings and included a dedicated slot for children’s films.

It wasn’t just films either; last year’s EUFF brought with it a range of interactive installations to the host cities along with dramatic readings and its signature social dances. Curated food kiosks were also set up for visitors.

The festival last year was open to the public and did not charge any admission fee. It welcomed families, students, local artists, diplomats and film enthusiasts to experience cinema as a tool of connection and conversation.

Earlier editions have also been held in Quetta, Peshawar, Gilgit, Faisalabad, Gujrat and Multan.

Cover photo: European Delegation in Pakistan / Instagram

Some also fall victim to deceptive online pages, claiming to be “bringing Albaik to Karachi”, which later turn out to be resellers selling days-old chicken nuggets.

Karachiites have never eaten at the famed Saudi outlet in their city — but that doesn’t stop them from craving its spice-infused chicken nuggets.

Karachi is not short of its own fried chicken options. There are local brands such as Kababjees, which has branches dedicated to just their fried chicken menu. This is despite Kababjees having a broader menu that includes chicken paratha rolls, pizzas, burgers and more. Then there is OPTP, which initially started off as a brand selling just French fries but now has a dedicated menu for fried chicken options, including nuggets and broasts.

When it comes to nuggets, one would be remiss to not mention international franchises — both McDonald’s and KFC — that have a strong customer base in Karachi. They have cultivated this base over the years, sometimes by localising their menu and often by announcing “deals”, which smaller local brands struggle to match.

Yet none of this local competition has dulled the demand for Albaik-style injected chicken nuggets and broasts.

“It’s a Pakistani family thing that whoever goes for Umrah or Haj, they will bring back Albaik nuggets or broasts,” says Sharym Kalia, owner of Fuse, a new Karachi restaurant specialising in Saudi-style fried chicken and nuggets. “It’s a mandatory thing,” he tells Eos.

Summaiya Asif, who grew up in Saudi Arabia, says she would always be excited when people from Pakistan would visit her but she knew it also meant they would ask for Albaik products. “Now that I am in Pakistan for my higher studies, I bring them with me at the end of every vacation,” she says. “It has become a little tradition.”

A closer look at how Albaik prepares its nuggets shows that they use actual pieces of chicken fillets, which are then injected with spice. Locally available options, by contrast, primarily use minced chicken without an infusion of spice.

“I find the other nuggets so dry now, comparatively,” says Areesh Imran, a 26-year-old food blogger. “Saudi-style nuggets have spice injected into them, which makes them so much juicier.”

Kalia also thinks using chicken fillet makes the nuggets more appealing to adults. “In Pakistan, people used to think nuggets are for children,” he says. “But in Saudi, everyone’s usual order at Albaik is for nuggets.”

It seems that fried chicken places in Karachi have caught on to a demand that otherwise goes largely unfulfilled. Recently, OPTP added an ‘Al Arabi Burger’ to their menu and a newer restaurant in Karachi, Smash360, added ‘Nuggets Al-Lahib.’

Kalia says the Arabic sounding names are important to help people make the connection.

“We used a non-Arabic name (Fuse) for our restaurant,” says Kalia, “but had to convey that we are also making the spice-infused style of fried chicken via our marketing.”

Now that there are a host of places trying to bring spice-infused style of making fried chicken to Karachi, such as Karachi Broast, Al Adeeb and OPTP, it is inevitable that people who grew up eating Albaik will want to draw comparisons.

Mahira Vahidy, who has spent her entire life in Saudi Arabia, thinks Karachi restaurants are injecting excessive spice into the fried chicken in an attempt to suit local taste buds.

“At Albaik, the batter of the broast is thinner and, while it does have spice, the Karachi versions are way spicier,” says Vahidy. She adds that she still sometimes likes what Karachi Broast makes locally.

Sonia Ashraf, a 35-year-old fried chicken enthusiast from Karachi, thinks people in the city also overlook the garlic sauce that accompanies their fried chicken at Albaik. “People here use a lot of mayo,” says Ashraf. “I want toum.”

Toum is a sharp-tasting emulsion of garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and salt, which can be diluted — and sometimes sweetened — with the addition of mayonnaise.

Albaik’s popularity in Karachi first showed itself in frantic pleas across online travel groups for a box of nuggets and fries. Whether the craving will finally be satisfied by the new wave of Saudi-inspired menus at local fried chicken places remains to be seen.

Originally published in Dawn, EOS, August 16th, 2026

No, we’re not kidding. The Instagram page for the Bond movies posted a scene from the 1987 film The Living Daylights where a cool-as-ever Bond looks at a sign pointing to Karachi and says he knows “a great restaurant” in the city. We’ve got some questions.

Firstly, who painted that sign? It says “Karashi” in Urdu. But more importantly, what restaurant was the agent talking about that merited a 300 kilometre drive? We don’t have definitive answers, but we do have thoughts on what he may have tried and where he went for an authentic Karachi meal.

Nihari — Pakistan’s de facto national dish

If Mr Bond was looking to try something that captures the heart — and story — of Pakistan he need look no further than Karachi, where the country’s ‘national dish’ has been perfected.

Originating from the royal kitchens of central India, nihari came to Karachi with immigrants from India, many of whom fled their homes during Partition with nothing but the clothes on their backs and their traditions.

Now, the hearty, aromatic meat stew can be best enjoyed at Javed Nihari in the city’s Federal B Area, or Zahid Nihari in Saddar — the city’s historic centre.

Fry Kabab — something unique to Karachi

If he was looking to have something only found in Karachi, the answer might just be Fry Kabab from Waheed Kabab House on the city’s iconic Burns Road food street.

There’s really no other place to have the soft, smoky kababs and we know for a fact we’d drive through the desert for them if we had to.

Biryani — the local favourite

Biryani is everywhere in Karachi and everyone has their own favourite biryani place; we’re guessing Bond does too if he’s spent any time in the city.

The rice dish, cooked in a meat stew with the optional — but not really optional — potatoes, is an integral part of the city’s culture. It’s everywhere, from Friday lunches to weddings, birthdays, and funerals, you would be hard pressed not to find biryani at a social gathering.

For Agent 007, we think he may have gone to Al-Rehman Biryani near the old Merewether Clock Tower. He could have also tried Naseeb Biryani, located nearby in Saddar.

Farhan Biryani was also an option, but we imagine the plane crash Bond survived before driving down to Karachi might have made the eatery’s location — just under the approach path for one of Karachi Airport’s runways — a bit of a no-go.

Katakat — something to fit Bond’s appetite for adventure

Okay, while much of Karachi’s cuisine is comprised of dishes that came from elsewhere and were improved by the city’s chefs, Katakat is Karachi’s own invention — or maybe Lahore’s, who’s to say.

Named after the clanging sound knives make as the chef uses them to chop up offal as it’s being stir-fried in butter, katakat is both a dinner and a show — and live music, if you’re into metal.

We think Bond went straight to Noorani Kabab House on Shahrah-i-Quaideen. They’ll even let customers pick what organs they’d like added to the mix, with options including brains, kidneys and livers.

Haleem — a seasonal favourite

It’s warm, it’s filling, it’s extremely nutritious — if the agent and his friend need to recover after their run in with danger, haleem is the best thing they can find.

The thick stew with an assortment of lentils, barley and meat is often served around religious occasions, such as Ashura in the month of Muharram.

But the city can’t enough of it, so restaurants like Karachi Haleem or Mazaidaar Haleem on Burns Road serve it to patrons year round. The dish’s popularity can be gauged by how both restaurants began primarily serving haleem at one location and have since expanded into multi-branch chains. We’re quite sure Bond went to one of these spots to satisfy his haleem craving.

With dinner sorted, we would recommend finishing off with either a doodh soda — milk and sprite — or a Rooh Afza on the rocks. Both, of course, have to be shaken, not stirred.

In a reel shared on their Instagram page, Baweja said the couple had spent eight years in content creation, becoming part of “an incredible community” of digital creators and influencers.

She said they didn’t know then that “one day, we’d be standing on stage, representing this very community and hosting the first Pakistan Influencer Awards.”

The content creator said the initiative was driven by the industry and that it is “a great way to acknowledge Pakistani content creators and the work we’ve done in the past years.”

The Pakistan Influencer Awards are scheduled to be held on November 7. At an event on July 27, the initiative’s chief curator, Talha Aslam, said they wanted to set some “guardrails” and build a “culture” for content creation to thrive in Pakistan.

Over 30 different awards will be given out, including Creator of the Year and Emerging Creator awards for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Separate category awards will be given to creators for their work in areas like lifestyle, beauty, fashion, travel, fitness, entertainment, gaming, parenting, music and many more.

The awards will be given based on the results of an extensive process. The top 20 creators qualifying for each award will be filtered through an algorithm — with a market survey conducted to validate the results — after which a jury of established content creators will choose the top 10.

A second jury of marketing and advertising professionals will then select the top five, after which the names will be put to a public vote, expected to be held online in October.

The reading will be done by Adeel Afzal, a writer, actor and content creator. Afzal has acted in Parizaad, as well as the films Kamli and Zindagi Tamasha. He’s also the co-founder of Amtul Shahida, a collaborative scriptwriting company. Amtul Shahida wrote the script for the new HUM TV drama Bombay Tailors.

“In 1947, during Partition families were separated by borders and uncertainty. In a time when letters were often the only means of communication, they became lifelines carrying stories of hope, longing, and resilience,” reads the caption for the event announcement on Instagram.

The event invites participants to revisit these deeply personal experiences through the dramatic reading of “authentic letters exchanged during Partition and reflect on the emotional aspect of Partition 1947”.

The event will be held from 6pm to 7pm at the National History Museum, located in Lahore’s Greater Iqbal Park. The museum is touted as Pakistan’s first digital interactive museum, curated and managed by the Citizens Archive of Pakistan. It is a project of Lahore’s Parks and Horticulture Authority and opened its doors to the public in 2018.

Interested participants need to register for the event. The museum’s Instagram page has a link to the registration form.

The Citizens Archive is also working on a history museum in Karachi, the groundbreaking of which was performed by the chief minister and mayor in May at Clifton’s Beach View Park.

She also seemed to know the names of every plant in the garden. Often, we would stop for a bit longer to check on the jackfruit tree. I had never seen the big, spiky, golden-yellow fruit anywhere other than on her property. She said that the tree was a gift from friends in India’s Mangalore (now Mangaluru), if I remember correctly.

A ripe jackfruit may be enjoyed fresh or cooked. Here is a recipe for jackfruit fritters and an easy chutney as a condiment

For years afterwards, I never encountered another jackfruit. But I spotted it recently at Karachi’s Empress Market. It was being sold as kathal, its local name, at Rs400 per kilogramme. Given the fruit’s enormous size, buying one is not a matter of a kilo or two — the price of one fruit is in the thousands.

Curious, I did some quick research. I found out that the fruit, though sweet-tasting, is good for diabetics, and even better for those with a sluggish thyroid, cardiac issues and blood pressure.

Jackfruit season in Pakistan, according to fruit sellers, starts in May and lasts until early August. The good news is that the fruit can be frozen after peeling and cleaning. But preparing to freeze it requires some effort, as the fruit is sticky and gummy, and clings to knives and hands. You will need to coat the knife and your hands with edible oil before cutting and peeling it.

A ripe jackfruit is sweet and can be enjoyed fresh or used in a variety of dishes. During the monsoon, when the heart yearns for warm and crisp pakorray [fritters], there is no reason why you can’t move away from the traditional besan [gram flour] pakorray to make jackfruit pakorray.

Jackfruit fritters

Soak one cup of rice in water overnight. Take one and a half cups of cleaned and peeled jackfruit along with one cup desiccated coconut, half a cup of gurr [jaggery] and put them into a blender. Drain the soaked rice and also add it to the blender. Do not add any water to these ingredients before blending, as the jackfruit and jaggery release enough moisture. Finally, add a teaspoon of salt and blend the ingredients to a smooth paste.

Now, fill a wok halfway, preferably with coconut oil, though any other cooking oil will also work. Heat the oil to about 175 degrees Celsius before adding separate tablespoons of your batter to it to make the fritters. The fritters are ready when they turn golden. Take them out on a paper towel to drain the excess oil and enjoy them hot.

South Indian red chutney

Just so you won’t have to enjoy your jackfruit fritters on their own, here is an easy South Indian red chutney to prepare to go with them.

Take a small piece of ginger (about the size of a teaspoon) along with three garlic cloves, one medium-sized chopped onion and three dried red chillies. Sauté the ingredients in a frying pan in two tablespoons of any cooking oil for five minutes on medium heat.

When the onions start turning translucent, add two medium-sized chopped tomatoes and sauté them for another five minutes before transferring the mix to a blender. Add one teaspoon of coconut oil, and salt to taste, to the mix and blend it into a soft paste. The chutney is ready.

Correction: The print version of this piece misidentified Zahra Mirza as an Anglo-Indian, a term specifically used for people of mixed parentage with a male British father. Ms Mirza’s mother was British while her father was Indian. This mistake has been corrected.

Originally published in Dawn, EOS, August 2nd, 2026

And before you know it, you are one of more than 200 people lined up on a Sunday morning — it’s technically noon, but I had to wake up very early to get here by then — at an artsy corridor in the middle of Habitt City in Karachi’s Tipu Sultan locality.

It’s hot. If there are air-conditioners or fans on you can’t feel them. The line is moving slowly, but not a single person is showing signs of leaving.

“Hope they don’t run out of the savoury Danishes,” I hear someone say behind me.

Until that moment, I hadn’t realised that my mind was also trying to shut out the same fear.

From mango custard to butter chicken, Karachi’s pastry chefs are turning the humble Danish pastry into the city’s most sold-out treat

Danish pastries crept up in the Karachi food scene out of nowhere. You’d be hard pressed to find them on a restaurant’s regular menu and they have never been a “viral” moment on Karachi’s social media. And yet, at every food pop-up that happens in the city, the pastries always sell out the fastest.

I am currently at Maryam Motiwala’s food pop-up called The Salted Butter Club. After every five minutes, a person from her team, using a black marker, crosses out an item from the handwritten menu hung up behind the counter. It’s yet another Danish that just got sold out.

What is it about a Danish pastry that has the city in such a fix?

“It is a really smart creation,” says Motiwala, a pastry chef. “You have the flakiness and the richness from the croissant dough and it’s the perfect base, because no matter what you put in it, it will work,” she adds. “Any flavour works.”

Motiwala would know, because it was at her pop-up I discovered a milk and cereal Danish, and also a Middle East-inspired eggplant and labneh (strained yogurt) pastry.

She says that using a simple cream or custard filling in a Danish pastry would, in her view, be letting the pastry down. “I am afraid of making it too basic.”

Tooba Haq, another pastry chef who is known to do supper clubs and pop-ups in the city, agrees. “Karachi already loves croissants, so when you take the same vessel and you can either make it sweet or savoury, there is a lot of room for different flavours,” she says.

Another advantage is that it isn’t a “melty” pastry — the filling remains stable and doesn’t soften or ooze in Karachi’s heat. This makes it perfect for eating on the go, whether you’re running errands or heading to work.

Today, if you venture out to find a Danish pastry in Karachi, you will probably find a fresh mango and custard Danish at popular bakeries such as Springs and Fresh Basket.

At a cafe called Dear Croissant, there is a savoury Danish called spinach and mushroom pastry that is very well-liked. Test Kitchen sometimes keeps a creamy chicken Danish that tastes more like butter chicken, with slightly sweet notes.

However, the reason people line up for them at different pop-ups is because they want to explore newer flavour pairings.

“The curated pop-ups have a specific audience,” explains Haq. “A lot of people who show up are people who travel frequently and who understand the techniques and flavours that go into creating these pastries.”

Newer upscale cafés in Karachi, such as Wildflour, seem to have caught on. So if you go there on a weekend, you can get yourself a mango and sticky rice pastry and a hot dog-inspired Danish pastry — and not just a pastry filled with fruit and custard.

One thing is for sure: this is not just another gimmicky trend. In fact, the popularity of Danishes in Karachi reveals that people are hungry for food that’s quick to eat but still lets them explore new flavours — some reminiscent of travel abroad, others paying homage to home. A mango and custard Danish nods to Pakistan’s seasonal produce; a milk and cereal one is pure childhood nostalgia.

When I ask Motiwala if she has a “dream” Danish pastry that she is yet to execute, she says it’s one using the shareefa [custard apple], which she calls a complex fruit. “I’d maybe use a white chocolate custard filling with fresh shareefa on top. That would be really awesome.”

Originally published in Dawn, EOS, July 19th, 2026

One could write a lengthy analysis on the YSL cascade skirt worn by Hania Aamir or Sajal Aly opting for Mo By Mohsin Tawasuli or the excitement of seeing Sajal and Hamza Sohail, a hit TV drama pair, at an event together but let’s focus on the purpose behind the launches: YSL Beauty and Armani Beauty operating from stores in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s buying power when it comes to international labels is limited, which is why these titans barely ever tilt their heads towards our soil. It’s exciting then that two major heavyweights have opened up in the local market, especially with star-studded launches calculated to generate plenty of hype.

But why have these launches only been visible on local social media portals and not on the brands’ official Instagram pages? Why are these stores not visible in the ‘Store Locator’ listings on the YSL Beauty or Armani Beauty official webpages?

One wondered if this was a collaboration similar to an organisation purchasing franchisee rights from a brand and launching it in a retail space. Or perhaps these launches were similar to how Harvey Nichols hosts major brands — for instance, Saint Laurent — with store-in-store immersive boutiques and beautifully curated installations.

A quick Google search shows that both YSL Beauty and Armani Beauty fall under the umbrella of L’Oreal Luxe, the luxury division within L’Oreal. The YSL Beauty and Armani Beauty stores in Dolmen Mall Lahore may be small with limited product lines, but evidently these stores are quite officially here in Pakistan.

Rija Khan, division manager at Eleganz Luxury Private Limited, L’Oreal Luxe’s official distributor in Pakistan, said, “The brands are here officially and while it takes time, the stores will be visible soon in the ‘Store Locator’ options on the official websites also. Teams from Paris and Dubai were also present at the event.”

She continued, “The official images and videos are still getting shortlisted and while I can’t confirm that they will be seen on the official Armani Beauty and YSL Beauty Instagram pages, they will be shared on the official L’Oreal Luxe social media portals, although I cannot confirm when.”

While the stores may have ‘launched’ in a big way just now, both the YSL Beauty and Armani Beauty stores in Dolmen Mall Lahore have actually been open since last year. Why plan out these events now?

“It takes research and extensive shortlisting with the global team’s approval necessary before any decision takes place. Even deciding on the celebrities who would be representing the brands at the launch took time and endless discussions, based on their reach and their personalities,” said Khan.

“YSL Beauty has a brand identity that is chic, bold and confident. All this resonates with Hania Aamir and just look at the kind of crowd that her presence managed to pull at the launch! Internationally, Dua Lipa is the brand’s Global Makeup and Fragrance Ambassador. We were searching for a Pakistani star with similar charisma and I think Hania fit perfectly,” she explained.

“Armani Beauty’s image is more confident and mature. Internationally, it is represented by celebrities like Cate Blanchett and Kendall Jenner. Sajal Aly’s stature as an actress and as a much-loved star was the best option for us.”

And why Hamza Sohail? “He is extremely popular and has been very successful in his recent dramas. He was a great choice too!”

If the team was looking for stars who would haul in endless social media attention, they collaborated with the right names. A heavy-duty lineup of models, influencers and Lahore’s social set was also seen at the launch. This crowd, avidly capturing the events’ details with their phones, brought in a lot of hype — although one wishes that more effort had been put into curating their looks rather than just sending them invites. Considering that it is being said that the videos and images from the brand launches might be shared on the L’Oreal Luxe social media portals, a more glamorously dressed crowd would have been impressive.

Now that the launches have wrapped up, one hopes to see the events also make a mark on the global map soon. Our stars are immensely talented, with fans all over the world. With Pakistani dramas’ audience mushrooming rapidly, their global reach is also growing. It would make one immensely proud to see Hania, Sajal, Hamza and the rest of the events’ entourage represented on the official pages of these major global brands.

Remember Mahira Khan on the official Cannes Film Festival red carpet back in 2018, representing L’Oreal Paris Pakistan Haircare as their official spokesperson in Pakistan? We need more such representation for our stars! Hopefully, soon.

Cover via Dolmen Mall Lahore/Instagram

In between the tango with the mango, there are also countless dishes and desserts prepared with mangoes. Milkshakes are made in almost every household. But a lot more can be prepared using mangoes, any mango for that matter, as the base. They are especially popular with those who prefer not to wrestle with a juicy mango.

Halima Sarfaraz also waits for the mango season like her clients, as she is known for creating mango-based desserts in her kitchen. Halima runs a home-catering business called Dining Room by HS. Mostly, she caters high tea events for corporate clients and birthday parties. “Desserts are my specialty and, around this time of year, the demand for mango desserts increases,” she tells Eos.

Last year, Halima’s Mango Salsa Nachos and Mango Colada Mousse won the top prize at a culinary contest, the Mango Tango Gala. Halima nearly skipped the competition because catering orders kept her busy during mango season. “But I did [enter the competition] somehow and won,” she says with a smile. “The winning amount was even sweeter than the mangoes I used in my recipes,” she adds, while breaking into a laugh.

As mango season reaches its peak, home chef Halima Sarfaraz shares the story behind her culinary journey and two prize-winning recipes

Halima reveals that she did not know how to cook when she got married. She was 19 at the time and had recently completed her A-Levels. It all changed with marriage and children, she says. She started to learn cooking after the birth of her first child. A second child soon followed, giving her plenty of practice in the kitchen.

By the time her third child arrived, 12 years after the first, she had become an accomplished cook and was taking catering orders. “Today, my 10-year-old daughter has developed a love for cooking by watching me in the kitchen. My boys, too, help me with the catering business,” she shares with pride.

Halima says that her love for presentation was also a factor in her journey from hobby cook to entrepreneur. “I wanted to make food so colourful and attractive that my children would be excited to eat it,” says Halima. Her popular acrylic dessert boxes are a result of that.

Halima shares the two recipes — for the Mango Salsa Nachos and Mango Colada Mousse — that won her the competition. “But I will leave it to you to decide how you want to present them,” she adds.

Mango Salsa Nachos

You will need one large ripe mango, which is peeled and finely diced, half a cup (120ml) of finely diced red bell pepper, one-third cup of finely chopped red onion, one-fourth cup of finely chopped cilantro, one small seeded and minced jalapeno (optional), two tablespoons of lemon juice and one-fourth teaspoon of salt (or to taste).

Combine all the salsa ingredients in a bowl. Open a packet of store-bought taco chips and spread them out in an open dish or tray. Pour the mango salsa over the taco chips to ensure each chip has enough salad coating to munch the nacho crunch.

Mango Colada Mousse

For the base, you need one cup (240ml) of fresh mango purée, three tablespoons of pineapple juice, 1.5 teaspoon of powdered gelatine or agar agar powder, and three tablespoons of warm water to bloom the gelatine. Then add two cups of hot water to it.

Alternatively, you can use ready-made mango or banana jelly instead of preparing your own. You also require one cup of heavy whipping cream, half a cup of fresh thick coconut cream and four to five tablespoons of powdered sugar along with shredded coconut and mango chunks to garnish.

Pour the dessert into individual glasses or one large serving dish. The jelly is to form the base at the bottom of the dish or glass. Let it cool till it sets.

Blend the mango chunks with one tablespoon of water and the juice of half a lemon until smooth.

In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream till soft peaks form. Fold in the mango purée and coconut cream. Add the pineapple juice and sugar. Pour this mixture over your already set jelly and garnish with the shredded coconut and mango chunks. Chill before serving.

Originally published in Dawn, EOS, July 5th, 2026

Dawar Mehmood is known in the theatre industry with many incredible plays to his credit. He has long been directing plays written by Anwar Maqsood and the duo gave many spectacular theatrical productions.

Dawar earlier did only one stand-up comedy a year-and-a-half ago as he was more into theatre plays; however, he is now doing the one at Ali Auditorium, a show packed with sharp wit, relatable stories, and endless laughs awaits the audience.

Talking to Dawn on Tuesday, Mehmood explains the title of his stand-up comedy, Compromise, saying, “We all make compromises all our life and one keeps on compromising all his life on different things, issues so that’s the basic theme of the stand-up comedy.”

The topics of his stand-up comedy would include his life journey, his parents and how he came to Karachi at the age of 16 and met Anwar Maqsood and some other stories of his life.

“It is my suggestion that children less than 18 years of age should not come to see stand-up comedy. We won’t stop them but the show is not for people below 18 years of age. It is not dirty but ‘naughty’,” Mehmood says in a lighter vein while discussing his expected audience, saying all 20 years to 100 years audience was his audience for the stand-up comedy.

Mehmood dreamt to rule over the theatre industry when he was very young and was fond of watching stage plays and PTV iconic productions such as Aangan Tehra, Fifty Fifty, Benjamin Sisters, Silver Jubilee, Half Plate and so on.

He is also a great fan of Moeen Akhtar. He established a company, KopyKats Production. One of the aims of his life was to direct plays written by Anwar Maqsood. Young Mehmood surprised many when his first play Pawnay 14 August, written by Anwar Maqsood, was performed on stage in 2010. The play got an enormous response.

Originally published in Dawn, July 8th, 2026

But pizzas are a different story.

The city has POMO and Redbrick Pizzeria for authentic wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, a style known for using fresh tomatoes in their sauce and having a crispy, airy, charred crust; Famous O’s for the authentic New York slice that is thinner and foldable with a more seasoned tomato sauce; Xander’s for the brick-oven pizzas; and Venti, which draws on both New York and Neapolitan techniques, is now also making a comeback. And then, of course, there are the localised Karachi-style pizzas that are known for their deep pan crusts and heavy toppings.

But what happens when a new pizza place opens in a city that has plenty to choose from?

In a city that already has Neapolitan, New York and everything in between, what does a new pizza place need to do to stand out?

Enter Braci.

This is a small space which, when stretched out to the max, only accommodates five tables, two of which are two seaters and confined to the wall. What makes up for the limited space is the vibe. There is a brick wall, a bold orange-framed mirror to reflect the brand colours, a photo wall that carries barely visible polaroid photos and a small kitchen space that lets you see how your order is being prepared.

When you enter Braci, you think it is going to one of those places that focus on doing just one thing right and might have five to six offerings in total on the menu. But their menu is fairly extensive. There is, of course, pizza (eight flavours in total and Neapolitan style) but then they also have pasta (though these were unavailable the second time I went) and dessert, including eclairs and tiramisu.

As you read through the menu, you find the familiar margherita, pepperoni and ‘hot honey’ (a flavour that has taken over nearly every pizza menu in Karachi). It also has a flavour called ‘The Firecracker’, which — according to co-owner Saif Brohi — has “a desi taste.”

As we settle into our seats, my friend and I decide to order “everything on the menu” — a decision that makes me think I choose my friends well.

We order margherita, pepperoni and hot honey (half and half); we also get the Italian, which has chicken breast and spinach over marinara; and the ‘Showstopper’, which has roast beef, rocket, balsamic glaze and stracciatella cheese (half and half). Also, a full pie topped with mushroom, pesto and ricotta.

Someone decides to also add an order of pesto gnocchi to the mix and, of course, two chilled glasses of lemon and peach iced teas.

The pizzas come one after another instead of all at once. It gives us time to really appreciate each flavour. We start off with margherita and pepperoni, my friend and I each taking a slice, biting into it and, after a small pause, doing a respectful nod of approval in unison. The cheese, the crust and the sauce are exactly where they should be at. We decide to drizzle some hot honey over the pepperoni and take another bite — it holds up.

As more flavours gather around the table, we start reaching for different pies. The mushroom and pesto slice gets an audible “whoa”, with an appreciation for its punchy pesto resounding on the table. The Italian, which has spinach and grilled chicken, doesn’t impress. As time goes on, we start to feel a bit lukewarm about the margherita too but, admittedly, it now also has gone cold.

The pesto gnocchi is the least liked thing on the table, with the pasta being a bit dense and its presentation a bit gloopy.

The slice of the ‘Showstopper’ emerges as the clear winner. The salty roast beef and the soft stracciatella cheese complement the airy crust, while the rocket leaves and balsamic glaze offer a sweet sharpness. On my second visit to Braci, with a different group of friends, the Showstopper gets chosen as the best flavour again.

In a city that is not hungry to find new pizzas because there already exists a list of options, doing a good margherita, albeit appreciated, is not enough. What you need is a showstopper and, from the looks of it Braci, has got it.

Originally published in Dawn, June 21st, 2026

“I am a third-generation Uzbek living in Pakistan. My grandfather moved to Pakistan before Partition. His ancestral home is in Ozgen Valley, Samarkand, whereas my grandmother’s is Bukhara. My father and I were born here in Pakistan,” said the 30-something-year-old owner of Samarkand, a new authentic Uzbek restaurant in Islamabad’s Blue Area.

“During Covid, when anxiety levels were very high, there wasn’t much to do except invite friends over for Uzbek food, movies and games to kill time,” he said. “One day, my mother put her foot down and said, ‘I can’t be in the kitchen all day cooking food for your friends, so this needs to stop.’ Her food had become so popular, that one of my friends suggested to start charging and he would pay and thus a cloud kitchen was launched,” he explained.

In the past six years, Ozgen’s business degree from Regent’s University London came in handy and with a smart marketing strategy and planning in place, the demand for takeaway increased multifold and catering for small dinner parties of 30 to 35 people became a regular feature. “Uzbek food is different from Pakistani cuisine plus it’s not spicy, so I focused mostly on expats, diplomats and staff at foreign NGOs, serving them plov, muntus and samsus mostly,” he explained.

Confident in his regular clientele, it was time for the transition from cloud kitchen to a full working kitchen as he wanted his customers to be served in a nice sit-down setting, with ceramic plates and a soothing environment instead of in plastic delivery boxes arriving via motorbikes.

Partnering with his aunt, who once ran a Central Asian joint by the name of Khiva in Islamabad, Ozgen launched Samarkand on the mezzanine floor of Hotel Viridi. “I am neither a foodie nor a chef.  It was my mother behind the burners running the cloud kitchen and now my Khala as head chef at this restaurant,” he laughed.

Samarkand can accommodate over 30 guests at a time and in the coming months, the rooftop will be able to seat an additional 50. Surprisingly, the interior of the restaurant did not reflect Uzbek culture save for a few terracotta wall hangings.

“I have only been to Uzbekistan once in my life. I wanted the place to look modern, not the typical red-carpet flooring, wood emblazoned walls and multi-coloured chandeliers with dim lights,” Ozgen said.

The menu at Samarkand is simple and limited. There are three starters — Sui Kash, Zangza and Samsu — and for mains two kinds of Plov, Samarkand Plov and Bukhara Plov, Laghman, of course, and the quintessential Suman and Mantu. Most of the main courses have options to choose between chicken, beef, mutton and even pumpkin and beetroot for vegetarians.

The Uzbek Kebab Kerhai is still in the teething stage, whereas the Chuchvara and Baqla Jon Qatiq are last on the list. For foodies with a sweet tooth, the news is not good as desserts are still a work in progress.

Ozgen oozes confidence on the success of the restaurant as it has hardly been a week and he has had three full houses already. “Foreigners who I have been catering to for the last five years are now enjoying their meals in the restaurant. Since opening, my customers have mostly been expats, including a large number from Central Asian countries, not just Uzbeks but Azerbaijanis, Russians and Tajiks. The takeaway business is also picking up since the place is in the city centre and surrounded by business hubs,” he said.

I opted for the mutton samsu as a starter and the zangza was served as an amuse-bouche. The samsu, shaped in a traditional triangle dough brushed with egg yolk, stuffed with morsels of mutton and a generous dose of diced onions, garnished with sesame seeds and baked till golden brown, was served fresh out of the oven. A hint of coarsely ground cumin also hit the palate on the very first bite.  The dough was buttery and crusty on the outside whereas the meat was a bit bland but the herbs balanced it well.

There were six in a plate, accompanied by a red chutney dip. Samsu is best eaten hot as the taste changes as the bun lies on the plate for a while.

The zangza was a simple golden fried dough in the shape of a nest. It was extremely crunchy, with long salty logs intricately rolled before being fried.  “Uzbeks usually serve zangza with a dip made from yoghurt or herbs. Many people just dip these dough wisps while having a hot cup of tea,” explained Ozgen as we competed for the sound of the crunch.

It was then time to dig into the main course. The first item to try was the Samarkand Plov, the flagship dish of the eatery, served in a beautiful blue patterned clay plate. The presentation alone was lip-smacking.

A beautifully layered rather than mixed bed of rice topped with julienne-cut yellow carrots, garbanzo beans, al dente raisins, translucent sautéed onions, herbs, steamed green chilies and, the feather in the dish’s cap, the shank of mutton sitting pretty right on the top of the heap. It seemed the work of a master craftsman.

The golden-brown long grain rice accompanied by an assembly of condiments mixed with the melting mutton was the perfect recipe for a food coma. Every ingredient in that plate reflected its own individuality. The balance between salty and sweet, the residue of the meat juices and the complementary note of the mutton shank made the Samarkand Plov a must-have. The serving was good enough for two whereas the dish is served for one person.

The second recommended dish was Laghman. From a presentation point of view, the dish was a low scorer but when put to taste, Laghman provided an adrenaline rush of sustenance to the body. Hand-pulled chewy noodles came in a separate plate whereas the rich tomato-based meat and vegetable stir fry broth was served in a bowl.

The dish was a perfect marriage between a soup and a rich pasta with meat mixed in with onions, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes and even potatoes with the smell of cumin, coriander and fresh herbs wafting in the air.

The server came in handy to assemble the plate for me, portioning the cooked noodles first and then pouring on the thick, savoury vegetable and meat stew on top. The noodles were velvety and springy, as if well oiled, tangling around the veggies.

It was then time for the mantu — I saved the best for the last. Islamabad has this new craze for dumplings. They come with different names, shapes, tastes and sizes. Call them what you want — gyoza, mantu, momos, dim sum or simply dumplings — the choice still narrows down with two options, fried or steamed, irrespective of the filling.

Mine were steamed and piping hot, melting in my mouth in nanoseconds. Immediately after sinking my teeth into one, I reached for seconds. Succulent ground beef enclosed in a juicy, soft flour wrapper and steamed to perfection — it was simply a master stroke.

Although the mantu was supposed to be the finale of the evening, on Ozgen’s insistence I tried another dumpling dish called chuchvara, another form of dumplings but much richer in taste. The dumplings were swimming in bowl of yoghurt and, unlike the mantus, they were bite-sized. The chuchvara were neither steamed nor fried — they were boiled in rich aromatic broth, Ozgen explained with his eyes fixed on me to lock in my impression after the first bite.

The square-shaped dumplings with lamb filling looked like miniature envelopes with a dainty ear and paired well with the generous dollop of yoghurt.

Ozgen promises not only to increase the seating capacity of his restaurant but also the items on the menu as per the response, which he says has been very promising. However, to my mind, what he needs to remember is that Pakistanis’ tastebuds crave sweet treats and we can only call it a night once our sweet craving is fulfilled!

The team managing the venue announced the closure and relocation on Instagram, highlighting the many ways the space had become part of the city’s cultural fabric.

Originally founded by Sabeen Mahmud in 2007, the post said T2F had become “a sanctuary for art, music, literature and open dialogue, providing a platform for artists, writers and activists”.

It said the venue had benefited from the “generous support and sense of ownership shown by its community” and was moving to a new location to better serve its patrons.

“We’re excited to announce a move to a much larger, modern facility featuring two indoor auditoria, an open-air performance space, a café, and an art gallery. Programmes are expected to resume at the new location by early August,” the venue’s team said.

Management said Mahmud’s vision had made T2F into “a place where differing opinions could be expressed with respect, where thoughtful dialogue was encouraged, and where ideas about the city, society and the nation could be exchanged freely and meaningfully”.

They said they remained committed to “fostering creativity, self-expression and community engagement in all their forms”.

Management thanked everyone who supported the venue and continued to visit “despite the limitations of space and infrastructure”.

The team said the new venue would “enable us not only to expand our programmes and outreach, but also to elevate the scale and quality of our presentations and activities”.

In an Instagram post shared by the festival, the ACPK and its president, Ahmed Shah, it was announced that filmmakers from around the world were invited to submit their work for consideration to be displayed at the festival.

The post said submissions were live on Freeway and a variety of categories were welcome, including documentaries, narratives and short films.

The World Culture Festival will take place at the Arts Council from October 29 to November 22 and is expected to feature over 1,000 artists representing over 140 different countries.

Films aren’t the only thing on display at the festival, which has had strong theatre and music segments over its previous two runs. Dance and visual arts also form part of the festivities with exhibitions, performances and workshops.

The last edition, which ran from October 30 to December 7, had more than 800 artists from 102 countries displaying their work in Karachi.

The extensive film lineup for the 37-day festival included Pakistan’s Dukhtar and The Glass Worker, Spain’s Los Tigres and Glimmers, Polish feature Home and Italy’s Paper heart.

Other highlights of the festival were its many plays and grand weekly concerts and dance nights.

While one can find all kinds of momos on the trendy food streets of Nazimabad, Karachi, it’s absent from the rest of the country’s foodscape, which is particularly surprising, given the craze for Korean bao [steamed buns] a couple of years ago. Momos, with their spicy fillings and chatpatta sauces, seem like bao’s natural heir, the next food obsession waiting in the wings.

Legend has it that the Nepali princess Bhrikuti introduced momos from Tibet to the country in the seventh century, alongside the spread of Buddhism. However, other food historians argue that this is unlikely, given that it is believed that dumplings were originally created in China and spread to Central Asia via the Mongols in the 13th century.

What is more likely is that merchants from the Newar community, a millennia-old ethnic group from Kathmandu Valley, came across the dish on their months-long trading trips to Tibet and brought the recipe for the dumplings back home.

From Tibetan trade routes to the bustling streets of Kathmandu, the humble momo has travelled across borders and generations…

The Nepali, of course, added their own local twists: their version of momos are spicier, while the original was only seasoned with salt. Nepali momos are also served with chatpata sauces. As the Nepali diaspora has grown, so has the popularity of momos, not only in the Subcontinent but also in the West.

Chicken Momos

Traditional momos are made with a fatty meat — either minced chicken or lamb — but feel free to experiment with the fillings, such as shrimp or a vegetarian one. If not immediately steaming, store the raw dumplings in an air-tight container in the freezer for two to three days. The dumplings can be pan-fried or deep-fried, after steaming for a crispier shell.

Momo

For the dough

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

Water, as needed

For the filling

½ kg chicken or lamb

1 cup cabbage, finely chopped

1 cup onion, finely diced

2-3 small green chilies sliced

2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste

1 teaspoon (or to taste) salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

½ teaspoon ground cumin seeds

1-2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped

1 green onion (for garnishing)

Cooking oil, as needed

Tomato chutney

7 tomatoes

4 whole dried red chillies (halve to make less spicy)

½ teaspoon rai [mustard] seeds

½ teaspoon kalonji [nigella] seeds

½ teaspoon salt

3 cloves garlic

Method

1. Make the momo dough shell. Sift flour and salt into a flat pan. Mix together. Add water a little at a time and rub the flour until a crumbly texture forms. Continue adding water and kneading the mixture until a dough forms. Shape the dough into a ball.

2. Flatten the ball and stretch the dough out. Press the dough and then fold it. Knead the dough a few times before rolling again into a ball. Place in a bowl and cover with clingfilm or a lid. Set aside in the fridge.

3. Make the filling. Heat oil in a pan. Sauté the ginger-garlic paste, cumin seeds and green chilies. Add the chopped onions and sauté until lightly browned. Add the spices and stir well. Add the cabbage and continue stirring. Add the minced chicken or lamb. Stir. Cook on medium heat until done. Add the chopped coriander on top and fold it into the filling. Set aside.

4. Grease a flat surface or a large flat pan with oil and sprinkle with flour. Take out the dough and break off a fistful of it and flatten it into a thin, flat disc. Repeat this step until all the dough is gone.

5. Spoon filling into the centre of each of the dough discs, leaving some space from the edge. Fold the shell in half and make sure the filling is completely covered. Pinch the edges together all along the side to ensure the dough shell is sealed. Pull the edges and bend to shape into a crescent if desired. Pinch along the sides of the crescent at intervals of roughly half a finger’s width to give a folded effect.

6. Steam the momos with water or soup (steaming with soup adds more flavour). Heat the water or soup in a pot. Place the steamer on top and put the momos an inch apart on it. Cover with a lid. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until done. Pan or deep fry the momos, if desired. Put on a plate and garnish with chopped green onions.

7. Make the tomato chutney. Grill the tomatoes — roast on each side for a couple of minutes. Mash the tomatoes with the back of a spoon. Transfer them to a saucepan and cook over low heat with half a cup of water for 10 minutes.

8. Roast the chillies and the spices on a tawa (griddle pan). Grind them with a mortar and pestle. Chop the garlic. Blend the cooked tomatoes with the remaining ingredients. Spoon out in a sauce bowl.

9. Serve the momos hot with the tomato chutney, chilli garlic sauce and a lemon wedge.

Originally published in Dawn, EOS, May 24th, 2026

Banchan, a restaurant that quietly opened right next to BBQ Tonight — another beloved eatery in the city — changed all of that.

Banchan

When it started to offer Korean BBQ on its menu, it did so without fanfare. People discovered it by “stumbling upon” it. For a long time, people did not even post it on their Instagram. Then word spread fast — and suddenly Banchan was running on back-to-back reservations. You could not even go on a random Tuesday and find a table. It was packed like every day was a weekend.

At its core, it offered a live meat-grilling experience. If a hotpot lets you cook ingredients in a bubbling broth at your own table, Korean BBQ lets you cook marinated meat over a grill — also at your table.

For years, live East Asian BBQ in Karachi was a novelty that couldn’t hold its audience. The question used to be: why would I pay to cook my own food? Nobody’s asking that anymore

What makes it exciting is all the side dishes that accompany it — known as banchan in Korean cuisine. You get pickled radish, kimchi, a dipping sauce and a host of other pickled vegetables that brighten up your table because the fermentation process sharpens their colour.

When Banchan did Korean BBQ, it really worked on helping people understand what it was offering, unlike the restaurants that had tried and failed before it. So, it did not just draw the curious diner who had watched a K-drama but also those who like to have good food in Karachi.

The social media posts on their page remained minimal but they trained their servers to almost be intuitive with their service. You could do the barbecue yourself if you wanted, but the servers knew when to step in — and they cooked the meat exactly right, every time.

And just as the meat would start to grill, the sides would fly out from the kitchen effortlessly, covering your entire table — so there was just enough room to eat. Conversation could wait.

A big thing in our city is trust. Can diners count on a place to deliver the same food experience over several visits? For Banchan, consistency never seemed to be in question.

And now that the city had warmed up to the idea of live East Asian BBQ, it was inevitable that another place would follow.

Kaorou

That place was KaoRou.

KaoRou is a restaurant that opened on Khayaban-i-Nishat in DHA Phase VI. It offers live BBQ and a variety of pickled sides to go with it.

The difference? KaoRou’s take is inspired from North Chinese cuisine rather than Korean.

The marination of the meat and the sides is where you can spot a variance. In the North Chinese take, the marinade leans towards cumin-heavy savoury notes, while in Korean BBQ, the meat tends to be sweet-savoury. The sides in Korean BBQ are numerous and included in the meat order but, in North Chinese BBQ, they have to be ordered separately.

KaoRou is also designed to be more spacious, so it never gives off the “packed” feeling that Banchan does. It spans two floors, offers private dining rooms and features a “dipping sauce” station that lets you assemble your own customised sauce to go with your BBQ order. The station consists of many medium-sized golden bowls, which contain ingredients such as peanut sauce, chilli oil, oyster sauce, green onions, sesame seeds, minced garlic and more that you can add to a small container, in whatever quantities you like, to make your own sauce.

While Banchan has become a trusted fixture that people readily recommend to visitors, KaoRou is yet to earn that same trust.

But one thing is for certain — the concept of live BBQ is no longer seen as a sham. There are fewer murmurs of “Why would I pay to cook my own food?” and a greater excitement for trying things that seem unfamiliar.

Banchan’s appetisers — corn tempura among them — have converted even the most sceptical diner. Similarly, KaoRou’s cheesy corn, pickled eggplants, boiled peanuts and pickled garlic have found their own following.

When it comes to dessert, Banchan has kept the menu familiar, with tiramisu and chocolate mousse. KaoRou’s dessert menu ventures into a chilled fruit and sago pudding that goes much better with the meat heavy dinner.

It seems like the initial reluctance to live BBQ has paved the way for the concept to exist in a more refined format — where it meets customers’ expectations of quality of food and a dining experience but without compromising authenticity.

People are no longer lamenting, “Oh no, another live BBQ place in Karachi.” They are finally thinking: What’s next?

Originally published in Dawn, EOS, May 10th, 2026

Despite the restrictions, many important subjects of women’s rights were highlighted, including the right to bodily autonomy — the march’s now-signature slogan “Mera jism, meri marzi (My body, my choice)” was raised loudly, proudly and frequently — freedom of movement and marital rape.

Marital rape was especially significant to the organisers this year in light of the death of Shanti, a 19-year-old newlywed from Lyari whose succumbed to her injuries in July after her husband allegedly subjected her to brutal sexual violence just two days after their wedding.

Shanti’s bari (a collection of wedding gifts given by the groom’s family) was laid out on a white sheet at the venue. It was a chilling reminder of her hopes, dreams and a life lost too soon.

Speakers at the march, including Shanti’s sister-in-law who gave a rousing speech in Sindhi, called for the cancellation of bail granted to Dr Rauf Shaikh. The doctor told the victim’s father-in-law he could treat her when staff at Karachi’s Civil Hospital said the nature of the injuries demanded police involvement.

Dr Shaikh is accused of providing improper care to Shanti, with a report from the Women’s Action Forum saying she may have survived had she been treated properly. He was granted bail by the Sindh High Court on January 26.

The right to hold the protest itself was a hot topic, with veteran artist and women’s rights activist Sheema Kermani saying nothing could stop women from exercising their “constitutional right” to protest.

Speaking to Images after the event, she described her own experience being taken into police custody outside Karachi Press Club. “Male policemen forcefully hit my car. They forced the backdoor open and sat inside.” She said this act was actually illegal as opposed to what she was arrested for — attending a pre-arranged press conference.

She described the restrictions placed on the protest as “absolutely nonsensical”. “We resisted Ziaul Haq who told us how to dress, wear this and don’t wear that, we won’t take it from a democratic government.”

The march had a number of performances, including a rap, a semi-classical kathak dance and a rendition of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s resistance anthem ‘Hum Dekhenge’. Maha Ali Kazmi, who performed kathak on stage, said she marched — and performed — to raise awareness, not just among men, but also women who didn’t know what their rights are, who had been conditioned to accept abuse.

She said it was okay and important to talk about these things, despite society telling women not to. “It’s a criminal offence to harass somebody. Domestic violence is a criminal offence, rape is a criminal offence, marital rape is a criminal offence, but talking about our experiences is not a crime.”

One new feature was the Misogynist of the Year awards, a collection of men nominated by the public who had been chosen as representation of all that is wrong with Pakistani men. The honourees included Maulana Fazlur Rehman, writer Khalilur Rehman Qamar, actors Danish Taimoor and Ahmed Ali Butt and podcast host Sahil Adeem.

Huda, who organises marches in solidarity with the people of Palestine, said she was attending her first Aurat March this year to honour all the women before her who couldn’t demand their rights like this. “From my grandmother and my mother’s time, there’s no one who’s been speaking for these things. Everyone’s speaking at home, but nobody is taking it [out onto the] roads, because, as they say, aurton ki izzat sarkon pe nhi aani chahiye (women’s respect doesn’t belong on roads).”

Cherona, a volunteer participating in her third march this year, said she saw the annual event as an entry point for women into politics. “I think this is a great stepping stone for women to get into the political space.”

She said the movement wasn’t just about the annual protest march and its team tries to inform policymaking on women’s issues. The Aurat March is also involved in welfare activities for women in underdeveloped areas and organises free medical camps for women who need them.

She said the march was a safe space for all genders and one for men to interact with women in a way that is civil and non-threatening. She said she was thankful to the police for keeping the march safe and running smoothly.

Police presence at the march was initially scattered, with the odd policeman seen brandishing a baton at the park’s perimeter to scare away disruptive onlookers. When the procession began moving from its gathering point at Beach View Park to Seaview, female police officers escorted the march all the way. Additional mounted units joined the rally at the beach.

Cover via Shakeel Adil/White Star

Naturally, Pakistan’s fastest-paced city and beating heart has perfected the dish to an art form. Everyone agrees, Karachi has the best rolls in the country.

But where are the best rolls in Karachi, you can ask three people that question and get four answers.

That’s exactly what I did. I went around asking everyone at Dawn.com what their go to roll place was and tried the most popular ones — with help from my colleague Wajid — to definitively crown the King of Rolls.

Notes on methodology:

We tried chicken chutney rolls from five places, all delivered to our office on the same day at roughly around the same time.

To make sure all the entries had an even playing field, we let them sit for a little and cool down to offset any advantage one may have had because it got to us faster.

We also didn’t use any extra condiments, so the ratings are based on the rolls themselves. The rating are averages of my own scores and those given by Wajid.

Hot N Spicy — II Chundrigar Road

Starting off close to home — or rather, close to work — we had Hot N Spicy, a chain of restaurants so synonymous with Karachi’s roll scene that they represent it in Islamabad.

The Rs459 roll — the most expensive by far — came in a nice paper bag and had a packet with all the different flavours and options listed — presumably for the kitchen to mark, which they hadn’t. It also had an extra container of chutney, which was a nice touch.

The packaging was about all that was premium about it though, as the roll itself lacked flavour — unless, of course, you count the onions. There was also enough oil in there to invite a US political intervention.

Not the worst roll on the list, but I wouldn’t order it again, especially not at its current price.

Red Apple — Atrium Mall, Saddar

I hadn’t actually tried this one before we ran this experiment — much to the surprise of my coworkers — so I didn’t know what to expect.

The roll came in a red bag with the store’s branding. It was wrapped in grease paper for an oil-free eating experience. At Rs370, it was right in the middle of our price range too.

I was very pleasantly surprised to find the chicken was juicy, with a smoky flavour. The chutney was also tasteful and not overpowering.

It was a good roll, one I can definitely see myself ordering to work for a quick lunch on a busy day.

Eaton — SMCHS

Eaton wouldn’t let us order just one roll on Foodpanda and perhaps for good reason, because we ended up ordering two, one of which had a hair in it.

Wajid just refused to eat after that and even I took a single bite to maintain some level of fairness. The chicken tasted undercooked and the sauce was largely non-existent.

Since we got two rolls for Rs650, the individual price of Rs325 per roll makes this the most affordable option, but I wouldn’t eat here again even if they paid me to.

Silver Spoon — Tariq Road

At Rs330, Silver Spoon was the cheapest option that wasn’t simultaneously a biohazard and boy, did it pack a serious bang for its buck.

The flavour of the chicken in the roll maybe wasn’t as strong as the one in Red Apple’s, but the chutney did enough heavy lifting for Silver Spoon to gain a thin margin over its competition.

Keeping aside any biases I may have from fact that I grew up eating rolls from here and so did my parents, it was probably the best item on the list if we factor in all the moving parts and the price.

Das Numberi — Seaview

The newest of all the contenders, Das Numberi has amassed a serious following in the relatively short time it has been in business and their roll can attest to why.

Priced at Rs390 and packed in striking yellow paper, the first bite packed a burst of flavour. The chicken was soft, the chutney tasted like it belonged on a pasta rather than inside a paratha roll — this thing was Premium with a capital P.

But can there ever be too much of a good thing? Maybe. In the wise words of my lab partner for this experiment, “This is like the Islamabad of rolls.” It was great, but so much so that it felt out of place. It was also smaller than the others — and size is a consideration here.

Overall, an outstanding example of street food, if we can indeed call it that. There just wasn’t enough of it in there.

All options considered, Silver Spoon takes the cake by a razor thin margin. It’s a longstanding institution when it comes to roll-making and I can see why.

Still, I’d just as soon get my rolls from either Red Apple or Das Numberi if it came down to it. All three have earned their place on my phone’s speed dial.

Cover photo: Red Apple

Hooria’s spread featured a shawarma platter as the appetiser, chicken kabsa — a rice dish — as the main course and a non-alcoholic champagne as the accompanying beverage. What drew me to it was the orderly, methodical layout — her spread displayed separately from the other students’ set-ups, each dish accompanied by a handwritten recipe card in colourful markers.

“It was a group activity, in which we were assigned to prepare an appetiser, a main course item and a beverage,” Hooria tells Eos. “As I’m new at COTHM and don’t know my coursemates well, I opted to go solo.”

Hooria may be new at COTHM but she is not new to cooking. She loves to cook and has been doing it since she was 12 years old. It began with a sweet tooth — and the desserts she made because of it. “Everyone at home liked them, which encouraged me to go further,” she recalls.

A young trainee chef prepares an Arab feast…

Then came a time when she took over the responsibility of cooking dinner from her mother. Hooria says that her mother, an exceptional cook herself, gave her free rein, though she never left her alone in the kitchen. Soon, Hooria told her family about her plan to train as a professional chef.

“Everyone at home said I did not need to, because I already knew how to cook,” she says. She countered that she wanted to work as a chef at a restaurant or hotel, or even open her own restaurant someday. “For that, I require a degree or diploma, and the kind of hands-on training that I could never get in my home kitchen,” she points out.

It was this dream that led her to COTHM and to the Karachi Expo Centre on that day, where I asked her about her choice of dishes, especially the non-alcoholic champagne.

She says that she wanted it on her menu because it’s a celebratory drink and “sounds kind of grand.” She explains that, being a Muslim, she has never tasted the drink nor served the standard alcoholic version. “Instead, I have tried to make a non-alcoholic variant.”

She was happy to share how each dish came together.

Non-alcoholic champagne

To make the champagne, Hooria pours one litre of chilled apple juice into a large glass pitcher and squeezes the fresh juice of a lemon over it, before adding about one cup of orange pulp. She allows it to sit in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes for the flavours to infuse.

Having read that champagne is fizzy and somewhat acidic to the throat, Hooria uses chilled sparkling water and a clear lemon/lime soft drink soda in equal quantities (one litre of each) to pour over the apple juice (to sweeten and round out the soda base), lemon juice and orange pulp concoction. She adds a handful of crushed mint leaves and lots of ice to the concoction before serving.

Shawarma appetiser

For the shawarma, Hooria made the pitta bread from scratch. The young chef adds a teaspoon each of yeast and sugar with warm water to activate the yeast before adding in the all-purpose flour and a tablespoon of cooking oil to make a soft dough. She covers the dough and leaves it to double in size before dividing it into small balls, flattening each into a pitta with a rolling pin and roasting on a griddle.

For the filling, Hooria cuts boneless chicken into julienne strips and marinates them for 45 minutes in the juice of one lemon and a quarter teaspoon of paprika, black pepper, white pepper and a pinch of garam masala [mix of ground spices] powder, with salt according to taste.

She cooks the chicken in a frying pan with a tablespoon of oil, then assembles it inside the folded pitta bread with lots of cucumber and tomato slices.

Chicken kabsa

Chicken kabsa is a rice dish popular in Saudi Arabia, where cooking tends to favour mild, fragrant spices over hot ones. It resembles the South Asian pulao in appearance but has a method of its own.

Hooria begins by frying onions in oil, then adds the chicken and whole garam masala before pouring in water to make the broth. Once the chicken has cooked through, she removes it from the broth and fries it separately — this is what sets kabsa apart, giving the chicken a golden colour and a slight crispiness rather than the softness it would have if left to sit.

The rice then goes into the broth to cook, absorbing all the flavour the chicken has left behind. As with any rice dish, she ensures the broth is double the quantity of the rice.

Once the rice is done, she places the fried chicken back on top and finishes with a garnish of fried raisins and cashew nuts.

Originally published in Dawn, EOS, April 26th, 2026

Cover photo courtesy Hooria Sayeed