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To ring in the month of Ramazan, eateries compete to out do each other’s menus and price tags and win over hungry patrons. The first seven to 10 days of the holy month, also called the first Ashara, are mostly slow as many prefer to eat iftaar at home or break bread with their extended families. Soon after though, calendars start filling up and reminders are set to confirm or regret iftaar invites.

I visited four different restaurants in Islamabad serving iftaar and dinner combos, either in the form of iftaar platters or buffets to see which is worth your money.

Pappasallis

My first iftaar out of the house was an invite to Pappasallis in F-7, an eatery that created quite a buzz when it launched in the 90s with an Italian menu.

Pappasallis holds a strong nostalgic value as most of the Islamabad Gen- X grew up savouring their margherita pizza, chicken supreme and fettuccine alfredo along with their pina colada. The restaurant has weathered many storms over its 30 plus years of existence. Having said that, Ramazan not only brings back old memories but old menus as well, and patrons don’t miss the opportunity to rekindle their tastebuds with their favourite tried and tested dishes.

This time around, the focus was more on iftaar items, compared to the dinner menu. Apart from the run-of-the-mill chaat corner, the new kid on the block was the zucchini balls, pakora chaat, live churros and sizzling gola kebabs. “I change the menu every week keeping the basics like wood fire oven, a few Italian dishes and must-have iftaar items as permanent features,” said the owner, Zeenat Ayesha.

Medium-sized pizzas came out of the oven, piping hot and in ample varieties. First a slice of margherita, followed by chicken fajita and then chicken pepperoni. Ayesha deserves a pat on the back for maintaining the same taste and even the texture of the pizza being served for the last 30 years or so.

Another thing I’d like to highlight was the spinach pakoras with a chaat topping, which were something of a novelty. Crunchy and right out of the wok, with the spinach leaf dredged in yellow flour batter and garnished with an ample number of papri, sev, a dash of tamarind and a generous sprinkle of pomegranate seeds. It combined different levels of flavours all delivered in one full bite.

The iftaar at Pappasallis is priced at Rs3,999/plus tax.

BBQ Tonight

A cornucopia of mouthwatering iftaar-dinner items was on display as we arrived at BBQ Tonight in G-6 Blue Area. Being a Pakistani, it is hard to resist desi tarka in your mouth and a visit to a local Pakistani restaurant is a must.

The aroma from an array of tantalising desi food in silver cauldrons wafted through the air at the venue with BBQ on the grill and pakoras in the wok. It was not wise to spoil one’s appetite with the option of salads or soups so we headed straight for the iftaar offerings.

The au gratin peri peri bites and fish cutlets were the two items no other eatery has offered so far, so they were first to go on trial. The best thing about the peri peri chicken bites was that it was not dripping in oil despite being deep fried. The fish cutlets, on the other hand, were a bit dry and too meaty.

We then turned to the BBQ side and asked the chef to load our plates with Turkish mutton kebab, fish tikka, namkeen tikka and chicken shashlik, bypassing the beef chapli kababs coming out of the wok. The Turkish mutton kebab melted in the mouth in nanoseconds. It was not spicy at all but bursting with flavourful herbs.

However, the pièce de résistance was the namkeen tikka, which was too good to be true. Charcoaled to perfection and salted enough to maintain its legacy, it was like bringing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Islamabad. It was a test of nerves not to go for seconds as hot dishes awaited us for our second round.

Mutton karhai, beef Kabuli pulao and chicken haleem took priority, ignoring chicken biryani, chow mien and vegetable rice. The Mutton karhai was cooked well with the right amount of gravy accompanying the boneless mutton chunks. I paired it with the chicken haleem along with a quarter of a whole wheat roti coming fresh out of the tandoor. However, the beef Kabuli pulao was the show stopper in this arena. Fluffy basmati rice and shank of boneless beef with caramelised onions and raisins garnished on top, it was just lip-smacking. The beef shattered the moment it was lifted up and the rice, full of aromatic herbs, was a treat for any bon vivant.

As the sugar conscious and diabetic foodies were savouring sugar-free halwa, I opted for shahi tukra, again something which one seldom finds on iftaar menus. This Mughal royal delicacy was a treat for the sweet tooth aficionados as they savoured the rich and creamy rabri, a quintessential part of the shahi tukra.

The price of iftaar-dinner at BBQ Tonight is Rs3,850 plus tax.

Pasticceria Tomassini Caffetteria

It is very challenging for our tastebuds to consume pakoras, samosas and chaats every single day for 30 days of Ramazan. In order to break away from the monotony, the third iftaar was fixed at Pasticceria Tomassini Caffetteria, the Italian joint offering a fusion iftaar platter for two.

The three-tier platter on a terracotta stand was not only more than enough to satiate our appetites, but was also a true visual feast for the eyes as well.

“It was indeed a difficult task to come up with an iftaar platter as we serve only Italian menu and our customers would not come for pakoras and dhai bhalas in an Italian Pasticceria,” said Omer Chaudhry, the owner of Tomassini. He and his Italian partner Francesco Tomassini put their heads together and came up with an Italian iftaar platter without compromising on their core cuisine, quite in line with the saying “when in Rome, do as the Romans do”.

Spaghetti bolognaise, beef sliders with fries, polo marinato panini, a fruit bowl, arancini and assorted desserts the likes of mignons with pistachio cream and cacao powdered, assorted dates and cream puffs. A choice between freshly squeezed orange juice or freshly brewed coffee completed the three-tier iftaar platter.

The beef slider was a scene stealer — a moist and juicy mini beef patty, soaked in herbs and bursting with flavours in every bite. It was polished off in the blink of an eye. The spaghetti bolognaise, with its combination of mozzarella and aged parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, entangled in the fork and slid into the mouth with a smooth, creamy texture.

The fruit bowl was something to be enjoyed by rather bland tastebuds, with no chaat masala in sight. Indeed, a healthy option with its combination of fresh seasonal fruits.

Tomassini is a go to place if you are looking for a change of menu this Ramazan. The Ramazan platter was priced at Rs3,600 plus tax.

Koh at Movenpick

A breathtakingly picturesque view of the Islamabad skyline, the Margalla Hills echoing with call for prayers, a blue sky and a cool Islamabad breeze casting a chilling effect, it was love at first sight as we sat down on the terrace of the newly-opened restaurant Koh at the Movenpick Hotel Islamabad. An ostentatious spread for iftaar-dinner at the tallest rooftop restaurant of the capital was the finale of our gastronomical journey this Ramazan.

“This is my first Ramazan here in Pakistan but I have served many years in Doha, Qatar,” explained Nicolas Verdun, the first general manager of the Movenpick Hotel Centaurus Islamabad, with beaming eyes setting the tone for eight new restaurants offering different cuisines soon to be opened to the public.

The buffet was an amalgamation of Pakistani, pan-asian and Lebanese cuisines representing Koh, Zen-Asia and Desert Rose respectively.

The open kitchen iftaar offerings were plentiful, starting with mushroom soup, dynamite prawns, potato cheese balls and Korean chicken wings along with the regulars. But the real deal at Sky 21 was the dinner.

The sight of the sushi corner was irresistible, but so was the shawarma on the rotisserie. It was a feast for the eyes! Showcased on glass tops and dressed to the nines by the sushi chef in orange-red and reddish-orange covers, the makis, nigiris and sashimis, along with their other siblings, were in full attendance.

Locked in a vertical spit with golden-red heat emitting against the shawarma chicken basting in its own juices and shaved periodically, this Ottoman delicacy has now become a comfort food even for Pakistanis. Wrapped in warm pita bread with garlic yoghurt and tahini sauce spread across it, accompanied by pickled cucumbers, turnips and fries, the shawarma was at par with those made by the Turks.

The curated dinner menu, offering an exquisite blend of three international cuisines, was worth the money. The lamb ouzi, dawood basha, samak harra, black pepper chicken were treats, not to mention the Pakistani BBQ and gravy dishes left untouched by many in the hopes of sampling the more exotic fares being offered. Spicy samak and flavoruful rice from kabsa was a good combination, with a helping of lamb ouzi.

It was time to end our food escapade on a sweet note and to a pick a favourite from the myriad offerings was indeed a tough call. The selection of desserts perfectly complemented each cuisine but the real knockout was the chocolate fountain with marshmallows, fresh strawberries and sweet jellies on sticks ready to get drenched in the molten chocolate.

The iftaar-dinner at Koh was priced at Rs8,500 plus tax.