Dawn Images

Nothing says desi fast food like the humble paratha roll. Simple, easy to make, surprisingly nutritious, it’s the ultimate on-the-go lunch for students, salarypersons and anyone who just doesn’t have the time to sit down and eat a full meal.

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