When visiting Shinwari Restaurant a few weeks ago, I had mentioned the famous, and much larger, Yasir Broast eatery in Johar Town opposite the Shaukat Khanum hospital. To them I returned after a gruelling drive to Sunder Industrial Estate.

The roads to and from Sunder are not exactly boulevards, and one hopes they will be back to normal soon. But on a hot dusty late afternoon, in the company of a friend, I stopped at Yasir Broast. This is not a new eatery and over the years one has seen this purely local establishment grow from strength to strength. Today it boasts of a modern and clean eating house, and you can expect the finest Lahori food at this place.

We went and found a nice place to sit in the air-conditioned dining room. Outside at various places different functions of food preparation were going on.

While you sit in peace inside, the real action is outside. I found all the preparation points amazingly clean, which, to be honest, was a pleasant surprise. So we went over the menu and ordered a Tawa Chicken Bombay Plate and half a Boneless Achaari Handi. We both preferred plain ‘tandoori roti’ and being in a lavish mood we both decided to have a Pina Colada each. This was an order a wee bit different from the norm.

To our amazement the goodies came within 20 minutes, and the piping hot ‘rotis’ were presented in a nice basket. The Bombay Chicken made on a tawa came as a complete surprise, and I am surprised that other eateries have not caught on to this amazing presentation. It was spicy and sharp and made with yogurt and a sprinkling of tomatoes with a lot of greens on top. Excellent stuff.

The ‘Achaari Boneless’ was a sharp easy ride and the Pina Colada made more sense now that we had two spicy dishes. But full marks for the hot tandoori roti. After the drinks there was no room for any sweet. Let me judge this on the Michelin Scale of one to nine.

For food quality it gets seven, for food taste another seven, for quality of service it gets six (they surely are efficient), for cleanliness it gets six, for the menu size it gets six (impressively large), for prices five (no longer an economy eatery), for parking ease it gets six (loads of space and a good valet service) and finally for quality of crockery and cutlery it gets five (reasonable by any standard).

This averages out to an impressive six out of nine, which is excellent. Highly recommended, even if the children prefer burgers over ‘desi’ food. If one of you is a ‘broast’ chicken freak, this is the place.

Rizwan Snacks:

It was my nephew Imran Mahmood alias Mobi who recommended Rizwan Snacks to me a few moons ago. Located to one side of Gulberg Main Market on the road past the main mosque, this place has made a name for itself in a short space, and hence I ended up there in my car.

My order was a simple club sandwich with a clear soft drink. I was amazed at the quality of the sandwich, with the egg boiled and cut correctly, the chicken not little strips and oily, but larger slices and clear, the cheese a reasonable slice and the bread sides cut to perfection. Even the chips were crisp.

The price was very reasonable. There is hope yet.

May Mr. Rizwan prosper and may Mobi get what he wants. Smile.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2015

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