ISLAMABAD: Previously a burger joint, Habanero Express on College Road, F-7, has recently revamped its menu and the restaurant itself.

While it first looked like any other fast food joint, the eatery now gives off a Parisian vibe, with floor to ceiling windows at the front, a yellow wall painted with colourful birds, which is reflected in a huge mirror on the opposite wall, all of which gives the illusion that the space is bigger than it is.

The restaurant has a wheelchair-friendly entrance and some seating outside, the background for which is a wooden trellis, with rustic birdcages hanging over the tables.

The menu has been trimmed of items typically found at a fast food joint, and the more popular items, or the ones that would complement the European deli style the restaurant has now adopted, have been kept.

The bill of fare includes breakfast items starting off with a list of Extraordinary Eggs, including green and white eggs – scrambled eggs with scallions and cream cheese – and Goldie Lox, which are scrambled eggs with turkey bacon and cream cheese.

The Mediterranean omelette is by far the most satisfying of all the breakfast items, including sweeter options such as buttermilk pancakes and French toast.

Feta, roasted tomatoes and olives are folded in with eggs to make one of the fluffiest omelettes in Islamabad, which is toasted till it is golden.

The omelette is seasoned sparingly, which allows the taste of the individual ingredients to stand out. The omelette is served with fresh tomatoes, baked potato slices and a seared sausage.

The rocket salad with figs, apples, caramelised walnuts and feta salad stood out particularly for its well balanced flavours and complementary ingredients.

The caramelised walnuts lend a sweet kick to the fresh, crunchy rocket leaves, the feta balances that out with its salty tanginess and the crisp, juicy apple slices and chewy dried figs mix in to make the combination of textures more interesting.

Speaking of caramelised ingredients, The Don burger in the mains section, which comes from the original menu and has survived the revamp, has a generous helping of caramelised onions topped over a 5oz medium rare beef or chicken patty.

The patty is juicy, salty and comes drizzled with mustard. The burger is served on an untoasted bun and comes flanked by sautéed fresh green beans, diced carrots, peas, gourd and French fries.

The pastas section is by no means innovative, but the ingredients have been mixed around a little to make them stand out in the standard pastas being served across the many Italian-continental eateries in the city.

The restaurant serves fettuccine with mushrooms, olive sauce and a spicy tomato sauce all topped by spicy chicken pieces, and the red sauce makes it at least somewhat different to the heavily white sauced, bland fettuccine alfredos served in Islamabad.

The desserts section is limited but all the items are a must try. This is perhaps one of the only places in Islamabad that serves fresh scones with clotted cream and raspberry jam and the chocolate laced apple crumble is sinfully sweet with a lovely oaty, golden topping.

The pavlova has a crisp crust and is soft and light on the inside. It is served with fruit and a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a strawberry jam or preserve, fresh pomegranate seeds and a slice of kiwi.

The food is reasonably priced, with an entree costing between Rs500 and Rs700 and the portion sizes are sufficient for one.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2016