Eleanor Roosevelt’s quote: “A woman is like a teabag you never know how strong she is until you put her in hot water” welcomes you as you climb up the stairs to Bibi’s Pink. And this quote sets the tone for and explains the ethos behind this culinary passion project of cousins, doctors Sabahat and Aliya.

Bibi’s Pink is nestled on the first floor of an inconspicuous building in a quiet neighbourhood in Defence M block -- unusual when most restaurants end up in bustling commercial markets brimming with eateries left, right and centre.

Dr Sabahat and Aliya not only wanted to share with the world their passion for good comfort food in an equally warm and comforting space, but also break gender stereotypes in their own little way. That’s why they not only employed a woman head chef, but also young girls as servers. They also claim to contribute a part of the profits to girls’ education.

The interior of the restaurant has a very homely, yet elegant vibe and makes one feel they’re sitting in their own lounge with brick walls, vibrant paintings, colourful wooden vintage furniture, books, plants, an open kitchen, skylight brightening the space in the day, and a glass-covered ‘terrace’. At the entrance also hangs a framed collage of photos of some of Pakistan’s most iconic names such as Asma Jahangir, first woman pilot late Mariam Mukhtiar, Manto, Sabeen Mahmud, Noor Jehan, Faiz, the Jinnah siblings and SIUT’s Dr Adeeb Rizvi to name a few.

The menu mostly comprises crowd favourites and is not much novel – aiming to offer something for everyone and pull maximum customers. I started off with the Choux Pastry with Chicken Balls wherein spicy, crunchy, meaty chicken and mushroom balls topped with a mix of sour cream and pickles were sandwiched between light, fresh, flaky choux buns.

I also tried the Mac and Cheese Balls that could have done with a bit more cheese, and weren’t crispy also.

Next, I was tempted to try one of their two signature steaks that are served as a three-course meal with a fresh Caesar salad and dessert. I opted for the Tenderloin Steak with Relais de L’entrecote style sauce. This dish is a take on a similar steak served at a high-end Genevan steakhouse the dish is named after, and the sauce apparently took Dr Aliya months to come close to the original.

The theatrics of this dish are worth the experience: thin juicy slices of tenderloin beef are laid out on a steel dish topped with a tangy, salty mouth-watering herb butter sauce, accompanied by steak fries and bread. Candles posing as a little stove underneath the steel tray help warm the steak as and when one eats each slice. The three-course meal costs a decent Rs2,600 (excluding tax).

The Chicken and Mushroom Cannelloni was up next. The cannelloni made in-house was generously filled with a mix of chicken chunks and mushroom along with marinara sauce with mushrooms. The pasta was cooked well but the chunks made it slightly tricky to bite into; maybe the chicken could have been diced smaller or even shredded to make it convenient to slice and eat. The sauce was rich with a subtle tanginess to it.

To satisfy my sweet tooth, I had the dessert served with the steak: Gateau de Relais served with chocolate ganache, Chantilly cream and roasted almond flakes. This slice of flourless chocolate cake was dense, yet light and fluffy inside with a crumble outside, and somewhat bittersweet with balanced sugar content. The ganache and cream on the side made it a decadent dessert to end a hearty meal with. What’s interesting is that along with the steak this is the same delicacy served at the Swiss restaurant mentioned above.

Bibi’s Pink, overall, offers a warm ambiance with some delectable food that seems to have been paid good attention to. The damage to the pocket is as much as at any continental restaurant in a posh area, with the minimum price being Rs700.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2020