I have to admit that when the lockdown restrictions on outdoor dining were recently lifted, I was a bit jittery about going to a restaurant after well over a year. There was apprehension, there was hesitation, there was uneasiness. Questions raced through my mind: will the ‘dine-out’ experience feel the same as pre-pandemic times? Am I ready to go to public places? Will there be a lingering anxiety while I endeavour to savour the food?

While still looking for answers, I stumbled upon images on social media of enthusiastic Lahoris, dressed to a tee, flocking to restaurants -- most so packed that they had to turn away guests. Mustering strength and will, I decided to head over to one too, and chose a restaurant that had opened up last year in June right at the peak of the pandemic, delivering burgers and sandwiches to begin with.

The tall, imposing grey building of Koya is located in Phase 6, Defence with a department store chain and other smaller grocery stores in its neighbourhood. While officially only outdoor dining is allowed, you’re also offered a table in the basement if there aren’t many customers, or if you request yourself. If you’re lucky and the mercury level is on your side, the outdoors could be a pleasant, breezy experience.

Choosing to settle down right outside the large window a step above the pavement, I sought the menu that I realised was fairly compact comprising a mix of classic favourites as well as some modern, innovative items. Beef was entirely absent, and some of the seafood and desserts mentioned on the menu were not available, which was a bit of a letdown and forced me to veer towards chicken that I wanted to avoid.

I started off with Bang Bang Chicken that was tender, boneless chunks, slightly crispy on the edges, glazed with a glossy in-house sauce, sprinkled with sesame seeds and topped with a slice of red cilli, all lying on a bed of iceberg lettuce. The sauce, as mentioned on the menu, was supposed to be tangy but lacked that punch and made it an underwhelming start to the meal.

First up from the main course was a colourful serving of Slow-Cooked Lamb: the black plate offsetting the brown meat, charred veggies in assorted hues, red cherry tomato, green spinach and a light yellow mound of garlic mash. The star of the dish, the lightly seasoned chunk of lamb, appeared to be cooked slow enough for its strands to fall apart as soon as a fork was inserted into it, and melted in the mouth. The spinach was creamy and salty and the layer of buttery broth the food was submerged in tied everything together to make it a hearty plate. Recommended for sure!

Next was the Confit Chicken that was meant to be slow-cooked for 24 hours. Moments after placing the order I realised both main course dishes were similar in their cooking techniques. But a lack of options pushes one to make such choices. Lying in the middle of a creamy onion sauce was the succulent chicken concealing the soft potato gratin underneath, accompanied by assorted grilled vegetables. The soft, juicy meat fell apart easily and was seared on the outside with crushed parmesan sprinkled on the top adding some extra flavour to it. The sauce, the gratin and the veggies all made it comforting.

I have to confess I had my eyes on the Tortellini also, but after much thought saved it for another visit.

For dessert, I had the luscious Millionaire Torte. The shell of crushed brownie was filled with a shiny, silken caramel paste, sprinkled with grated chocolate and a chocolate sauce. A delectable culmination!

Koya holds a lot of promise with its competitive pricing and quality. Just that the addition of a handful of beef dishes could make their menu all-encompassing and ensuring what’s on the menu is available.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2021