Nobody except a Karachi wala will understand when I say that nothing compares to the sheer sense of bliss that comes after taking the very first sip from a tall glass of the ‘special falooda’ that is oh-so-symbolic of life in Karachi.

True, Lahore has its ‘kulfi falooda’, ie kulfi served with noodles in a bowl, and the trend has caught on in Karachi as well. But nothing comes close to the Karachi falooda that I have been having since I was a kid. With a base of sweet noodles topped with two flavours of ice cream, milk, red and green syrup, chopped dry fruits and assorted canned fruits, it is the perfect antidote to beat the heat.

I recently embarked on an adventure, with the photographer in tow, to seek out the best falooda place in Karachi and, boy, was I disappointed by the options before me!

The Dhoraji food street, just off Stadium Road, was a big letdown in terms of food quality, as was the Hussainabad food street, followed closely by Kaybees in Mohammad Ali Housing Society (I was today year’s old when I discovered Kaybees doesn’t even serve falooda! Yeah, go figure).

Karachi’s ‘special falooda’ is the best heat-buster in these scorching summer months. Here’s where to find the best falooda in town

Quite disillusioned, I then weaved my way towards Tooso in Bahadurabad and, on a tip-off, even paid Raju Ice Cream in the vicinity a visit. Havmore came next and, while these places restored my faith somewhat, they still didn’t quite touch a nerve in terms of the real old-fashioned falooda I would have as a kid.

Ultimately, I found myself at Baloch Ices at Bohri Bazaar in Saddar, but my journey still did not end there. Tired and quite beaten, I crawled my way to the Peshawari Ice Cream outlet near the Empress Market. There, I was greeted by a friendly waiter, who took my order for their ‘special falooda’ and somewhat restored my faith in humanity, and my spirits.

All this while, I had been praying for my journey to end here, as I had almost exhausted all my options. One look at the glass of falooda at Peshawari Ice Cream and I knew I had reached my destination!

My waiter came bearing the same tall glass of falooda I had been seeking all along — and not the rather disappointing and dwarfed plastic or parcel options — which was filled to the brim with the sweet milky, gooey goodness and the telltale toppings.

The first sip confirmed that I was indeed finally home in true falooda heaven. Each slurp from the straw and every bite from the spoon brought me ever so closer to nirvana, until I found myself scraping the bottom of the glass receptacle, for what was the last mouthful of chilled falooda noodles.

Fully satisfied and my childhood relived through the wonderful experience, I headed back home, but not before a heavy tip to the bewildered waiter for having restored my faith on multiple counts that blissful evening.

The writer is a member of staff.
X: faisal_quraishi

Published in Dawn, EOS, May 26th, 2024