These days, people tend to associate the word ‘Chinese’ with a whole lot of different things, meanings and experiences. For me, though, it evokes fond memories of quality time spent at our favourite landmark family restaurant, Yuan Tung, located just off Tariq Road in Karachi.

The Chinese restaurant has been catering to its loyal clientele for well over 50 years now and, as soon as you enter its doors, it feels like you have been teleported to a time when things were much simpler than they are now and restaurants were all about family time and good, wholesome comfort food.

Still operated by the same Chinese management that Yuan Tung started with, albeit a new generation no doubt, the menu and the red-theme restaurant décor — with its Chinese paper lanterns and kitchen — still retain the same aura and flavour.

Head to Yuan Tung in Karachi if you are in the mood for some old-school comfort Chinese cuisine

Sadly, over the years, the vast majority of such authentic Chinese restaurants have shut shop after their owners either migrated abroad in search of greener pastures, or owing to safety concerns, or simply due to the fact that, after the original owners passed away, there wasn’t anybody around from the next generation to run the business.

Popular places such as the ABC Restaurant on Elphinstone Street, Four Seasons at the Metropole Hotel, Red Dragon opposite Quaid-i-Azam’s mausoleum and many others come to mind here.

However, on a much more cheerful note, there are others that are still around and doing a roaring business, such as Yuan Tung, with its delectable array of the choicest soups, an assortment of fried rice and chow mein to choose from, dry stir-fry dishes and aromatic, tangy, gravies. Whatever you choose, it is bound to take you down memory lane — Pakistani Chinese food as it used to be.

The fact is that, at any visit to Yuan Tung, you’re spoilt for choice while ordering from its vast menu, albeit in a fine print you might need reading glasses for.

The writer is a member of staff. X: @faisal_quraishi

Published in Dawn, EOS, July 21st, 2024