New Cafe Subhani is one of the oldest eating spots in the metropolis.-Photo by Arsalan

Situated in Saddar, Karachi, New Cafe Subhani is one of the oldest eating spots in the metropolis. On entering the restaurant, one is transported back in time, to an era when coffee houses were the in thing; a time when there were no mobile phones, Internet, Facebook, etc. and people had actual conversations instead of interfacing.

Though New Café Subhani is most famous for its mouth-watering chelo kebab, it offers a wide range of dishes at very reasonable rates; anyone with around Rs250 in their pocket can have a meal that is well-cooked, filling and delicious.

For seafood lovers there is the aromatic fish biryani and pulao, fish masala and fish Irani Rice. Most of these dishes are available with prawns as well, and though the price is a little higher, the taste is well worth it; the prawn handi is a particularly good choice as the portion is generous enough for two to three people and the prawns are cooked just to the right texture.

Unlike the heavily spiced versions available at other restaurants, Subhani's food offers a more delicate seasoning that can be traced directly to their Persian roots. The focus is on bringing out the true flavour of the rice and meat rather than disguising it under a layer of spices. This is especially true for the house speciality; fish or prawn with Irani Rice

If you prefer mutton try the mutton korma or mutton palak; the meat is deliciously tender and succulent and the price is unbeatable. The brain masala, unfortunately, is nothing special but again, the mutton Irani rice is the star attraction.

Vegetarians can choose from an array of tempting fare including egg curry, the extremely popular dal fry, dal gutala, egg gutala. In addition the salad, with an abundance of chunky onions and other fresh veggies, is a meal in itself. All the most popular chicken dishes including karahi, handi, biryani are available as well as the slightly exotic chicken Afghan pulao and chicken palak.

But it is the 'Iranian Foods' section (formerly titled 'dishes for foreigners') of the menu that spells out what Café Subhani is all about — the chelo kebab. A simple dish of rice (chelo) and broiled meat, chelo kebab is one of the staples of Iranian cuisine and Café Subhani offers a number of variations of this classic including chelo chicken boti, chelo Afghan boti, chelo kebab makhsoos, chelo kebab sultani, etc., etc.

But no matter what the components, the actual dish remains the same. A large platter heaped with piping hot, fragrant basmati rice, topped with a pat of butter and a fat grilled tomato. Your meat of choice, be it Afghan boti, chicken tikka, seekh kebabs or even prawn or fish, is piled on top and there you go. Vegetarians need not feel left out as chelo mixed vegetables and chelo dal fry are also on the menu. If you have room for dessert there is the fruit custard but that is certainly not worth saving one's appetite for.

Moving with the times the café also offers a take-away lunch box which includes a chicken tikka, a ten-inch seekh kabab along with rice, nan, raita and French fries, all at a very affordable price.

The ambience may not be as posh as some are used to but a sense of history permeates the atmosphere and adds an element of nostalgia to the experience. For a taste of the past and glimpse of Karachi as it was, a visit to New Café Subhani is a must.