Considering the rapidity with which restaurants serving continental cuisine have been opening up in recent times, I had quite begun to fear that subcontinental cuisine was no longer in vogue. But, mercifully, a restaurant has finally opened up, off Zamzama, which not only serves Indian cuisine, but does so with panache. Called Mughal-e-Azam, this place is reminiscent of the grandeur of the Mughals in more ways than one.

 The entrance and staircase are regal enough, but don't quite prepare you for the plush setting you witness as you enter the basement of the building. Carved awnings, a large aquarium, brass deco, and comfortable sofas with carved casings greet you. For those who prefer a table and chairs seating, that choice is available, too. Since there is a buffet option for diners who want to avail it at lunch on weekdays or at dinner over the weekends, a buffet counter with huge brass pots occupies one corner of the room.

 Complimentary nimco and a choice of synthetic fruit juices set the tone of the meal. An impressive hard-bound menu boasting a tantalising variety of dishes leaves the diner confused as to what to order and what to skip. We decided not to ruin our appetite with soups and instead to directly order a few entrees so that we could get an idea of the quality of fare available. The menu warned, “Well prepared food needs appreciated time” (I gather they meant 'appreciable'!) and so we resigned ourselves to a wait, which was indeed long -- a little over half an hour, in fact.

 But once the food arrived, it was worth every minute we had spent suffering our hunger pangs. The rotis -- from the wide array on offer, we had opted for tandoori varki paratha and rogni naan -- were delightful, particularly the former. A layered paratha baked in a tandoor, it melts in the mouth. To go with the rotis we had ordered gosht handi khaas a delicious platter of boneless mutton, cooked in butter, cream and green spices. Mild in taste but by no means bland, the only grouse we had with the dish was that there was a bit too much butter in it.

 The other entrée we opted for was paneer dosa. Though supposed to be stuffed with cheese and spinach,  we couldn't detect any taste of spinach in it, yet it was highly appetising, and this, in spite of the fact that we had only been given coconut sauce as an accompaniment. The sambar that usually accompanies a dosa, and which was mentioned in the menu as well, was missing, as apparently, it wasn't ready.

 As a side order we opted for murgh kastori kabab, which turned out to be a delicious and delicately flavoured barbecued item made of chicken mince, marinated in cheese and green spices. From the rice selection, we decided to order something typically Indian - bhuni khichree - and didn't regret it. Cooked with lentils and spices, it is light and tasty enough to be had on its own, if one doesn't want to mix any gravy in it.

 After such a filling meal, we had no room for dessert, so passed on it, with the mental note that we would definitely come again, maybe next time to try the buffet so we could try a wider variety. The prices are quite reasonable ranging from Rs150 for the kichree to Rs400 for the gosht haandi khaas.

 It must be mentioned that this is the first restaurant I've come across in Karachi that offers many Gujarati specialties, so those looking for typically ethnic dishes like dokra and muthia should make a bee-line for it.