Awais Ali gets off work at 2:00 am following his night shift at a media office located at Shahrah-e-Fatima Jinnah. With his hectic job routine often leaving little time for a dinner break during the shift, Ali is often left scampering for food after work. He is pursuing a degree in journalism, which he is funding himself. Additionally he has to send money back home to support his family in Sahiwal.
“I live in Al-Baig Apartments on Waris Road, which is near my office,” Ali told me as we had dinner at 3:30 am on a cold weeknight at Mashallah Parathay, more famously known as Mozang Parathay. He had offered me a seat after I couldn’t find an empty table at one of the most famous food spots in the area.
“Considering that I study during the day and work at night, supporting my studies and my family, I am often short on money and time,” he says. Ali says he is fortunate that his area offers some of the best and most affordable food joints in Lahore, allowing him to ‘survive comfortably’.
Butt Karahi
Mohammad Arshad, a differently-abled man, has been making parathas at Mozang Parathay for the past 19 years. Despite the outlet offering flavours as diverse as Aalu, Mooli, Gobi, Daal, Daal-Anda and Aalu Anda, Arshad still claims that his favourite remains the good old plain paratha. “Nothing beats plain paratha with chai,” he says. “That’s what I usually have when my shift here is over.”
Arshad, like many in Lahore, is also a fan of Chaman ice-cream on Mall Road at the other end of Shahrah-e-Fatima Jinnah. “I often walk to Chaman late at night to have my favourite Kaju ice-cream. It’s always open. I have never seen Chaman closed.”
Chaman Ice-cream itself is surrounded by food stalls serving Shami burgers, gol gappay and chicken corn soup. One can find families and couples at Chaman at 1 am on weeknights.
Aslam Dar-ul-Mahi
"Nothing beats plain paratha with chai"
Mrs Humayun, a housewife and resident of Shadman Colony, is a fan of what she calls the ‘Waris-Chaman combo’. “My husband I often go and have Waris nihari in Anarkali first and then come here (Chaman Ice-cream parlour),” she says. “We’ve been married for two years now and we must have done this combo at least 25 times. It’s a pity, though, that Waris isn’t open after 1:30 am. It’s the best nihari in Lahore.”
Her husband, a salesman, disagrees. “Nothing beats Haji nihari near Bhati Gate,” Humayun says. “But the missus is a fan of Waris, so we have to stick to Waris,” he adds.
Lahore's legendary tawa fish
Ms Tehseen Ahmed, a middle-aged school teacher living in Johar Town, is also a fan of Haji nihari. A meat-lover to the core, Ahmed drives all the way to Old Lahore for her favourite nihari along with her family almost every weekend. A thorough connoisseur, Ahmed has other recommendations as well.
“You can’t do without Amritsari hareesa and Butt karahi at Lakshmi Chowk,” she says. Ahmed also recommends Krados’ barbeque in Faisal Town’s Civic Centre, also known as Moon Market (not to be confused with the one at Iqbal Town). “But if there’s one thing I recommend to everyone, it is Sholay’s Tawa piece at the Model Town C Block Market.”
Goga Naqeebiya Channay
18-year-old Mohammad Salman, who has been working at Sholay for the past two years, doesn’t even think the Tawa piece is their best offering. “I think our Brain Masala and Malai Boti are better. They’re definitely our most popular items,” he says. Salman has been funding his younger brother’s studies while working as a server. “He wants to be an engineer and get admission at UET, Lahore. But I’ve told him you need a good score in Matric to even dream of that,” Salman says. “Hopefully one day he’ll fulfill his dreams and then he can bring me to dinner here. We’ll probably have the Brain Masala.”
Muhammad Saleem, Sholay’s manager, is a big fan of Ali Shaan Sajji at the Kareem Market roundabout in Iqbal Town. “It’s the only place I would pick to eat other than Sholay. Except for, maybe, Meat-Ex at Shadman market. They make the best grilled fish I’ve had in Lahore.”
Feeka Lassi
"Nothing beats Haji nihari near Bhati Gate. But the missus is a fan of Waris, so we stick to Waris"
Waqas is the owner of Basheer Dar-ul-Mahi, along with Haji Sardar Machhli, the biggest fish empire in Lahore. He is the grandson of Basheer who founded Basheer Dar-ul-Mahi, and took it to its halcyon days located at Mozang , on the road to Chauburji. Basheer Dar-ul-Mahi’s main branch moved to Gaddafi Stadium a few years ago, with the Mozang branch now called Aslam Dar-ul-Mahi.
“Aslam is Basheer’s son,” Hassan Anwar, a civil engineer and resident of GOR II near Mozang told me. “They’ve split because of a family dispute over the business, with Waqas taking over Basheer Dar-ul-Mahi and Aslam renaming the famous Mozang branch,” he adds.
Chaman ice-cream
"Phajja is too mainstream. Everyone knows about Phajja. Nasir is the more hipster choice"
Anwar says while Basheer Dar-ul-Mahi remains a household name, it’s Aslam Dar-ul-Mahi that has the better fish. “I was initially disappointed when Basheer Dar-ul-Mahi moved to Gaddafi - in fact now it has branches all over Lahore. But it’s actually Aslam Dar-ul-Mahi’s fish that tastes like the Basheer fish of old.”
Haseeb Ahmed, Anwar’s batch-mate from UET Lahore, who is now settled in Qatar, believes that Siddique’s Machhli in Garhi Shahu is the best of the lot. “It’s the first thing I have whenever I come to Pakistan. I spent four years eating Siddique’s fish while studying at UET. It still tastes exactly like it used to 10 years ago.”
Muzang paratha
Sholay Tawa piece
Haji Nihari
When asked what’s the second thing that he eats when he’s back in Pakistan, Ahmed instinctively says, “Karachi Naseeb Biryani at Main Market. It’s the most authentic Sindhi biryani in Lahore.” He added that he often complements it with Main Market’s famous Dahi Bhalla stalls next to the Habib Bank Limited branch.
However, Anwar believes Nafees Dahi Bhallay in Model Town and Jamal Dahi Bhallay in Faisal Town are the top two in Lahore. “Nafees and Goga Naqeebia Murgh Channay are the best things in Model Town,” he says.
Khursheed Khan, a civil servant, is a fan of heavy Lahori breakfasts and often begins his day at Goga’s Garden Town branch. “But Ghulam Rasool’s chanay still top Goga,” he maintains. “Especially the Mutton Channa. Once you go beyond plain chanay, Ghulam Rasool has clear edge over Goga.”
Grato Jalebi
Nasir kay paye
Ghulam Rasool murgh channay
Khan makes another controversial call that might irk purists as well: Nasir over Phajja.
“Phajja is too mainstream,” Khan says. “I mean everyone knows about Phajja. Nasir is the more hipster choice,” he believes. Even so, Khan maintains that Nasir on its best day beats Phajja for its taste as well. “I pray every day that Nasir doesn’t go mainstream! I’ll have to go back to Taya Lodhi’s Paaye in Anarkali. But even that hasn’t been the same since Taya passed away.”
Khursheed Khan’s eldest son Mansoor, an O-levels student, likes having his food on the go. “I’m usually rushing to football practice or debating camp in school or just hanging out with friends. So I really prefer taking away food, especially shawarmas and paratha rolls,” he says.
So what are Mansoor’s top three shawarma places in Lahore? “Lebanese Corner opposite Liberty (no one else serves camel shawarma), Rizwan Shawarma in Model Town C Block and Cock and Bull. Although, the latter might soon fall down from the podium,” he says. “I think Hot and Spicy and Karachi Roll Parathay at Liberty have the best paratha rolls. They’re easy on the pocket as well.”
Another popular choice is Top Line Burger in Mini Market. Faizan Haider, a Dubai-based businessman, highly recommended their Anda Shami burger while waiting with his friend for his turn to get a table at Lahore Chatkhara, which is next to Top Line. “I also love their ghee fries,” Haider says.
Having lived in Dubai for the past five years, Haider has developed a taste for South Indian food. “Lahore Chatkhara is the closest thing we have. And with almost every other restaurant and food outlet hiking their prices, Lahore Chatkhara is one place that has remained budget-friendly throughout the past decade.”
Haider’s friend Faiza Usman, a content writer at a PR firm, is also a fan of Lahore Chatkhara. “I studied at Home Economics College. I was living in the hostel there and used to come here with my roommates quite often,” she says. Faiza also agrees that Lahore Chatkhara’s reasonably priced menu has maintained its popularity among students all these years.
“However, if I had to pick my favourite food in Lahore, it would have to be Koozi Haleem,” Faiza says. “I’ve been having it since my college days. One plate used to cost Rs 16 in 2005. Now it’s Rs 70. I don’t think there’s anything that provides more value for money than Kozi Haleem in all of Lahore.”
Haider was surprised it’s pronounced ‘Koozi’. “I always thought it was ‘cozy’ - it goes perfectly well with how they blend the spices and meat in the haleem!”
