First Impressions
I walked into The Deli expecting to see, well, a deli. And by deli I mean a full fledged New York style eatery with giant pieces of meat hanging in open meat lockers and meat slicers preparing cold cuts to take out. Perhaps I'm a little too optimistic.
What I walked into, instead, was a cozy little Mediterranean style cafe. The dull light colors and the sunlight from the large windows gave The Deli a very relaxed effect. We picked out a table for two in the corner. I realized how these are much harder to come by in most Lahore where restaurants are much more expansive and the table-for-two's are usually placed next to random pillars (very annoying).
On the whole, I was quite happy with the decor and the seating of the place (after I'd gotten over the fact that The Deli was, in fact, not a deli.
The Food
We ordered the Spicy Prawns on Bamboo Stick, the supremely popular Roast Beef with Wasabi-Ginger Mayonnaise in Panini and the Chateaubriand with Mushroom Sauce. One out of the three was really good and it wasn't the panini.
The prawns glazed with a spicy/tangy sauce that tasted really good and frankly, they were really fun to eat off a stick. I was told later that I should have tried the Mezze Platter, so if you guys go soon, do check it out.
The panini was okay. There was nothing spectacular about it. It had barely a few slice of roast beef, I could barely taste the wasabi-ginger mayonnaise and the panini was soft and almost mushy. It tasted like something you could have made at home.
The steak and the mushroom sauce that accompanied it were decent. That's about it.
Conclusion
My favorite part about The Deli was it's relaxing ambiance. It's the kind of place where you can spend a whole Saturday afternoon drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes. Additionally, the waiters are friendly and very efficient which makes the whole experience more enjoyable.
The food is not impressive at all. The Deli should try and focus more on their sandwiches, especially if they want to make deli-style sandwiches. I don't understand how their sandwich has gotten so much hype.
Perhaps I was served an uncharacteristically bad sandwich or maybe the chef was having an off day so I do plan to visit again and try some of their other sandwiches that sound amazing, but for now I give the food a low rating.
Food : 5/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Service : 7/10
Pricing : 650 per head
Phone Number : 021 - 35838954
the deli's shrunken its menu considerably. i havent been there in over a year but when i checked the menu on friday i was shocked at eh jacked up prices and the slashed menu. their pasta and mediterranean sanndwich were an ever favourite and of course their desserts: cappuccino brownie etc. they used to be awesome and divine. now they;'re just an upscale restaurant. we used to go have their mezze which is now measly helpings for the price one pays, their sandwiches, each person to their own and desserts and paid 500 bux each. now im revolted.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to have strange friends. Of all the wonderful eateries in Karachi, they took you to Deli.
ReplyDeleteBut you've got the review spot-on. I arrived at pretty much the same verdict myself which you can check out at http://www.restaurants-uncut.com/2009/12/deli-restaurant/
No comprehensive website on restaurant reviews? You obviously haven't stumbled across mine (Restaurants Uncut). I'm following the same strategy as you are. Dig out hidden gems, even if they're just a dhaba. The only glitch: the site is confined to karachi's foodscape.
I checked a couple of your reviews and they're pretty impressive. What they're lacking is snapshots of the food you're reviewing. It doesn't have to be a perfect shot taken from a top-notch SLR camera. Even a muggy shot from a cellphone cam would do, but they're a must to give your audience an idea of what the dish actually looks like and the portion size.
And next time you're in Karachi, seek my advice.