They Had Me at Culinary

I woke up to Munni begum’s usual greeting in Hotel Avari’s bathroom. My high-school mates picked me up and promised an all day culinary and sightseeing adventure around the historic city.

They had me at culinary.

What is absolutely necessary before embarking on a journey of epic proportions?

A breakfast of champions, of course!

Many breakfast options in Lahore can lay claim to that title, but probably none more so than a plate full of hot “Hareesa” and Kulcha combo. Here’s the key point to remember. Hareesa is like “Haleem” but with the ratio of ‘meat to lentils’ reversed. For those who have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about: Haleem is 70% lentil and 30% meat. Hareesa is 70% meat and 30% lentil. Yeah, my mind exploded as well.

Apparently, Haaji Sahib’s Amritsari Hareesa on Nisbat Road is the original/flagship location for Hareesa lovers.

Watch-out for many copycats with the same green sign featuring Haaji Sahib

The Hareesa and Kulcha combo from heaven

Hareesa in the making. Check out the pure look of joy on my face.

After finishing my bowl of Hareesa and taking some selfies, it was immediately apparent that we weren’t going to get far without the aid of some seriously kick-ass chai. Luckily, there are tons of chai vendors in the city and we found this dude who probably is renting the smallest chai dhaba in the history of mankind. Could we have gone further in search of a larger, more known entity? Sure. But there’s a thing called destiny. The doodh patti chai I had that day was one of the best cups of tea I’ve ever had in my life (and I’ve had some good cups). The tenderness, the focus, the care, he took to prepare our tea was just as amazing as the final product.

I hope I can find him again. I also hope he does well. He deserves more recognition and a larger cafe. If you’re in Lahore now, drop everything and go to Heera Tea Stall on Nisbat Road. If you’re planning to go to Lahore in the near future, add this tea stall on your to do list. You can thank me later.

A Master at Work

Our next stop was at Shahi Qila (Royal Fort).

Let me first admit defeat. There are no words I can use to describe the beauty, the grandeur of the Fort but let me still try as I have a thing for lost causes. I’ll also let the following pictures do most of the talking.

Alamgiri Gate is one of two (but the only actively open) entrances to the Fort.

These steps were purposefully constructed to aid the entourage of the mughal kings on their respective elephants-Hence the name Haathi Paer (Elephant Feet) Stairs

The Ath Dara (eight doors) was built and used by Maharaja Ranjit Singh as his court

This artwork (inside the Sheesh Mehel) is known as Pietra Dura. It refers to the technique of using custom fitted, highly polished colored stones to create images. Most of these stones were semi precious or precious. As you can see, most (if not all) of these precious stones were stolen or deteriorated over time.

The Breathtaking Mirror Ceiling of the Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors)

Check out this intricate mirror work in-laid to a wall inside the Sheesh Mahal. Shahjahan used the Sheesh Mahal as his private residence. It was later used by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who stored the Koh-i-Noor Diamond here.

The elegant white marble pavilion outside the Sheesh Mahal.

I can’t remember where this beautiful door leads to. I also don’t care. There could be a brick wall behind for all I care. Just look at intricate carvings. Lahore has many such doors.

The outer wall of the Fort is in bad shape. Having said that, what remains of the artwork is still amazing. I just stood there transfixed trying but failing to recreate the sheer magnificence , the glory, the opulence of this fort in its prime. Can Hollywood recreate it in CGI?

It was a short walk to the Minar. Security prevented us from going inside. Can’t remember the reason. A bit underwhelming

From the Minar, we drove (roughly half hour) to Shalimar Gardens. Unlike the Fort, there is a negligible entry fee.

The marriage of symmetry with geometry is just mesmerizing

I may have a door fetish

Shalimar Gardens has three levels worth of terraces and over 400 water fountains (those brown thingies jutting from the water)

Modern day engineers are still perplexed by the engineering feat of their contemporaries from the Mughal era

After a relaxing walk in the Garden, it was mid-afternoon and the Hareesa was filly digested. My friends has a special treat in mind.

Here’s the backdrop.

Before embarking on the trip, I had identified Mian Jee’s restaurant in Lala Musa as a must stop between Islamabad and Lahore. Mian Jee’s Chana Daal fry with butter and parathay are legendary. From pickup trucks to luxury cars in its parking lot at any given time, it boasts a varied and loyal clientele. Tragically, I didn’t get a chance to visit Lala Musa since its off Grand Trunk (GT) road, and we took the highway to Lahore.

To my pleasant surprise, Mian Jee has opened an authentic branch just outside Lahore. That was our destination for lunch. Needless to say, it didn’t disappoint.

It’s 10 times richer and yummier than it looks

Yeah, I had to lie down for a while after that. The Charpai is a genius addition. There is definitely a method to Mian Jee’s madness

After lunch, we drove to my friends house to relax and digest the food with a cup of hot authentic Qahwa. My friends dad also happened to be my old Chemistry professor. So it was a reunion as well. And a fond one at that.

Afterwards, we drove to a commercial market area, where I tried to shop for my significant other (tax for the solo trip) but quickly got overwhelmed. Not my cup of tea. With that mandatory shopping out of the way, it was time to make way for arguably, one of the best street side food vendors in Lahore. Yes, none other than Butt Karhai at Lakshmi Chowk.

Desi Kukkar aka Country Chicken. She laid down her life for a good cause

It kinda goes like this: You hand pick your (live) chicken. Then you wait 40 minutes while its is slaughtered, plucked, and cooked. I had heard many great things about this restaurant and just like Mian Jee’s, it also didn’t disappoint. While we waited, we had a street masseuse work on our tired limbs. By the time he was done with all three of us, we had worked up quite the appetite.

Hands Down: One of the best Karhai’s I’ve had. I had the waiter bring me Nestle’s Zeera Yogurt vs using the Butt provided version. After all, one has to take precautions. Never mind the fact that the Karhai was made in Desi Ghee/Butter

After dinner and hardly able to move, I asked my friends if they could cater to one more item on my culinary wish list. I could see appreciation in their eyes. They were born and bred Lahori’s and I (the foreigner) had kept up with them if not matched them in my insatiable appetite. Not a single item we ate since morning was home made. It was all street/restaurant food, rich in fat. So what else remained that I could possibly stomach (no pun intended)?

Dessert of course!

I should’ve taken a picture of the flavor I ordered but alas I was too tired and bloated by this time

Before there were any brands, there was Chaman Ice Cream. We parked our car and gave our orders to the street waiter. However, I also got out to take some pictures. Even with the onslaught of more hygienic and affordable options, the rush at Chaman was jaw-dropping. I can’t remember the flavor I ordered. I only remember it was good. I also remember that I couldn’t finish it and gave it to a poor street kid instead of handing him money. I also remember the look of delight on his face.

Talk about happy endings.