Where do you usually go when you have cravings for French cuisine? I don’t know many places in Karachi where I can find authentic French Food. I would appreciate if you can share some of the finest places in Karachi for satisfying my craving for authentic French Cuisine. Anyway, I came to know about the French Food Festival which started in Avari Towers Karachi on 14th July, 2016 (a beauteous effort to celebrate the French National Day). I visited the Asia Live with my friends, just to satisfy my taste buds for the French cuisine. The usual impression of French Cuisine, in Pakistan, is that it seems expensive, but in reality that’s not the case.
Appetizers and salads cost between 600 PKR to 1200 PKR. (1 USD = 100 PKR approx.)
Soups ranged from 750 – 1200/- PKR
Main course can be ordered between 1500 – 2200/- PKR per dish.
And prices for desserts fall between 450 – 600/- PKR.
My friends and I tried everything, from appetizers to desserts, while enjoying a good discussion over current scenario of blogging and its association with digital marketing in Pakistan.
We ordered Nicoise (pronounced: Nes-swaz) Salad, Liver Pate with Raspberry Coulis and Melba toast as starters and Vichyssoise (pronounced: Vee-Shee-Swazz) Soup. The salad is usually full of tuna, tomato chunks, Nicoise olives and boiled eggs which are served on a bed of fresh lettuce. Liver Pate is a thick and uniform paste of chicken’s liver which is eaten by spreading over a piece of baked bread along with Raspberry jam or dip. It is served cold and according to a few surveys, it is the most favorite sandwich topping in Denmark. I tried Vichyssoise soup for the first time; it’s a great combination of mashed potatoes, chicken stock, onions and cream etc. The soup is served cold and it has a perfect blend of balanced flavor of all the ingredients.
Under the main course, we ordered Beef Sirloin with Mustard Sauce, Lamb Rack a la Provençale and Roasted Duck Breast with Honey. Trying beef, lamb and duck all under one roof and with distinctive French flavors was something new to add to my fine dine experience.
Beef Sirloin with Mustard sauce tasted delicious and every bite was full of authentic beef just done to perfection. The mustard sauce with which the beef sirloin was served was “finger lickin’ good”. Lamb Rack was totally scrumptious. The sauce with which it was served gave the slightest piquant essence. Again there was a decent balance of flavors which was one strong factor as it did not override any taste.
If you haven’t tried duck yet, then you should try it at your soonest. The roasted duck breast was the highlight of the dinner. It was served with caramelized honey topping and rice. Duck was roasted to perfection as it gave a prominent flavor to the taste buds. If I have to describe in a few words, I just loved it!
The chocolate fondant (also known as molten lava cake) was served with gooey chocolate syrup inside the cake and vanilla ice-cream. The dessert was not intense by any means; it was a perfect combination of both flavors. You can actually enjoy the taste of vanilla, chocolate and their combination.
French Food dominates the French culture. French food is a combination of great culinary skills, finest ingredients and superiority in cooking. If you are looking for an authentic and genuine French Food Cuisine, in Karachi, then you must give Avari Tower’s French Food Festival a try. It’s not hugely expensive. Enjoy a fine dining experience with the one you love and care about.
Anyone with strong Pakistani taste buds dominant by fiery spices will probably find French Cuisine a little bland for their taste. But if you appreciate intercontinental food and enjoy experimenting and experiencing different cuisines then do visit French Food Festival.
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