October 28, 2010

The new chaat in town - Mirchi!

October 28, 2010
Being as addicted to food as we are, yesterday Anes and I went out on yet another eating spree - this time for some typical South Asian cuisine, to a new restaurant called Mirchi!


Mirchi, located opposite KFC (26th Street, details on their Fanpage), is the quaintest, most inviting place ever. Run by an enthusiastic couple, who have their roots in South India, the place reeked of trendy homeliness. Bright colored walls, sturdy wooden tables and good music set on a good volume - a very important factor when it comes down to having a peaceful meal!

As I browsed through their menu, I finally understood what the "more" after "chaat" meant in their tagline! There were a dozen items to choose from - all based on original South Indian recipes! In fact, the owner told us it was his wife who taught the cooks the exact recipes that have been handed down by their parents. That meant a good dose of REAL Bombay Chaat and Masala Dosa for me. 

As if the huge variety of chaat (many of whom I did not even know to exist) was not enough they also have a few things for those who prefer to have western food - such as Club Sandwich, Burgers and French Fries. And that adds up to the whole experience of the place, since there is one in every family who makes a fuss when going to have chaat

Moreover, the owners of the place are almost always around so one can expect amazing service and always someone to talk to if expectations are not met. That makes a lot of difference to me since most restaurants go bad when the owners stop caring about the customers. Thankfully, Mirchi is not one of them and I am happy to say it is now officially my favorite South Indian food place!

Read on for a summary on the food and ambiance AND a surprise for all you loyal fans at the end of the post! 

Favorite items on the menu

Bagara Dahi Puri - The most fantastic adaptation of Meethi Puri, this chaat really gave my taste buds a roller-coaster ride through spice-and-chutney land. It was basically Meethi Puri but with what we call "bhagaar" (fried spices), in Urdu, of Kashmiri spice and a very different sweet n' sour chutney! And they even had diet coke (unlike most places in Karachi) to soothe any red-hot jolts. 

Mutton Nan Chaap - Char-grilled minced mutton that was marinated with an assortment of Indian spices with coriander and mint bhagaar. It was served with slices of lemon that further accentuated the flavor to perfection and two soft, buttery naans. The naans were so soft you could almost use them to make a bouncing castle! I would give this particular dish a  9/10 and I could not stop eating it even though it was Anes who had ordered it.

Masala Dosa - Dosas are traditional South Indian delicacies: Fermented pancakes made from rice and black lentils. They are usually filled with different stuffings - very much like crepes! I chose the "MasalaDosa which was stuffed with a spicy potato mixture. The Dosas were served with the typical Sambhar and Harra Khopra Chutney. Except that the sauces were beyond amazing - especially the Harra Khopra Chutney. It was fresh and of the perfect consistency. A definite 10/10!

Price
Not as cheap as I would have liked it to be but definitely cheaper than Chatkharay and Gazebo - a definite plus point! The Masala Dosa cost Rs. 175, the Bhagara Chaat was for Rs. 90 and the Mutton Chaap for Rs. 225!

Portions
Each of the items were big enough for two people. One can safely say that their servings were generous, which makes the price understandable. 

Ambiance and Service
Excellent. Light music, good air-conditioning and friendly people! Moreover you can even park outside and they will serve you in your car!

Children Friendly 
Very! In fact they have special items on the menu for children such as Nuggets and Sandwiches.

Open:
Monday to Saturday: 12:00 pm to 11 pm
Sunday: 3:00 pm to 11 pm

Overall Experience: 4.25/5

As for the surprise - AVAIL a 15 % discount on your order if you mention my blog at the counter! 

And, a giveaway! Dinner for two at Mirchi. It starts on Saturday so keep checking this space!


The images have been taken with official permission from Mirchi Chaat and are not to be further distributed. The discount offer is only valid up till 30th November 2010.

16 comments:

Akbar

Its high time we had something different.. Chatkharey and Gazebo were just getting monotonous for the taste buds.

Ambreen

yum yum yum... im going down an hour earlier to have dinner after reading the food descriptions!

i might actually go and visit this one :) how long is the discount valid?

Kanwalful

Ambreen, as is mentioned at the bottom of the post in small letters, the offer is valid till 30th November 2010. Enjoy. =)

sana

it luks gud...thnx 4 da discount..

Hassaan AY

My first impressions of this place were equally as disappointing as Chatkharay. Nothing special about the three things I tried - mix chat, dahi bara something and baghara dahi puri. Also, it seemed overpriced like Chatkharay and Gazebo if you're a fan of Bahadurabad, Tariq Road or Saddar chat houses. However, this review makes me want to give it a second try since the first visit was some time back. Maybe a giveaway would do ;-)

Maham

Kanwal, your 'post a comment' option is minuscule!
By the way, I'm the 'one' in my family who doesn't like chaat but the idea of masala dossa sounds delectable... Will probably go there tomorrow and see!

Kanwalful

Maham, sorry about that. Working on it!

Do try it out and don't forget to avail the offer there is for my readers!!! =)

Kanwalful

Hassaan, hopefully your next visit will be better - especially if you try out the things I have advised you to on the blog.

Areej

omgggg...i love that coconut sauce with the dosa...and i'm prettyy big on chaaat too, so i'm definitely gonna try this place out!!
p.s buttery naaans! *droooools*

barniclesssss
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kanwalful

Enjay, they are Muslims and in any case 99 percent of the food in Pakistan is halaal. So no issues there. =)

Sarah Hussain

Kanwal, I love love love this blog! And Mirchi sounds good. And different. Definitely giving it a try soon enough. Hopefully, before the discount expires. :D

Unknown
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous

26th street opp kfc
Shahbaz
Latifshahbaz@hotmail.com

Unknown

B. 26th Street Opposite KFC

Saad Hasan
saadhasan.aiesec@gmail.com

Bushra

Kanwal you were spot on!! went for a bite after reading your entry, the bhagara puri was delectable, just the right tones of tarka in everything...and the green coconut chutni was delighfully yum, going for chat again this weekend :)

 
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