My Kingdom for a decent cup of coffee
Normally, when you (grudgingly,
and with the right level of embarrassment) admit that you like your coffee
black, with no sugar, in a nation of tea drinkers (preferably with enough milk
to turn the complexion of the drink into a shade that would be acceptable to rishta aunties when screening
prospecting spouses, and just as sweet), you are met with a response that would
not feel out of place in that scene from a 70’s Nadeem / Shabnam blockbuster
where the “side heroine” learns that her spouse has tragically died in a car
accident, and proceeds to smash her bangles at the nearest doorway. This
disbelief / anguish is rapidly followed up with revulsion: it’s so bitter! How
can you countenance pouring this poison down your throat? Plus, don’t you know
coffee is bad for you?
As a result, it takes a special
kind of resilience (read: dhitai) to
be an avowed coffee drinker in these parts. It also takes skin of elephantine
thickness to be able to smile through a conversation where others are
proselytizing about the flavor profiles of various types of instant coffee,
without needing months of therapy afterwards. When the preferred drink of the
coffee affectionado in your office is a Latte, you know you are in the
minority.
The upshot of this is, it isn’t
easy to get a decent cup of coffee in this town, and even more so when you know
what you are talking about. Thankfully, the last decade or so has seen
television and movies play a role in making drinking coffee to be a desirable,
Western choice (I shudder to think where we would be if “Friends” hadn’t been
the phenomenon it was), and the number of places where one can get a cup of joe
have reached a point where your choices aren’t limited to one or two mediocre
offerings.
To acknowledge this journey,
here’s a run-down of some of the places in Karachi where a decent cup of coffee
may be obtained, and others to avoid:
Espresso: Going backwards by standing still
Espresso was the first “true”
coffee shop in the city, and while others have fallen by the wayside, this
brand continues to grow. But, while they diversify their dining offerings, the
quality of the coffee leaves much to be desired. Anyone with even a bit of a
palate will tell you that the coffee there tastes and smells ‘burnt’; the
reason for this is that they use the cheapest beans available (a mix of the
lower quality Robusta and the better tasting Arabica beans), and that comes
through strongly in their flavor. If you want a nice cup of coffee, avoid this
one.
Mocca: Pretty but inconsistent
Mocca, new to Karachi, has a nice
vibe and good staff. They are also one of the few places which offer you the
option of a French Press (the grounds steep for longer, bringing out more
flavor). Unfortunately, the quality of their coffee is hit and miss. On a good
day, fantastic. On a bad day, almost undrinkable. The French Press is normally
good, though.
Pappa Roti: Speaking of undrinkable…
I’ve only ordered coffee from
here once, and that was enough. The chai and caramel bun place is rightly not
known for its tea; the coffee was basically warm water with a vague flavor in
the background, which could have been a distant memory of a coffee bean.
Dunkin Donuts: Buyer Beware
Generally speaking, Dunkin
outlets have a decent, fairly drinkable drip coffee (it’s a percolated coffee
so don’t expect gourmet awesomeness). However, be warned: some of the outlets
have those horrible Allegria machines that use instant coffee (and that too the
lowest quality possible) to simulate a proper coffee experience. Ask before
ordering, the staff is always truthful.
Lal’s: Not just for chocolate
Lal’s is one of those places
which has really expanded its repertoire nicely. All of its outlets serve a
decent cup of coffee; it’s a darker roast, so not the best for subtlety of
flavor, but certainly drinkable and consistently well made.
Butlers: Sweet Departures
Other countries have Starbucks
and Costa in their departure lounges; we have Butlers. The Irish (I think)
franchise may get brickbats on social media for food hygiene issues, but their
outlets at Karachi airport are a life saver for early morning commuter flights.
Another dark roast, and another chain where the consistency is maintained.
FLOC: New kid on the block
Probably the most promising one
in the lot. A wide variety of coffees, beans that have been especially selected
for flavor, and the only one (that I know of) with a selection of cold brew
coffees. For a coffee affectionado, this place has to rank highly, as it most
closely evokes the spirit of micro roasteries in the West.
Gloria Jeans: Verging on the inglorious
Aussie chain Gloria Jeans opened
with a bang, and was one of the first places with an outlet outside of the
Clifton / Defence ‘bubble’. Their coffee is less than great, though, and the
less said about the food, the better.
Top restaurants = top coffee
Go to any of the high end
restaurants in the city, And you are more or less guaranteed a decent cup of
coffee. I include in this category the higher end cafés, such as Mews and
Xanders, where people go for breakfast, or a meal, rather than for a cup of
coffee. Special mention in this space goes to Flo, Okra and Loco, where the
coffee really stands out. The brew is, understandably, a dark post-dinner coffee
flavor, and really works extremely well after a nice meal. One aberration is
the Siphon Coffee at Aylanto. While their espresso-based drinks are good, this
was really weak and under-developed; which is basically the converse of the
outcome that should happen.
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