KARACHI-In a city bursting with great places to eat, the three-day Karachi ‘Eat’ food festival culminated with thunderous applause by the food enthusiasts. The festival attracted foodies to sample the city’s culinary delights. Attendees witnessed chefs working their magic through cooking demonstrations and enjoyed live music.
The last day of the festival featured live performances by Akhter Chanal, Tariq Ali and Asim Azhar along with various other fun-filled activities for the entire family. The festival was strictly for families and the organisers ensured this rule was enforced.
The festival celebrated home based chefs who make up a significant part of Karachi Eat, bringing a range of their multi-generational secret family recipes, soul food and unique flavours.
Consisting of 125 Kiosks representing more than seven different kinds of cuisines that included Persian, Mexican, Sri Lankan, Middle Eastern, Thai, Chinese, Swiss, South Indian and more, Karachi Eat hosted leading hospitality institute COTHAM who showcased their Taste Studio consisting of local chefs with live demos.
“We have only two branches of Chapli Kebab house in Karachi, I hail from Peshawar and Chapli Kabeb is the dish which is quite famous in northern areas. I thought of introducing it in Sindh where the product is not that much known about. The idea was successful and we have our two branches right now. This is the fifth time we have displayed our stall in Karachi ‘Eat’ and every year the response is phenomenal,” said Najam Quddusi owner of Chapli Kebab house.
“My experience with ‘Eat’ last year was great and that’s the reason I displayed my stall this year as well. We serve a range of traditional and artisanal beverages and snacks. Our focus is not only on the quality of our products and services, but equally on the provision of a relaxed, welcoming and open atmosphere that you can enjoy with your friends and family. The best part of this festival is that it introduces people who aren’t really famous. Such festivals are a step forward to success for Pakistan’s food industry,” said Aized Suharwardy, owner of Chai Wala brand. Areeba Mansab, a visitor, said, “Food fest was a success for city’s bustling gastronomy scene and was a real reflection of the emergence as a vibrant and unique culinary capital. It was a treat for the people of Karachi to see so many foods stalls under one roof,” Areeba said.
Organiser of the event Omar Omari said, “As expected Karachi ‘Eat’ was a huge turnout. It was a new experience for us because we didn’t expect that much people because of the new venue. The reason behind such festival is to reactivate public spaces and bring people together. The purpose behind it is of course to create an experience which is as inclusive as possible whilst maintaining the original concept. We changed the venue into Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Park because it was a wonderful place and people were unaware of it. It is the first time this park had an amazing footfall of foodies which was a major achievement for us. We are planning to announce the dates of Lahore ‘Eat’ in February,” he said.
