Category: Travel

  • Taste the Best of Lahore with FoodPanda “Good Food Tour”

    Taste the Best of Lahore with FoodPanda “Good Food Tour”

    Over that past year, I have been fortunate enough to meet lots of amazing bloggers, which has helped ease my anxiety when attending events. So, when Foodpanda emailed me about her latest event, “Good Food Tour Lahore edition“, I did not hesitate in responding with a giant yes please!

    Foodpanda : Good Food Tour Invitation
    Foodpanda : Good Food Tour Invitation

    As the date came closer I followed the #GoodFoodTour  hastag on Instagram and Twitter to see who was attending and, to my surprise, none of my usual blogger buddies seemed to be on the list; my anxiety grew but I didn’t want to sit in my comfort zone by not going. This was an opportunity to push myself and meet people.

    I joined Foodpanda’s ‘Good Food Tour’ last friday, which was the second event of a series of good food tours in Pakistan focusing on a different theme each time. This tour focused on a culinary journey through the trendiest restaurants in Lahore. A journey that will be a delicious treat for the tastebuds, where a group of bloggers and influencers ate their way around town, trying signature dishes from 4 top-notch restaurants in Lahore.

    Warning: the following post contains an excessive amount of photographs of highly delicious food – reading on an empty stomach is not advised! 🙂

    First Stop: Napoli Restaurant

    The first stop of this tour was Napoli Restaurant located at DHA phase 5, who served us with their delicious new improved menu with all the healthy and nutritional options. Napoli offer delightful variety of nutritionally dense, delicious and fresh food. They are  passionate about helping customers refuel, rebuild and heal through food.

    We had Wasabi Prawns,  Honey mustard wings, Fried calamari, two tomato bruschetta. The fried Calmari and wasabi Prawns, Two Tomato Bruschetta with blast of flavors and  Honey Glazed Mustard Wings was mouth watering and the ambience of the café was very peaceful.

    Two Tomato Bruschetta @ Napoli Restaurant
    Two Tomato Bruschetta @ Napoli Restaurant

    The Two Tomato Bruschetta was also absolutely delicious with slices of grilled ciabatta bread topped with fresh baby plum, cherry tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, baby basil and cheese. I want the recipe for the tomato dressing, it was so good! 😀

    Two Tomato Bruschetta @ Napoli Restaurant
    Two Tomato Bruschetta @ Napoli Restaurant

    These crispy Wasabi Prawns were an excellent choice to pair with fresh salad. Danggit! Don’t you just look forward to this for the first meal of the day? Or anytime of the day actually.

    Wasabi Prawns @ Napoli Restaurant
    Wasabi Prawns @ Napoli Restaurant

    Their Fried calamari is out of this world and the sauces deserve special mention. I mean if you like calamari… you would fall in love with  this tempura style Calamari! Crunchy, fresh, addicting. !!

    Fried Calmari @ Napoli Restaurant
    Fried Calmari @ Napoli Restaurant

    One simply can’t say no to wings.  A simple honey-Mustard glaze gives these wings knockout flavor. A must try!

    Honey Mustard Wings @ Napoli Restaurant
    Honey Mustard Wings @ Napoli Restaurant

    Second Stop: Rivoli

    The second restaurant of this amazing Food Panda tour was “Rivoli”. Our culinary experience at the Rivoli started off with  Street style Chicken Sliders, Fried ring onion, fries and dipping suace.  The Slider was saucy but the one thing I didn’t like was the slider bun which was really hard. It was kind of sweet and tasted like the meetha bun we find at our Pakistani bakeries. My overall experience was just ok.

    Third Stop: Sweet Affairs

    “Sweet Affairs” was our 3rd stop. And I just fell in love with this, From the brick oven Pizza (BBQ & Mexican flavored), to the Fettuccine in bechmal sauce, Pasta Aurora with Grilled Chicken and the Basil Beef from Sweet Affairs are a must-try!

    I really liked the soothing and peaceful ambiance of Sweet affairsl, and the quality of the food was well above average.

    Sweet Affairs
    Sweet Affairs

    I can highly recommend the fettuccine in bechmal sauce,  the sauce was so good, fresh basil, with a good amount of cheese and sauce,  i just want to slurp it with a spoon. 😛

    And their brick oven pizza’s (BBA & Mexican) were amazing !!! Loved the taste, the presentation and the topping. It’s light and fresh and yet at the same time gave me all the festive feels.  Best thing about this was how they brought the authentic taste of Italian cuisine in Lahore.  All the dishes were just perfect. 5/5 for that!

    Fourth Stop: Mocca Coffee

    No meal is complete without the perfect sweet finish and foodpanda‘s Good Food Tour was completed with delectable sweet treats from Mocca Coffee.

    If you can fit in dessert the Mocca Coffee is another winner – Their Brownie melt is amazing, scoop of Ice cream over brownie drizzled with syrup and served with melted chocolate suace and mint. Yum. Their macaroons, mocca and caramel frappucinos, carrot cake, brownie melt and chocolate mousse are to die for!

    Dear Brownie Melt, If you’re going to ask me what I love about you, the answer is everything. Let’s start simply: You’re delicious.  It’s hard to pick out a single favourite from Mocca Coffee, but if I had to recommend just one thing, Brownie Melt is a MUST-TRY!

  • Go Go Restaurant Review

    Go Go Restaurant Review

    Well this is the first time I am writing a review for any of the food place in Lahore. I am a big foodie and have been visiting many places very often. But from now, I’ll try to update my readers regularly about different food places, hotels , restaurants, food chains, even roadside food stalls and much more. 

    So my today review is about an old Roadside Go Go Restaurant.

    No more shopping til you drop. I was so hungry while doing shopping on mall road and I wanted some good food, real right thing to satisfy my taste buds. Then this sign board just caught my eye. In a jiff I decided to go there to satisfy my hunger. 

    go-go-restaurant

    Review: Go Go Restaurant – OLD IS GOLD 

    foodblogger-bushrahGo Go Restaurant is a Small restaurant hidden in a strip mall and they have a history of 50 years of hospitality.  

    I had visited this place after a decade to recall & refresh some childhood memories. This fast food restaurant was one of my favorites in childhood. I had many pleasant memories in that restaurant. Good Meal brings back so many childhood memories lol those were the days mann!

    I took a deep breath and imagined my father is here and we are enjoying Club Sandwiches together. Cheers! 

    You know that expression, “I’was so hungry, I could eat a whale! Oh…” No? Good. And if there’s one thing in life that you can be sure about (besides death and taxes), it’s the joy of eating yummy food!

    Old days revived,the same taste, the same food, same old memories. 

     They have a history of serving one of the yummy burgers. Their simple chicken burger’s awesome. They have maintained their food quality but their service ambiance quality has been dropped. They need to open another branch with good service and better seating.

    go-go-restaurant2
    GO GO RESTAURANT ~ 50 Years Of Hospitality

    Service

    Their club sandwiches and Finger Fish  are very good, but their service ambiance quality has been dropped. They need to open another branch with good service and better seating.

    Waitress were very friendly and helpful (i.e., always ready to take photographs for guests) and our food was served quickly. It took about about 10 mins. Pleasantly surprised. 

    Order

    Their menu, of course, had lots of options! Chicken burgers, cheese burgers, beef burgers, Sandwiches, Drinks, Shashlik etc. Watching me clueless, their guy started suggesting me their hot sellers. So, my order was as follows: Finger Fish, French Fries and Simple Sandwich & Coleslaw Salad  ~ the perfect cure for the cold weather.  It was a complete meal I would say. 

    go-go-restaurant-menu-card

    Food

    Sandwiches were Incredibly so good. Finger Fish was flavorful and crunchy but few pieces were over burned (dark brown color was not eye appealing).French fries had  a pure desi nice flavour and the crispy, yet moist inside. The  Fries were tasted just like original home-made fries but the sauce was a bit less spicy.

    Coleslaw Salad was so delicious. It’s cool creaminess, crunchy texture, and tangy flavor balances out the richness of fried fish and chips. 

    finger-fish-go-go-restaurant
    fish finger, chips with buttery sandwiches with coleslaw __ A Yummy treat For My Hungry Tummy!!

    As soon as I dig my tooth into the crunchy fish, it was a blast of flavors with creamy coleslaw. Too good! So, every fish lover like me can go for it without a second thought!
    But too huge for me to eat all by myself. :/

    finger-fish-go-go-restaurant-mall
    Childhood memories all in one bite.

     Sat down eating the starters, I met this blue eyed cute cat at a restaurant.

    hungry-cat
    Cutie Cut busy enjoying finger fish 😛

    Value for Money

    I would say that this place an absolute value-for-money! The appetizers starting from Rs. 100 and burgers as low as Rs. 290. While the Finger Fish was Rs. 410, which at first seemed a bit pricey but the heavenly experience is totally worth it! 

    Rs 410 for finger fish platter were not bad. It’s definitely worth extending a shopping visit to get a bite to eat. 😛

    Final Verdict

    7 out of 10,

    Rating: 4-star, Recommended!

    Very reasonable prices and good food! Only draw back is no sitting place had to sit on road side tables. While Go Go Restaurant may not be the ideal place to celebrate a party because of outdoor sitting, but it’s great to have some friends over for a fun afternoon lunch. Oh and the food – just perfect.

    GO GO RESTAURANT INFORMATION

    ADDRESS
    Go Go Restaurant, The Mall Road, Lahore.
    CUISINE
    SNACK, Fast Food 
    OPENING HOURS: 
    Mon-Sun: 1 0:30AM–12:30AM
    AVERAGE PRICE: 

    Rs. 300 – 500 Per Person

    SUITABLE FOR
    Children/Family , Lunch , Brunch, Fast Food 
    PHONE
    (042) 36373-295

    WEBSITE:

    Go Go RESTAURANT WEBSITE

    Want to try some roadside desi style  fast food?Tell me what you thought of the place when you went! Share your favorites from their menu in the comments below.

    Note: I was not paid or compensated for this review. All reviews and opinions expressed are my own.

    If you’d like to invite Recipestable to cover & share your restaurant’s media events, tastings or parties, feel free to contact me here. Thanks!

  • Explore the Hidden Beauty of Neela Wahan Through My Lens

    Explore the Hidden Beauty of Neela Wahan Through My Lens

    Too tired of the hustle and bustle of the big city life. Mostly at home all-day-long.This isn’t feeding my adventurous soul at all. My restless spirit & adventurous soul shouting out for a change and I was just looking for a fun way to pleased my soul.

    Food Blogger Bushrah at Neelwan ValleyAnd then, I got a trip notification from my University.  After a bit of hiatus to recharge my batteries, I suddenly got the urge to join this adventure. I decided without thinking one second. yes, I should definitely go.

    How could I say no to that??

    Travel is my favorite thing to do in life. I love to take pictures of nature and good food.

    Let’s explore the neela wahan valley Through My Lens( Hidden Beauty of Pakistan). I PROMISE, YOU WILL NOT GET BORED.

    Grab a cup of coffee with some cookies or a popcorn bag and join me in my today’s adventure. I am taking you far away from the noise and hustle-and-bustle of big city life to explore the waterfalls & autumn colored mountain trails and ponds.

    Explore the Hidden Beauty of Neela Wahan Through My Lens

    Hiking and I go together like cinnamon and tomato sauce. An itsy bitsy pinch of cinnamon in tomato sauce makes it like wow what is going on in my mouth this is otherworldly amazing and an itsy bitsy amount of hiking in my life makes me all wow I feel great.

    rocky-mountains
    Travel is my favorite thing to do in life.

    Trip To Neela Wahan Valley (Hidden Beauty of Pakistan)

    Yesterday, I got a chance to visit Neela Wahan valley with my university fellows. It was very well planned visit and no doubt I enjoyed alot. Only thing bothering me was loud music. 

    Neela Wahan Parking Stand
    Neela Wahan Parking Stand

    Neela Wahan

    Neela means Blue and Wahan means Water Pond. These water falls & ponds are located 30 km away from kalar kahar lake on Khushab road in Nurpur Village(District Chakwal). From there do ask any local person about the gateway to Neela wahan valley. There is no sign board or benchmark available which i can tell you.
    Exact trial start from grave yard in from of water tank from main road.

    Let’s Explore the Neela Wahan Trail first. 

    Main Entrance
    Main Entrance View

    On the way down to the pond, I felt so delighted to see cows grazing on shrubs. Such is an amusement for city dwellers who only get to appreciate simple things when in a rural area. The good thing that comes out of urban life, my urbanized life enables me to see value and beauty in the mundane. 

    The wide and open extent of rocky mountains was also noticeable.

    rocky-mountains

    The journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step the village View from the top….The perfect place to spend the time in the nature and to celebrate life.

    neelwahn-top-view
    Neela wahan Valley View from the top.

    Breath taking and Eye-catching view of Neela wahan Ponds from the village top.  

    neelwahn-top-view1

     The track is full of adventure with ups & downs rocky barren and bushy mountains & eye pleasing nature view. 

    Neela Wahan Rocky barren Track
    Neela Wahan Rocky barren Track

    The journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step … Descent in mountains Thorny shrubs… OUCH!! More Thorny shrubs.

    Thorny shrubs
    Thorny Shrubs on Rocky Trails

    A 50 minutes downhill track leads to the first 3 ponds. There are a lot of other ponds available being generated by the same stream. So if you have time , do explore the area.

    POnd 1

    At very first we reached to the first pool, the scene of a great wall of mountain behind the pool makes its view more attractive. The water spring is coming out from the mountain wall. The radius of the pool this pool is not so big but around 5 meters.

    waterfal-neelawahan

    The amazing factor of the first pool is the tinny fishes and crabs in it. Of course man is the biggest animal of the world so unlike the others the crab is also frightened from the man. Sometimes, they come out for sunshine, as the water is cold, but we can see them clearly in the water surface.

    Crab at the Neela Wahan
    Meet the Mr.Crab at Neela Wahan Pond

    Water surface of the pool is much zigzagged but could easily walk able, you can have a good bath in it but it’s better that if you know swimming. Lol 😀

    Second and third pools are not more than 30 meters away from the first pool, so it’s good that if you have a guide over there and if not then mountaineers can easily find the track and others as well. Second and third pools are in 2 steps. One is on top and the second is at bottom. These pools are bigger in size, the radius of is around 20 to 40 meters.

    The fourth pool I think more than 2 or 3 yards away. As we were new to this place and due to shortage of time we could not reached to that pool, but we had enjoyed a lot. 

    lunch-neela-wahan

    Above all, the Neela wahan is a place worth tracking, swimming and  for picnic. You can carry the food stuff and can have Bar-B-Q there. Even you can have camping there and can spend a night as well.

    neela-wahan-trip

    In all my travels, specifically nature trips, I consider watching the sunset the ultimate experience. Standing on the edge of the hill’s crest at that incredible moment made me feel I’m indeed part of one of the most spectacular sights in the Universe—of something important.

    neela-wahan-sunset

    Once again, I was stunned at how the unique harmony of colors starts to seep through the rustic sky of Neela Wahan Valley. While I was marveling at the sunset, I realized just how it mirrors life’s cycle of duality. The sun must create a space and time for darkness. Think of the hard times and the good times or the dark tunnel and the light at the end of it. 

    At the end of the day, we’re all just trying to grasp that beauty and truth, which is held within a sunset.

    The main reasons why I took this Tour were to recharge my batteries, disconnect from the hurly-burly of our urban lives, to catch the sunset up a hill, to sooth my soul by spending time near to  nature.

    It was good to get away from work and the ‘ol routine. Maybe next time I’ll stay overnight with family and go Aab-e-shifa!


     Make sure to Pin this on your Vacation ideas board! I think you’d like it