Daily Times

The buzz around town has been on the latest entrant here as IHOP the American Pancake House opens uptheir franchise in Pakistan. Popularly known as an all-day breakfast place; it is the truly authentic American diner experience. A bit of nostalgia for those having lived or studied in the states. As students, we would go there when taking a study break or with those who had relatives living there, it was a sure visit over the years. I decided to give it try out here by ordering some of the dishes and give a review based on thequality of the food, service, ambience and pricing.

Yes, I can directly come to the point and say that that the buttermilk pancakesthat are now showing up everywhere on the local newsfeeds are truly picture perfect and quite “Instagram-able”. And yes they do taste just as great as they look. I had the New YorkCheesecake Pancakes. Perfectly light and fluffy with the right amount of whipped cream served with a generous amount of strawberries withmaple syrup on the side. The stack of two was more than enough for me. My friend ordered the Chocolate Chip Pancakes and she was not keen on that version. I took a bite and it was nothing fantastic. Itcould be termed as “alright”. Maybe it was an acquired taste or wejust seemed to like mine better. The original pancakes with maple syrup are also a staple favorite and a must try.

In appetizers, I went for the Chicken Quesadillas. Fairly decent,there was a distinctive flavor and taste differentiating them from the version served by local cafes here. Personally, I prefer the Quesadillas outer shellnot to be soft but slightly crispy-but that could just be the standard IHOP way. However, I felt the taste wascertainly authentic. The portion of the sour cream and salsa could be a slightly more and I was wondering why they skipped on that. We Loved the spinachand mushroom omelet.The serving was immense and a good choice to be had.

A bit of nostalgia for those having lived or studied in the states. As students, we would go there when taking a study break or with those who had relatives living there, it was a sure visit over the years

TheSteak burgers are very good.It is a hearty meal, the meat succulentand we loved the sides with them. We alsoordered the Chicken Florentine Crepes.And that was a super hit with everybody. Thumbs up on those for sure. It was so rich that one person couldn’t finish it off. The mushrooms and the melted cheese with the chicken were a classic combo and one cannot go wrong with this one. I would certainly recommend this. Please note, the portions are so large that could be shared family style if you go with a group of friends. For drinks, the original iced coffee andthe Iced tea are great choices to be had. The Vanilla and the strawberry shakes were winners as well. Not so keen on the Chocolate one. It was as one person remarked “underwhelming.”

The best thing we had on the menu so far are theSirloin tips and eggs. It’s a bit of a cholesterol overloadfor the average person. But fora regular breakfast goer who wants to indulge, they will find themselves pretty satisfied. The group unfortunately was not ordering the ribs so I was unable to do a review on it.

The only jump was at the price range in the menu. A few people we know knew the owners and being from the same crowd, they say that people here would dole out that Rs 3499/- on a plate of ribs (that being one of the most expensive dishes).The average pricing here for a full mealper person comes out to Rs 1500/– Rs.2500/-.That being said, a friend questioned whywouldn’t they just go to fine dining restaurantand have a meal there, especially if they wanted a steak. Another retorted that the ingredients were imported so it was alright to pay up. Whatever the case, the price range on an average is slightly higher in comparison to other places which have already established their brand names for the market here(and have similarall-day breakfast offerings).

The diner style seating and the color scheme was basicas was their standard branding and comfortableenough if you get the booths. The first time around I did an impromptu walk-in by myself and I was even given a booth to myself as I requested one. I felt that was great but of course, to be fair one cannot expect that all the time if the restaurant is a full house. So yes, I did end up recommending it to my friends due to a having a good experience.I’m hoping they will retain this quality of service and care. A great customer experience many a time has often generated and retained brand loyalty.

All things being said, only time will tell if the people of this country are willing to spendthat much on a meal which is literally termed as diner-styIe food. The all-day breakfast trend certainly came in with cafes over a decade ago and this one is already a crowd favorite abroad because of its mass appeal. I’m one of the few that believes that if they establish their clientele here locally and keep up the quality in their food and service, then they will have their market share.

Overall, it was a decent experience to be tried out for sure especially if you would like to have a typical American style diner experience.One feelsit’s a great new addition to the food business- and we certainly needed a fun change of things around here.

The writer is known for her articles on socio-cultural impact