Khoka Khola: A dhabba in the heart of Islamabad

Ever since I saw an advertisement of Khoka Khola on social media which featured a beautiful picture of some desi food, I have been wanting to go there. The name was a bit confusing to me, I understand that it's a dhabba themed cafe but Khoka Khola? It literally just means 'Opened a Shop'. I'm not sure but I think they rhymed it with Coca Cola? What do you guys think? Lemme know in the comments!!

Anyway this week I had 50% off on Uber rides and did not have any classes either. Talk about a perfect week! So I jumped on an Uber and went to Khoka Khola. It is situated in the Beverly Center in Blue Area. I was amazed. They really have implemented the dhabba theme to perfection. They have brought the dhabba to the heart of Islamabad. The decor, ambiance, music, everything screamed desi to me. Just look at this lamp, for example. Dekh magar pyar se *wink wink* xD

The furniture was also traditional village styled, in fact everything was desi except the A/C. I had planned on eating at one of the tables outside because there was much more natural light for me to take pictures in, but seeing the decor just made me stay inside. It was an immersive and singular experience, and it truly felt like the door of the cafe was a magical portal. If only the waiters' outfit could have been desi too it would have been truly epic. Even the utensils were stainless steel, as is customary in dhabbas.

One thing that was a bit disconcerting was that no one greeted me when I went in. In fact no one was there, there was just one guy behind the counter and he had his back to me because he was cleaning some shelves. Now I'm not saying that i need a red carpet and fireworks but there should be someone to make the guests feel welcome, am i right?

The menu was limited to one page and I ordered the Khoka Khola Thali and a doodh patti. It was 12 in the afternoon and the Thali had great stuff for breakfast: channay; minced beef; aalo bhujia; and a seekh kebab served with tandoori paratha alongside kachoomer salad and mint raita. For dessert there was sooji halwa. They had it ready in 12 minutes which is great. Looks yummy, right?

The first thing I tried was minced beef. It was a bit bland and dry but the tandoori paratha was amazing. It was soft and succulent while the sesame seeds provided an excellent texture for my palate. The blandness and dryness of the minced beef was excellently countered by a little dip in the yummy mint raita. Together they made an incredible couple and eliminated each other's shortcomings.

Channay were okay, but the thing that really had me going was aalo bhujia. What an amazing blend of tastes, it was just marvellous. I think that it was the most amazing dish in the whole platter. A wonderful combination of soft potatoes and spices, aalo bhujia was a true treat for the taste buds. The kebab was a bit too hard and dry. I believe that barbeque needs to be succulent and just a teensy bit gummy in order to be truly relished. But still, it was acceptable.

Sooji halwa was great, it was the right amount of sweet and had no extra oil or color. Most of the time the halwa you get form halwa poori waalas is too oily and there is often extra color added. The little shavings of almonds in the halwa were of perfect size, big enough to be noticed and felt but not so big that would break the texture of the dish so it felt really nice and soft. Whether it was by chance or conscious thought, kudos!

As you may have noticed, they serve the doodh patti in a  glass, dhabba style. Now you may notice that the glass is a bit small but don't worry, there's extra tea in the kettle. Guys, I fell in love with drinking doodh patti in a glass. I don't even know why we use cups anymore, drinking from a glass felt so natural. The aroma of doodh patti was amazing. I could not find any flaw in the doodh patti, it tasted amazing while being light and did not produce that weird aftertaste that most chais do. It was light and refreshing with a hint of cardamom that was just right there in the background, feeble enough to not be overpowering and yet clearly discernible. It was a great glass of doodh patti and i would gladly go all the way back any day just to have it once again.

Service was great, the waiters were respectful and attentive. And when i asked for the check, they brought it in this dope pouch featuring truck art. Cool, right? 

The total came out to be a little above a thousand rups which is okay i guess but when you think about it, it was just a one time meal for one person plus a chai. The Thali costs 795 rups while the very similar Pakistani food platter at the Monal costs 645 and contains the same number of items plus a cold drink. OOOOHH i just got an idea, PLATTER WARS!! :D Coming soon :P So anyway guys i hope you liked this post, especially fellow foodies like me. Keep your eyes peeled for more posts and lemme know what you guys think!