Gone are the days when “we have a beach” used to be the ultimate comeback every Karachiite gave in the ongoing battle for supremacy between Karachi and Lahore.
The new comeback is “we have Port Grand”.
Sameer was dragged to Port Grand by his friends. He admits he wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea as he felt it was yet another dating spot for teenagers and a class-discriminatory entertainment place, designed specifically for the elites. After all, an entrance fee of Rs. 300 seemed quite hefty. And it wasn’t like food at restaurants was getting any cheaper. But Sameer was wrong.
Having dressed carefully in one of his fancy t-shirts and best pair of jeans from Levi’s, Sameer felt suitably ready for Port Grand. What he wasn’t ready for was falling in love with the place so much that the very next day he decided to take his family there.
Port Grand is picturesque: a pebbled walk-way leads to a beautiful garden-like setting, with light background music playing from speakers set atop pillars. The blowing wind and the atmosphere are so peaceful, that one can’t help but repose. Port Grand opens only in evenings (6 p.m. onwards) and is an ideal place to just sit back and reflect or simply share precious moments with your loved ones. Sameer thought it was the perfect way to celebrate the end of exams. Moreover, he realized that the “Families Only” rule was meant to ensure that families feel comfortable visiting Port Grand and it is not a place exclusive to elites or teenagers.
Port Grand is essentially Karachi’s food street. Sameer would like to go in excruciating details about the hot parathas, scrumptious malai chicken dripping in white sauce or the ever-pleasing seekh kabab that melts oh-so tenderly in the mouth that he had at Ghaffar’s, or perhaps the cheesy jalapeno fries of One Potato, Two Potato, but he knows the description will only make you hungry and he wants to share some interesting tidbits that he learned before you speed away to your kitchen.
Port Grand is located beneath the Native Jetty Bridge (commonly known as the Netty Jetty Bridge). The area was first developed in 1854 when the Port of Karachi began to take its current shape. Interestingly, Native Jetty ranks number 5 on the list of “Top Ten Bridges People Are Most Likely To Jump Off” (the entire list can be seen here). While the location may have a troublesome history, Port Grand is Asia’s biggest food street, with an investment of over 1 billion rupees and is therefore, Karachi’s pride. The complex was conceived and built by the Grand Leisure Corporation as a ‘gift’ to Karachi, the City of Lights.
Around 40 outlets are fully functional at Port Grand and more are to open soon. Moreover, the complex will facilitate promotion of culture and heritage in the near future. With a valet parking service for 800 cars and an entrance fee of Rs. 300 per head (out of which Rs. 200 is redeemable at the food outlets), Sameer finds Port Grand quite a hotspot and recommends it to everyone searching for a get-away from the sweltering heat of Karachi and the constant load-shedding.
I have to disagree here. Was not at all impressed with portgrand when I went there about two weeks ago. Although the place is definitely beautiful but I'd rather settle for a peaceful sunset by Seaview and eating "khulle" bun-kabab rather than forcing myself to eat food which is too posh and yet not tasty enough as present in the simple confinements of lets say Burns road in Karachi or Gawal Mandi in Lahore :)
ReplyDeleteAdil, everyone has their own preference for an ideal evening out. Sameer's schooling days have subconsciously tilted his towards the rather posh and elitist forms of entertainment. On the surface he dislikes having to spend so much money but on the inside, he's inclined towards things only money can buy.
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