Hunger’s Pack – Pack a punch!

A small fast food joint owned by Syed Amir Ali and Kashif Hussain welcomed bloggers, media personnel and celebrities during a two-day launch event recently where the attendees got to enjoy exclusively selected food items from the restaurant’s yet to be disclosed menu. Hunger's Pack strikingly country interior is the first thing that caught my eye; dark brick walls contrast beautifully with glass block windows with an arch on top, that provide a clear view of the street and bring in bright light. Seating is no-fuss, minimalistic kind and the area has a huge pilar of piled up stones in one corner. The counter provides an open view of almost the entire kitchen. The joint’s menu boasts of appetisers to main course (burgers and sandwiches), shakes, drinks and dessert, from what I could tell. 

First up was peri peri bites; seedless, hard crumb coated chillies stuffed with chicken and sauce. These were clearly the winner of the night! I love a good, crunchy crumb coat (who doesn't?), but the stuffing tasted so good too. I never order peri bites because they are almost always spicy and they just don’t taste that good. I never got what the craze is about. But these were totally amazing and I am pretty sure I will find myself craving for these every now and then. We were then served baked potatoes; slit open in the middle, seasoned with very little black pepper and topped with chopped tomatoes, sausage, and red beans, and a bit of cream cheese on the sides. This was not appealing, visually speaking, but had a decent taste. My concern is that you won’t be able to enjoy the entire potato as much because only the centre is soft and seasoned. It is a bit harder on the sides and bottom plus the skin remains on it, something that not a lot of people enjoy on their potatoes. You can choose the toppings for your potato, much like a salad at Subway, and have the pleasure of watching it bake right in front of you courtesy to the open oven fixed on the wall behind the counter. We were also served chicken wings that were doused in such a strong acidic mixture that it almost burnt my friend’s nose when she was only about to take a bit, and the bbq wings that had only light chilli seasoning and were quite plain in taste otherwise. They were also a bit burnt on the sides, although I enjoyed the garlic slice they were served with.

Next up was a chicken sandwich; nicely toasted whole-grain bread containing a generous spread of cream cheese and shredded chicken, and a whole lot of fresh, juicy iceberg lettuce. This is a simple, feel-good sandwich with a homely feel to it. I liked the sandwich (as long as it doesn't soct much), though anyone who is experimental with their food choices and is expecting something mind blowing and completely original, will not be impressed. My chicken burger was the last item of the night; a simple chicken burger with few ingredients that tasted a bit like one from Mr. Burger. The patty was well cooked enclosed in fresh, soft buns and had a strong pepper taste, the sauce inside was a bit thin and runny which can make it a bit messy to eat and was hot and tamato-ey at the same time. There is not a lot to boast about this one, I only took a few bites and wasn’t much tempted to continue.

My friend tried their chocolate shake and enjoyed the thickness of it stating this is always better than the thin, runny ones. I don’t indulge in something like this so I will take her word for it. I couldn’t try the ice-cream because they ran out of it, but I doubt it was made in the kitchen, so no loss there. The dishes being served at the initial tables were taking quite a while to reach us (we were seated right at the back) giving an impression that the staff might not have been prepared to serve so many people at once. But I believe this has much to do with the guests who bring along extra people with them as if it were their private party. I would especially like to mention the servers for the night, they were so well mannered and courteous and kept asking us if we needed anything without really disturbing us. I would also like to mention the representative from TAGNINE; even though we only talked to him for a minute, his jolly and humble nature really made an impression. The owners were there to talk about their venture which is a nice gesture, and one that you don't see very often.

I hear they are going to open an outlet in Lahore soon, and hope they keep improvising their menu. Wishing them all the luck for their future endeavours! The launch was organized by TAGNINE Marketing while its PR was handled by Phegency.

What – Fast food

Where  – 26th st. Badar Commercial, Opp. Daily Dubai Restaurant, Phase 6, Karachi

Food – 3/5

Ambience – 3.5/5

Service – 4/5

Per head – 800-900 PKR approx.

We hadn’t been made aware of the price list, so I can’t be sure of anything. But their marketing manager did say that their sandwiches started from 500 PKR.  Couple that with an appetiser, a shake and some dessert, and you get a rough idea.

Verdict

In all honesty, it is not a place where you can plan to go with a group for big celebrations, but it is a cool place to grab a quick bite, and for some light dining. I wouldn’t mind going there just to pick up the sandwich and the peri peri bites that I might start missing after a few days provided they aren’t charged at an unrealistically exorbitant amount.