The Lahore Fort Road Food Street

Entrance to the Fort Road Food Street

Mention of Lahore or talking of Lahore without its food is the most unjust thing one can ever do. The richness of Lahore's peculiar culture is incomplete unless we talk about the amazing dishes of specific Lahori food. Those who come to Lahore always cherish the memories of its beautiful places, people and mouth watering dishes forever.

Being a Lahorite myself and a foodie too, I have been writing about eateries of Lahore in some of my previous posts. I have talked about the Gawalmandi Food Street, the eateries around the Qaddafi Stadium and also shared an introduction to the food street of the Fort Road. Recently I was in Lahore and made it a point to visit the eateries on the Fort Road - a place just overlooking the famous Badshahi Mosque (the Royal Mosque), built by the Mogul Emperor Aurangzeb in the 17th century AD.

The Fort Road food street, as is evident from its name, is located on the Lahore Fort Road and also adjacent to the Badshahi Mosque, and amidst the Taxali and Roshnai Gates, the Sikh Gurdwara and numerous other historical buildings in the Walled City. Like the Gawalmandi Food Street, the Fort Road food street too is located in the old multi-storied houses with wooden balconies and windows, exotically painted and immensely lit at night. 

 The wooden balconies of the old houses of the Lahore Walled city - now house to the Fort Road food street

 Dinner tables on the footpaths along the road leading to one of the gates of the Lahore Fort

 Food is prepared outside the eateries - the aroma of which fills the environs around

As I said earlier, the Fort Road food street is just adjacent to and behind the famous Badshahi Mosque and the Lahore Fort. While the Fort is barely visible but for its high walls, the Badshahi Mosque can be seen in its true grandeur and majestic might, as can be seen in the photos above and below.

The illuminated wall of the Lahore Fort  

The buildings that are now occupied by the Food Street have been augmented with decoration pieces and by erecting centuries old heavily carved wooden gates and artifacts.

Cooco's Den (above) was the first eatery that was established here, much before the establishment of the food street. The place has a fantastic display of the art and culture of Lahore and that of the Mogul era. I shall cover the details of Cooco's Den in a separate post as mentioning here with lots of photos would lose its charm while talking of its interior and food delicacies.

We selected two eateries at the food street: The Cucoo's Dena and Rewaj, as suggested by a friend. Here in photos above and below, my children, me and my wife can be seen sitting on the roof top of the Rewaj. Much to our dismay, the food of the place was not very tasty as was recommended by my friend. The only specialty was the 'shahi naan (the royal bread) which had been so prepared to have different taste with each morsel we took. 

The view of the Badshahi Mosque from the roof top of the eateries is matchless. One can see the entire mosque beautifully lit - in fact people come to see the mosque from the roof top of the eateries more than eating here. 

The Badshahi Mosque, my wife and I (rhymed with the King and I)

So this is it for the time being., I shall write about Cooco's Den in one of my next posts.

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From Gawalmandi to the Fort Road

I am from Lahore - though times have taken me away from the city where I was born and grew into a young man.  Therefore anything that happens in Lahore attracts my attention - and quite obviously this news about the new food street on the Fort Road - adjacent to the Lahore Fort - Badshahi Mosque complex.

Needless to mention my love for the specialties cuisines of Lahore, of which I have written a number of posts on the eating habits of Lahorites and the eateries of Lahore ( links to which are given below ) forced me to read the post and share with my readers.

"From Gawalmandi to the Fort Road" by Maryam Rabi, that was published in a local English Daily, is about opening up of new venue of special Lahori food venue. 

Old building with beautifulil carved wooden balconies overlooking the Fort Road Food Street Lahore (Photo: Maryam Rabi)

As for the location, Maryam writes, "Located behind the Badshahi mosque, set amidst the Taxali and Roshnai Gates, the Sikh Gurdwara and numerous other historical buildings in the Walled City, the Fort Road food street is one of the 9 planned food streets to be constructed in various parts of Lahore in the near future."

But more than the setting of the Food Street, Maryam has lamented the the apathy towards the dilapidated and deterioration of the Walled City of Lahore.

"On visiting the Fort Road food street, one would expect to be introduced to the true culture and experience of the Walled City – the project, however, rarely brings forth that opportunity and instead presents a ‘disneyfied’ version of itself to the public. The words,  conservation, restoration and protection are widely misunderstood in most of Pakistan. What has been implemented on the Fort Road is merely a superficial face-lift and a complete disregard for its historic context and cultural value, " writes Maryam.

Do read the full story with some photos taken by Maryam of the old buildings with wooden balconies overlooking the food street - same as the the Gawalmandi Food Street. Her account of the Walled City of Lahore is very detailed and precise as she is an architect by profession at the Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan, currently working on the Walled City of Lahore. 

So while you entertain yourself and your friends and family at the new Food Street coming up at the Fort Road, be part of the few to raise voice for the conservation of the Lahore's Walled City, which was once the glory of Lahore.


Related:

Nostalgic Eateries of Lahore

Khana Khaba and Eateries of Lahore

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Khana, Khaba and Eateries of Lahore

Don’t ask anyone in Lahore what, where and how much does he eat – since there is plenty to eat and there is plenty space in stomach as well. One shouldn't be surprised when being a guest at someone in Lahore and having eaten sandwiches and junk food to one’s full, he is asked to accompany his host for “food” since in Lahore food means “Khaba” and not “Khana”.

Traditionally, Gawalmandi and Mazang are two main places where every kind of food is available in abundance. Although the three Food Streets in Lahore ( one each at Gawalmandi, Anarkali and “area” adjacent to the Badshahi Mosque/Lahore Fort complex ), there are many places where one can go out and eat.  There are many names associated with the traditional foods in Lahore, like Phajjay kay Paye ( anyone with the name of Fazal is called Phajja in Punjabi), Bundu Khan (a name that basically comes from Karachi, but has now equally known well in the eating circles of Lahore – however unlike his fame in Karachi for Parathas and kababs, Bundu Khan has specialized in tradional oil rich foods of Lahore),  Butt Karahi (located on the main McLeod Rd near Lakhshami Chowk – a place well known for the offices of distributors of Pakistani Films),  and Ashiq's Channay is a well known desi food spot located in the main Sadar bazar inside Lahore cantonment – famous for its channa (chickpeas) curry and haleem (mixed pulses curry). Shahi Murgh Channay in front of the old Odeon Cinema on Abott Road (off Lakhshami Chowk) is perhaps the best in town and one of my favourite spots whenever I am in Lahore and even my children are a fan of his specialty.

Equally good is Ghulam Rasool Restaurant, Nila Gumbad (off Anarkali Bazaar), who also specializes in Murgh Channay and his stuff sells like hot dogs. Amritsar Harrisa at Nisbat Road, just in between Lakhshami Chowk and Gawalmandi is best known for harrisa. Tabbaq Restaurant, Lakshmi Chowk and Paradise canteen, State Life Building, Mall road, are hub of delicious Mutton Roast and Murgh Musallam (Chicken cooked with rice and dry fruits stuffed inside). And if you happen to be visiting the Gawalmandi Food Street in the winters, dont miss the delight of having steamy and sizzling fish of Haji Sardar - you would never forget its taste for years.

Karahi Gosht (Chicken or mutton cooked in spices) is a specialty of Lahore. There are no equals to Lahore Restaurants, even in Pakistan. The best Karahis can be found in restaurants in Royal Park area (Lakshmi Chowk). Some of the famous names are Pakasia, Butt and Nirala Butt. The place is also famous for early morning breakfast of halwa Puri and lassi.

The Cuckoo's Den is famous both for its Art Gallery and Restaurant situated in the Old City, owned and operated by the famous and controversial artists of Pakistan Iqbal Hussain. The restaurant is in the vicinity of Lahore's red light area and has a similar theme. With amazing food and views of the Fort and Badshahi Masjid it is one of the best restaurants in the City. The “Ultay tawa wala Chicken” is perhaps their best dish.

The walled city of Lahore is a class of its own where genuine cooks still provide you the original taste and actual specialties of Lahore. Haji's Nihari inside Lohari Gate is the best but one must not venture to this place with a partially filled stomach as he wont be able to stop when the food gets going through.

For “decent” eating, M M Alam Road, Gulberg and H-Block Defence Housing Authority (DHA) are the two areas heavily populated with restaurants serving modern Chinese and exotic food dishes. Copper Kettle Main Boulevard Gulberg and Gun Smoke Restaurant at MM Allam Road Gulberg are two interesting places for novel foods. Freddy's Cafe – a new name, situated on M. M. Alam road, offers variety of Mexican, Italian, Afghani and Continental dishes. Salt’n’ Pepper, located near the Liberty roundabout, Gulberg, is one of the oldest eating places in Lahore that offers continental, desi and Chinese food.  

Although the food at psoh localities like the MM Alam Road, Defence and Gulberg main is exotic, but eating out in Mozang, Gawalmandi, Lakhshami Chowk and Gadi Shahoo has its own environ, taste and hospitality – though greasy and crowded.

Top 10 Eating places of Lahore (as short listed by my friend SAJ Shirazi)

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