Karahi Point – 2642 Islington Ave, Etobicoke, ON M9V 2X5
Country: Pakistan
Must-try dish: Chicken Karahi
Dinner guests (virtually): Pornstar Sam & Uncle Yusuf  
The high: The food is prepared at record speed, so there’s no time for hangry-ness and all cravings are quickly fulfilled.
The low: For the city slickers in the house, the Karahi Point locations are all outside of downtown so a car is required.

There was debate over where to find Toronto’s best Pakistani food, and Karahi Point came up as a contender. There are three locations: North York, Mississauga and Etobicoke. It was highly recommended by a couple of friends of the blog, so they took us through the dishes over the course of the night. 

Mandrea Bike was quick to jump to the opportunity for this dinner as Pakistani cuisine is easily a favourite. Karahi Point for the most part serves up Pakistani fare, however some of the dishes are also found in certain regions of India. 

Not surprisingly, the majority of the meal was heavy on meat – chicken in particular, but no one was complaining! 

This is the menu for the evening – every dish was completely varied from the next: 

• Chicken Samosa: These samosas took on a different appearance than what you would typically see, and that’s because they are flatter than the usual samosas and made using a phyllo pastry wrapper. In Pakistan and the Muslim-dominated parts of India, this style of samosa is more prominent. They’re referred to as 2-D samosas instead of the traditional 3-D samosa that we all know and love.
• Beef Seekh Kabab: You can’t really go wrong with barbecued meat. The ground beef retains the taste from the grill and is complemented by house spices used to marinate it.  
• Chicken Tikka Boneless: A classic. It was tender and full of flavour. There’s the option of getting boneless dark or white meat, so you can make it your own! 
• Chicken Karahi: The best was saved for last – this traditional curry has pieces of chicken in a tomato base with ginger, garlic and spices. It’s a staple in Pakistan, and obviously now also for Mandrea Bike.

If you’re in the mood for sweets to finish off the meal, there’s a shop next door to the restaurant called Brar’s that will satisfy any cravings while also keeping with the theme of that part of the world. But beware of the Paan from Royal Paan Shop in the same plaza – those things aren’t for the faint of heart. 

We urge you to support the local restaurants to satisfy your hunger. They’ve had a tough go over the last year and the last thing we want to see is more closures before we can all come out of this. Stay safe and eat well. 

Eat with you soon,

Mandrea Bike
(Mat & Andrea)