Gon Pacci

While I do not shirk from admitting that I have gone in and about town quite a bit, the recent addition of Gon Pacci to Karachi’s eateries has been an unexpected treat. Located at Shahbaz Commercial, DHA, the restaurant serves a fusion of Mediterranean, French, Italian, Japanese and Thai cuisine.

With its classy outlook, mahogany furniture and dim lights it is the perfect place for getting together with both friends and colleagues. The restaurant’s dark, minimalist interior décor adds a touch of intrigue and elegance to the overall ambiance.

Unlike most restaurants Gon Pacci’s menu card(s) warns customers to beware of eating food products they might be allergic to. “If you are allergic to any ingredient please inform our order taker.”

This, I must admit, is extremely responsible of the management. In a country where hygiene, safety and ethics are considered unnecessary evils, finding this on the menu card came as a pleasant surprise.

Food allergies are usually triggered by common foods such as dairy products, peanut, certain kinds of fish and soy, among others. An allergic reaction occurs when the body’s immune system overreacts to a particular ingredient. It was very thoughtful of the management to remind its customers to be careful of the food they eat, in case they have health problems.

We chose Hummus and Crispy Chicken Chilli as appetizers. While I have also tasted the Crispy Chicken Chilli served at other restaurants, the one served at Gon Pacci stood out because of a wonderful mixture of just the right amount of ingredients; it was chilli without overshadowing the rest of the dish and making the eyes water.

For those of you who like toying with the liquid foods, Gon Pacci also has a wonderfully stacked bar where they serve both hot beverages and contemporary coolers. I would personally recommend you to try their Spicy Thai cooler and the All Berries Smoothie.

Our main course arrived soon after, consisting of Grilled Chicken with Lemon Chilli Sauce, which consisted of a mouth-watering, fork-tender chicken breast blended with a unique taste of just the right amount of lemon and chili. It was extremely delicious, served with a side of gratin potatoes and sauteed vegetables.

In the seafood category, we picked Red Ssnapper (also with chili sauce), which was delightfully presented. The fillet was wrapped in potato slices and pan-seared, while the subtly sweet and delicate taste of side lines harmonized extremely well with the fish, providing a real treat for the taste buds. This entree is a good choice for people who pick small meals.

Another entrée ordered by a friend was their Moroccan Chicken, which she found a bit too salty for her taste. However, the manager realized that she was not happy with her dish before any of us to even venture to point it out, and he politely inquired about the food.

Upon being informed about the extra salt in the meal, he promptly replaced the whole main course and also the side lines to satisfy her. Kudos for great customer service, I must say!

Finally, for those with a sweet tooth, I would advise you to order your Belgian Chocolate Lava Cake well in advance as we did, since it takes a good 20 minutes to prepare. It was beautifully presented; but a bit too sweet to be named after Belgian Chocolate.

Gon Pacci serves from 12:00pm to 12:00am in weekdays, and remains open until 2.00am on the weekend. While the prices are slightly on the steeper side, one must keep in mind the high quality of the dishes they serve.

For a three-course meal, on average, the cost per-person would be approximately Rs 1,400 to Rs 1,700. They also open for Sunday brunch buffet with Rs 1,099 for adults and Rs 749 for children.

With a seating capacity of up to 80 customers at a time, the restaurant is comfortable and relaxing. It is appropriate for small get-together, parties and even business meetings. However, the red and white ceiling is a slight turn off and did not perfectly match the elegant interior.

That said, this should definitely be added into your list of eateries in Karachi – don’t miss out on one of the best places the City of Lights has to offer!

For those of you wishing to try their home delivery service, you can call them at 02135342111 or order now at Food Panda.  You can also visit their Facebook Page for more information.

Added perks of going to Gon Pacci: A 15 per cent discount is offered to students of Nixor college at all Gon Pacci offerings!

– All credits for the photo(s) in this article belong to the author.