Written by: Mahnoor Fatima
Posted on: November 29, 2019 | 
| 中文
The Smokey Cauldron from Outside (photo credits to the writer)
A recent trend that has seemingly taken over Pakistan, and the world in general, are themed cafes. Entertaining and immersive, these restaurants create an entire culinary experience, which revolves around particular pop culture phenomena. In Pakistan, there are cafes with F.R.I.E.N.D.S, Breaking Bad, and Game of Thrones themes.
The Smokey Cauldron is one such restaurant, which celebrates the cultural sensation that is the Harry Potter franchise. It is named after the Leaky Cauldron of Diagon Alley, which acted as a bridge between the Wizarding World and that of the muggles in the books. We visited their new restaurant in F-6 Markaz, with a magical exterior that stands out from the other shops and restaurants nearby.
With 8 books, 8 films, a few plays, videogames and one theme park, the Harry Potter franchise has captured the hearts and imaginations of people all over the world. But the Smokey Cauldron provides a haven to Pakistani potterheads, who would want to gather together with other fans, and celebrate J.K. Rowling’s masterful body of work.
The Restaurant's Interior (photo credits to The Smokey Cauldron on Facebook)
‘The Smokey Cauldron’ is the brainchild of brothers Hassan and Haider Khan, who wanted to have a space to celebrate their love for all things Harry Potter since they were children. They initially opened ‘The Hogwarts Café’ near Bahria Town, Islamabad in 2016. Not only did they custom-make most of the interior, but also attempted to make their restaurant as immersive as possible. They replicated designs from the books, and covered the restaurant with instantly recognizable motifs. These include The Deathly Hallows signs, Quidditch Brooms and Harry Potter’s famous scar.
But it is not just the interesting décor that got my attention. Food lovers on social media have praised ‘The Smokey Cauldron’ for its consistently delicious and fresh food, particularly their steaks and desserts. We decided to try ‘The Smokey Cauldron’ on a chilly evening, around dinner time.
The menu was a standard yet comprehensive café menu, with most of the dishes named after a character or motif from the books. As a kind gesture, the end of the menu had a fan’s fanfiction story published for all visitors to read and enjoy. All around the restaurant were sticky notes on which people had left sweet comments, that covered most of the walls like confetti.
Sticky Notes on a Shelf (photo credits to the writer)
As soon as we ordered, we were given witches hats and wands to wear as we enjoyed our meal (there were also cloaks with each Hogwarts house available to wear). Across from us, was a television that was playing Prisoner of Azkaban, and a shelf with all the Harry Potter books stacked close to each other.
For the appetizer, we ordered the Chili-Chicken Fingers, which were crumb fried chicken fingers served with a spicy sauce. The chicken was crispy and well-cooked, dipped in the sweet yet spicy sauce that was also served on the side. This appetizer will be great for anyone who loves spicy food, as it was both spicy but not overpowering.
Chili Chicken Fingers (photo credits to the writer)
Our main entrees were the Kreacher’s Special grilled chicken burger and Carne Asada. The Kreacher’s Special was a thick patty with lettuce, jalapenos and sauce, served with crispy fries. This was generously portioned and very filling, but created a bit of a mess. The Carne Asada, which was recommended to me by our waiter, was a grilled and sliced steak, that came with mashed potatoes and a side of vegetables. The beef was moist, with a juicy sauce that tied together all the elements on the plates. Perhaps the only criticism was that the steak was not charred enough.
Carne Asada (photo credits to the writer)
For our drinks, we ordered The Fishy Green (Mint) and Exploding (Strawberry) Lemonade. Both lemonades were refreshing and light, but the Exploding Lemonade had more of a kick than the mellower Fishy Green. The dessert, however, was rather disappointing. Because the Molten Lava Cake was not available, we had ordered the Rock Cake (Chocolate Fudge cake). But the cake was very dry and crusty on the outside, and a bit too sugary for my taste.
Our overall bill was around Rs. 4,000 for an appetizer, two main courses, two drinks and one desert, which may be a bit pricey for café food. But, the receipt came with a special stamp, that would ensure that the customer receive a discount the next time they visited the restaurant, and showed the receipt.
This restaurant is a space committed to giving Pakistani Harry Potter fans a fun and wholesome experience. It is clear to see that they welcome all customers into their restaurant, not just die-hard Harry Potter fans. I hope to return to ‘The Smokey Cauldron’ to try more items on the menu, and I have high expectations for the future. For now, I would rate the experience 7.5/10.
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