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    Coke Festival 2017 comes to Islamabad

    Written by: Aiman Javed
    Posted on: December 11, 2017 | | 中文

    Entrance

    The Polo Ground at Lake View Park, Islamabad came alive with the Coke Festival from 8th December to 10th December, 2017. The public had turned up in such large numbers on the last day that we parked our car at a kilometers distance from the entrance. After buying a ticket each for PKR 300, we entered the premises.

    Since it was a corporate event, the set up was quite huge, and perhaps needlessly so. A concert stage was placed in the middle, with two long rows of food stalls on either end. Some people enjoyed the exclusivity of beautifully decorated VIP lounges but most occupied the limited tables near the food stalls. Promotional booths by brands such as Candyland, Kashmir and Careem were haphazardly set up. Meanwhile, the Coke management had decided to exclusively sell Coke themselves, so buying Coke meant covering considerable distance.

    Upon entering, we immediately made a beeline for the most popular savoury item: Tawa Chicken from Arif Chatkhara. The spicy chicken, peppered with green chilies, was being made live and served with a thin chappati. We’re glad to report that it lived up to the hype and tasted so good that we were left licking our fingers. However, the rush at Arif Chatkhara did mean that serving size wasn’t consistent, and one had to wait quite a while for the order to get done.

    Arif Chatkhara - Tawa Chicken

    Arif Chatkhara - Tawa Chicken

    Prawn Tempuras from Murasaki, a popular item from the recently held Islamabad Eat, were simply delicious. The three crispy prawns were large in size and served with soy sauce. For PKR 350, they seemed a little pricey, but were spot on in taste and texture. Unfortunately, Fish Tikka from Rewaiti Cuisine was a disappointment. The coating was too thick and too spicy, while the fish was soggy and tasteless. For PKR 300, the four pieces of tikka with raita were simply not worth it.

    Murasaki - Prawn Tempura

    Murasaki - Prawn Tempura

    To take a break from all the food, we asked some visitors what they were enjoying. For Pashmeena Durrani, Naan Kebab was a definite hit. With the plate of 2 Kebabs and 1 Naan costing PKR 250, the serving was quite reasonable, but it was the taste that won over customers. For Amal Javed, her favourite dessert was 401’s Fudge Brownie with Ice cream. While she wished the brownie had been larger in size, she loved the presentation as well as the balanced sweetness. Other popular food items included the cactus shaped cupcakes from Sugar Plum, the nutella jars from Mint to Be, parathas from What’a Paratha, puri from Chattha’s, waffle cones from Mr. Waffle, cookie shots from Bake for Me, jalebi from Punjabian Dhaba and free candy-floss from Johnny and Jugnu.

    Fudge brownie with icecream

    Fudge brownie with icecream

    For us, the standout dessert of the evening was the Hot Apple Crumble from Sucré for PKR 200. Since we don’t particularly enjoy apple pies, expectations were quite low. But boy were we glad we tried this! The streusel perfectly complimented the softness of the apples, which were just the right amount of sweet. The coldness of the cream against the warmth of the crumble made us ridiculously happy. In fact, another bakery’s owner asked us what we were having! Another wonderful find was the Daal Halwa from Jamil Sweets for PKR 140. Rich and nutty, it was delectable, though a little too heavy on the oil.

    Sucre - Hot Apple Crumble

    Sucre - Hot Apple Crumble

    To accompany the desserts, we tried Karak Chai from Chai Junction and from Chaiwala and Co. While Chaiwala’s chai was less pricey (PKR 50), Chai Junction’s chai (PKR 100) tasted better and their stall attracted more customers. The evening concluded with a concert by a number of relatively unknown artists, leading up to the performance by Stereo Nation.

    Chaiwala and Co - Karak Chai

    Chaiwala and Co - Karak Chai

    Since it was impossible to go home empty handed, we grabbed a big bag of mixed Spicy Jalapeno and Cheesy Gourmet Popcorns (PKR 300) from Pop Nosh and two basic chocolate chip cookies and a brownie from Karamel (PKR 500). We can say with authority that both items have proven to be tasty as always.

    Here is to hoping good food keeps coming Islamabad’s way, and the festivals keep growing bigger and better!


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021