A Hidden Gem: Lale-i Rumi

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Have you ever tasted delicious Turkish foods? Perhaps, you have some Turkish friends or have visited a party where you may have gotten the chance to taste them. When I first moved to Karachi, I would always crave for my favorite Turkish dishes. Though, I can prepare most dishes by myself, I still long the authentic taste of home cooked meals that my mother would make. The Turkish cuisine is very complex and is not widely eaten or found in Pakistan. Because of its unique flavors and intricate techniques, you cannot easily find Turkish traditional foods everywhere, plus these foods are very difficult to cook. As a Turkish person living in Pakistan,I really miss my country, citizen and  of course, the food. To get over our nostalgia, my friends and I often gather to cook together.

However, finding the right ingredients becomes a problematic a task so sadly, it becomes quite difficult for us to recreate the same dishes. Fortunately, we were able to find an adorable Turkish restaurant by the name of  Lale-i Rumi in Defence, Karachi. When we first found out about this restaurant, my friends and I were all over come with joy however at first I was prejudiced and hence didn’t expect the restaurant to have too many dishes and would be up to par. After all, we are living in a foreign country that has a completely different culture. When I went to the Lale-i Rumi, I realized I was wrong about my prejudices.

Image Credits: Hacer Çapraz

Trust me, the moment you enter Lale-i Rumi, you will be beginning your journey toTurkey. Everything is very well designed according to the Turkish tradition. The ambiance is quite good. Everything is in harmony. The food is prepared by talented Turkish chefs. The menu is filled with delicious foods such as  as lahmacun, pide, adana, iskender, ayran, kadayıf etc. I also want to share what one of my friend had to say about the restaurant: “The place feels like any other restaurant in Turkey. When I enter the place, I felt little emotional, actually. I couldn’t understand the reason behind it all but I guess it is because I miss Turkey so much and this place reminds me of my country and those kind and sincere people remind me of my family’s warmth. Trying out foods from different cultures will allow you travel different cities while sitting down for your meal.”

I sincerely recommend you visit Lale-i Rumi, taste the delicious food and enjoy the amazing ambiance.

Written by: Hacer Çapraz