Thyme – Adding a Touch of Class to Karachi

Amidst to the bustling traffic going through Khyaban-e-Ittehad – the most important artery in the maze-like road system of DHA – lies a restaurant, which unlike so many new places is more about the glamour quotient than the urban-themed spots sprouting up all over Karachi catering to the millennial masses. There’s class, there’s luxury, and then there’s Thyme.

Owned by Restaurateurs Zoya and Aurangzeb Marri, the restaurant, which has been done up in shades of azure blues, earth tones and gold, shines bright in an otherwise dim side alley of Ittehad, proving to be a shimmering diamond in the rough.

However, Thyme is so much more than just the pomp and show. It’s a lifestyle.

A well-thought-of menu and a curated gastronomic experience await those who enter Thyme, and those with a fine taste for the good things in life would enjoy what’s on the list, which is easily at par with many high-end restaurants in Pakistan that follow a similar theme.

Also read: Pesto, All Health, All Taste

Amongst the options, we chose to go for a mix of their best dishes on the menu and selected the Classic Chicken Pot Pie, Stuffed Mushrooms, Beef Fillet with a Rich Balsamic Glaze, Prawn Spaghetti with Avocado Oil, along with desserts that included a Belgian Chocolate Tart and a Lotus Cheesecake.

Starting the meal off with complimentary select of bread – which instead of the traditional ‘basket’ came atop a tree log – along with herbed butter, the rest of the starters came fairly quickly, which spoke volumes for the brilliant table service provided at Thyme.

 

Amongst the two starters – the pot pie and the stuffed mushrooms, the latter was the clear winner. It had a delicate buttery chicken, which was encased under a flaky and fresh puff pastry that was sure to die for! On the other hand, the mushrooms, whilst impeccably done, were an acquired taste that many who do not enjoy sharp cheeses or the pungency of fungi would not understand.

The mains came next, which were a true abundance galore – an experience which is a definite sight for sore eyes in fine-dining terms! The Beef fillet, which was served with a tangy and perfectly done balsamic glaze, was a sure winner of the night as it hit all the right notes. No to mention the temperature of the beef, which was en-pointe.

The prawn spaghetti too, was a major highlight for the experience, as the delicate Italian pasta intertwined with the richness of avocado oil giving it a unique taste. Adding onto that was a kick of spice that interestingly one gets hit with only in the aftertaste. However, while the dish had its merits, the big demerit had to be the heaviness of the pasta – it surely needs a cutdown of the richness, which could perhaps be done with an addition of something acidic to the plate.

Coming to the last bits of the meal – the desserts, Thyme has to be a clear winner in this category. Both, the Lotus cheesecake, and the Belgian Chocolate Tart are truly the opulent experience one would expect. The latter, although big on the ‘Lotus’ trend, is unique in its butterscotch-like taste over rich cheesecake, whereas the latter is all about the richness of chocolate, which unlike so many others, is not buttery, but more focused on chocolate.

All in all, amidst the myriad of restaurants mushrooming up in Karachi, there are a few which have proven they are more about the experience and quality than about the novelty. Thyme is one such place, and we see it going a long way from here.

Diva Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars