Tucked away in a street of the buzzing Bukhari Commerical area, restaurant Meat the Cheese (MTC) has been all the rage recently. Bringing the Raclette cheese trend to Karachi – that was all over Buzzfeed a few months ago – the restaurant launched recently to much hype.
Entering the space, we were actually surprised to find the place buzzing on a late Friday afternoon. The interior of the restaurant was well lit, with cozy blue armchairs and the welcoming aroma and of course, the signature sound of sizzling cheese in a pan.
The menu caught our attention next with its cute puns and funny names like ‘Lasagna on a roll’ for the lasagna and ‘Fingers Crossed’ for the mozzarella sticks. Moving to the food, we ordered an assortment of appetizers including the ‘Wicked Mushrooms,’ ‘Chilli Poppers’ and Cheesy Chick on a Stick.’ The mushrooms and poppers were both coated in a thick crispy batter, which had the flavour and crispiness it requires. While the mushrooms, stuffed with a cheese sauce and pepperoni, were a sure winner, the chili poppers lacked any kind of punch. The cheese filling wasn’t flavourful enough hence lacking the spicy goodness you expect from this now classic starter dish. The chicken sticks, however – accompanied with a perfect serving of french fries, were loaded with a layer of the famous sizzling Raclette cheese which added the oomph factor to the otherwise generic dish.
Wicked Mushrooms, Cheesy Chick on a Stick and Chilli Poppers
On recommendation by the owner, we ordered the Lasagna Roll and the Crack Pot Pie, though he did swear by the Tenderloin Steak too, for the mains. The traditional lasagna had been revamped into a thick roll made out of the pasta, stuffed with minced meat and sauces, covered in oodles of cheese. The seasoning and sauces were on point, though one missed the layers of lasagna sheets that add a balance to the dish.
Lasagna on the Roll
The Crack Pot Pie, which was a sort of deconstructed pizza plus a pot-pie, took the cake for this meal! Flavourful with its pizza sauce and cheesy goodness, the crust too was done to perfection; perfectly crisp and well-balanced with the rich taste of the filling.
The Crack Pot Pie was the star of our meal!
Personally, we felt the taste of the Raclette was too strong for our liking and has an acquired taste. We are used to the few traditional kinds of cheese that we’re accustomed to, and pure Swiss cheeses have a stronger taste, along with a pungent smell that did not particularly appeal to us.
Would we go back? Definitely. As owner Mustafa Totana told us, these are just their basic dishes and they are set to introduce 20 specialties over the course of time. MTC offers a comfortable atmosphere, with pure comfort food that one can never resist.
