Rahat and Gastronomic Issues

By AhmedGeneral

Rahat Bakers recently made their debut in Islamabad after running a popular and successful outlet in Rawalpindi. Their new setup in Blue Area has the same design as the one in Pindi with the addition of a spacious parking lot and a nice exterior. They have a huge variety of junk food (burgers, sandwiches, breads, pizzas), salads and sweets, not to mention the “Safilo” ice creams, coladas and shakes next door. Unfortunately, the only thing missing is a proper seating area which was also a big problem at the Pindi outlet.

After it’s opening a week or so ago, my colleagues and I have found a delicious and affordable solution to the lunch problem. As I mentioned earlier, there aren’t many good options around our office. The likes of Cafe Grind and KC Grill have excellent menus, but are just a bit too costly for regular lunches. Rahat is about a 5 minute drive/ride away and their salads, though high in creamy, meaty stuff, taste good.

That brings up an important issue. Once we started having regular lunches (before we moved to F-7), some of my colleagues started gaining weight dangerously fast. I usually tend to eat more than them while doing a similar amount of work, but there was hardly a change in my physique yet they continue to count tires around their wastes. My first problem is that I can’t work when hunger pangs set in and secondly, I need good, relatively healthy food which rules out most commonly available Pakistani dishes.

Once I start planning for lunch, the others usually can’t resist the temptation to follow me. The week I was in Karachi, my colleagues usually skipped lunch, but it’s coming back into full gear again. All this makes me feel a bit guilty about fattening up these poor souls by tempting them with gluttony while wondering why I’m (thankfully) immune from these after-effects. One fear I have is that the extra energy is being used by my remaining and slowly dwindeling muscle tissues and once they are gone, I’ll suddenly turn into a Homer Simpson (or that inflated tire mascot).

Majed and I have been looking around for gyms/swimming pools nearby though admittedly, not too actively. I better find something fast before time runs out.

10 thoughts on “Rahat and Gastronomic Issues”

  2. Good food, but I hope it doesn’t cause any sort of stomach problems. But I guess by now you are used to the food in Pakistan.

  3. You could probably try to swimming pool/gym in ‘super’ not jinnah super. It is kinda hidden as the access is a small door but it should be within a shot distance.

    Though i don’t know if it is still there. I used to go ther when i was working in Islamabad.

  4. Maaan! Reading this post made me hungry. It’s 2:15 AM right now. Let’s see if I can make it to the kitchen without disturbing the rest of the family. :^)

  5. Sajjad,

    You should post pictures of your adventures in Islamabad using a cell phone camera. It’ll give your posts a lot more depth.

    My two cents. =)

  6. Zeeshan,
    I think you’re talking about “Shaukat Spa”. Haven’t checked it out yet, but I’m pretty sure they only have a pool. Nothing else for working out. I checked out a few others and will write about them soon, but I think “Bodyonics” in F-10 seems to best fit my needs.
    Thanks,
    Sajjad

  7. Daze,
    Yes, that’s what I’ve been planning on doing, but the main hurdle right now is getting my pics from my phone to the website. MMS doesn’t work with all pics that I take for some reason (maybe size) and I need Windows to transfer them through IR.
    Sajjad

  8. Sajjad,

    If you’ve got a Bluetooth enabled phone, it would make transfering files easier. Speaking of phones, and on a different topic, does any Mobile provider support GPRS in Pakistan (especially in Lahore) area? If several do, which one is recommended?

    Daze

  9. No, I don’t have Bluetooth. And to make things worse, my camera (that swivels) isn’t working properly. Everything shows up in an eery green shade. I suspect it’s the result of “thumbing” my phone all the time. Maybe it’s time to get a new phone.

    Yes, both Mobilink and Ufone provide GPRS in all the areas they cover in Pakistan, though I’ve never used it. I’ve heard Ufone is better, though some new telcos coming in may spice things up a little.

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