jessie's

jessie's
f-7 markaz, 2nd floor, islamabad, pakistan
tel: +92 51 8312209

what was consumed: fries! and a mango shake. and the firestarter burger (bunless. i should've gotten the bun ...)

there is no such thing as too many burger places! i didn't get to check out all of the recommended burger places in islamabad, but i was glad to visit jessie's before my departure.

jessie's is prominently located on the second floor in F-7 markaz. if you can't see, drive around a bit. the gigantic yellow sign is hard to miss. and once you see it, get yourself upstairs and immediately order yourself a side of fries (and if you're up for it, some garlic mayonnaise dipping sauce). the fries are just the right size and are seasoned in such a way (not really sure how) that makes you go back for more. and especially when they are piping hot, there is little better. YUM. i could probably eat the fries/garlic mayo combo every day (and i wish i could!)

jessie's offers a variety of burgers, some of which may be ordered bun-less (that's how i ordered it). the burgers have a slight desi flavoring to them, which i appreciated. a quick caution: the burgers as doused in sauce (delicious sauce mind you). it's just that they can get really messy, especially if you order it bun-less (i had to eat mine with a knife and fork). delish.

and their shakes! jessie's offers a variety of different shakes (to include fresh mango shakes during mango season. also delish). some argued that the shakes were a little water-y, but they slurped them up in no time. definitely be sure to add a shake to your order.

also, while jessie's delivers, remember that all of that sauce gets everywhere by the time it gets to your house. so, just get yourself over to jessie's and enjoy in house! you'll be glad you did ... 

online: https://www.facebook.com/jessiesburgers/

yum chinese and thai

yum chinese and thai
street 16, F-7/2 next to rana market, islamabad, pakistan
tel: 0512609361 / 0512609362

what was consumed: fried spring rolls, kung pao chicken, pepper beef, chicken chow mein noodles

friends and i made a lunchtime decision to meet up for dinner. we hadn't gone out in a while and had seen the empty lot be built into what is now YUM chinese & thai. it was time to go and see the fruit of all that construction, and seeing the bustle of people upon arrival, i was convinced that this impromptu dinner date was a good decision ... and it was!

i was the first in the group to arrive. upon being seated, and soon after arrival, i was served a welcome drink (which tasted like an ice-blended gatorade) and shrimp chips (which i love). i enjoyed being seated on the balcony, looking upon the entry way at YUM (YUM is on the second floor of the building. the english tea room is downstairs). 

we opted for chinese, but i did ask about ordering thai, also on the menu. the hostess, quickly responded by saying, "oh, in the chinese restaraunt?" so, yes. an easy decision to stick to the chinese side of the menu.

we ordered some of our chinese food favorites; this is probably what i'd recommend. rice doesn't come with the meal, so you'll have to order that separately (i'd recommend ordering the garlic fried rice. love garlic fried rice with everything!). the kung pao chicken wasn't too spicy, to my disappointment, and a bit saucy for my liking. but that didn't prevent us from polishing off most of it. we definitely left with some to-go containers (there were three of us enjoying these dishes), happy taste buds, and totally filled bellies.

i'm always happy to see some of my favorite chinese dishes added to the eating options in any city i'm in, especially when they are tasty and hit the spot just as YUM did. welcome to the dining scene, YUM!

online: www.yumpakistan.pk or https://www.facebook.com/YumIslamabad/